Inspired by the ‘Finest Bourbons of the Prohibition Era,’ Remus Highest Rye Bourbon Adds Some Spice to Ross & Squibb’s Portfolio

Remus Highest Rye Bourbon Debutes (Photo: Luxco)

Ross & Squibb Distillery has launched its latest expression, the Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The expression will be included in its year-round program and is set to sell at $55 a bottle nationwide, The Whisky Business reported Friday.

The spirit was aged for six years and clocks in at 109 proof. It’s distilled from a mashbill composed of 51% corn, 39% rye and 10% malted rye, according to Ross & Squibb. The brand is under the umbrella of the MGP-owned Luxco, a bourbon supplier that also owns brands like Ezra Brooks and Blood Oath.

“With Remus Highest Rye Bourbon, our team pays tribute to Ross & Squibb Distillery’s rye tradition by selecting a mash bill that features the most rye a bourbon can offer,” Ross & Squibb Master Distiller Ian Stirsman said, per The Whisky Business. “This bourbon delivers a sweet, rich fruit and maple aroma and a palate containing robust candied-fruit notes, followed by a lingering finish highlighted by notes of spicy cinnamon and saddle leather.”

Ross & Squibb has a lengthy history that dates back to 1857. The Remus brand is inspired by Prohibition and takes its name from one of the most famous bootleggers of the era, George Remus. Remus was a successful attorney and nicknamed the “King of the Bootleggers.” He would often find loopholes that would allow him to sell bourbon for “medicinal purposes.”

The Remus Highest Rye Bourbon has a high rye content in its mashbill as an homage to the rye whiskeys of America’s past.

“Our Remus Bourbon brand takes its inspiration from the finest bourbons of the Prohibition Era, and with Remus Highest Rye Bourbon we offer a salute to the enormous popularity of rye whiskey heading into this period,” said Shanae Randolph, marketing director-brands for Luxco Branded Spirits.

Rye has been rising in popularity as of late, according to Wine Enthusiast. The grain is known for its spicy characteristics and was fairly popular prior to Prohibition in the 1920s. In order for a whiskey to be considered a rye whiskey, it needs to be distilled from a mahbill of at least 51% rye.

For drinkers interested in venturing further into the rye whiskey category, Whiskey Raiders Spirits Critic Jay West recently curated a list of the 10 best rye whiskeys he’s ever tasted.

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