Ross & Squibb - BourbonSphere

Ross & Squibb Distillery Completes First Project With Chris Long’s Waterboys

Lawrenceburg, Indiana-based Ross & Squibb Distillery, in partnership with NFL legend Chris Long and his Foundation’s Waterboys initiative, announced the completion of their combined efforts to bring a lasting source of clean, safe water to a community of 1,600 people in arid southern Kenya.

In summer 2023, a deep borehole well was dug in the Oloile community in Kajiado County, Kenya, by The Chris Long Foundation’s Kenya implementing partner, Well Aware, to a depth of 80 meters, yielding 100,000 liters of water per day. In November, construction of a storage tank, distribution points and refillable water trough was completed, ensuring the well’s long-term success in terms of maintenance and sustainability.

"Thanks to the generous support from Ross & Squibb Distillery, Waterboys is bringing life-changing, clean water to the Oloile community in Kenya,” said two-time Superbowl champion and founder of Waterboys, Chris Long. “This well represents hope, health, and a future for the residents who have faced severe water crises for decades. We've seen firsthand how clean water can transform lives - reducing illness, supporting education, and fostering economic growth."

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The Oloile community consists of more than 100 households and one primary school and is home to about 1,600 residents. For decades, the community has been experiencing a dangerous water crisis as the rainy season has become unreliable over time with the region experiencing droughts that would last up to two years. As a result of these recent efforts, Oloile has shifted from a “water-lacking” community to one that is “water-filled and fulfilled.”

“We are grateful we were able to make such a big difference in the lives of so many through this successful partnership with Waterboys and the Chris Long Foundation,” said Allison O’Brien, Brand Manager for Ross & Squibb. "We are fortunate to have a clean water source supplying our Ross & Squibb Distillery in Indiana, and we take pride in our mission to help others get access to safe water. We are looking forward to continuing this great work through new projects in the future."

Ross & Squibb Announces Return of Remus Gatsby Reserve

Remus Gatsby Reserve contains some of the 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery’s finest 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey. This year, Remus Gatsby Reserve features two bourbon mash bills and is offered at cask strength.

Latest edition of the ultra-limited Remus expression, made with 15-year-old reserves, features two bourbon mash bills for the ultimate tribute to the time of Gatsby

Ross & Squibb Distillery announced the return of the most-limited member of the Remus Bourbon family: Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 Edition. Released to celebrate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary novel, “The Great Gatsby”, a century ago – from the events in 1922 that inspired the novel to its publication in 1925 – Remus Gatsby Reserve is bottled at 98.1 proof (49.05% ABV) and offered in ultra-limited quantities at a minimum suggested retail price of $199.99 per 750-ml bottle.

Crafted by Master Distiller Ian Stirsman and the team at Ross & Squibb Distillery, Remus Gatsby Reserve contains some of the 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery’s finest 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey. This year, Remus Gatsby Reserve features two bourbon mash bills (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt; and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% barley malt) and is offered at cask strength. Hitting shelves this October, Remus Gatsby Reserve leads with aromas of caramel, candied dark fruit and saddle leather, with slight brown sugar and very sweet candied notes. The taste profile is characterized by flavors of caramel, oak, dark fruit syrup, candied raisins, char and brown sugar, while the finish lingers with notes of saddle leather, cherry and oak.

“We have produced great bourbon whiskey over the years at Ross & Squibb, and the Remus Bourbon brand has provided our team an opportunity to showcase some of our best,” said Stirsman. “Remus Gatsby reserve provides a special opportunity to showcase the best of the best – including two different mash bills of some of the finest 15-year-old bourbons in our reserves. Remus Gatsby Reserve made quite an impact when it was launched last year, and the 2023 Edition is likely to follow suit as a highly sought-after member of the Remus Bourbon family.”

The inaugural 2022 expression of Remus Gatsby Reserve achieved some of the highest recognition in the bourbon category, earning Gold in the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits competition, the 2023 Bartenders Spirits Awards competition and the 2023 SIP Awards. Additionally, the 2022 Edition of Remus Gatsby Reserve earned Platinum status at the 2023 ASCOT Awards and was named “Bourbon of the Year” by Robb Report, as well as one of “The Best Rare Bourbons That are Actually Worth the Cost” by Inside Hook magazine.

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023)

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family – Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It’s aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what…

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family - Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It's aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what's it like? Read our full review to find out!

The post Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023) appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Bourbon Review

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Bourbon is the latest release in the series from the Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP). It is a blend of bourbons distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and aged from 9-16 years. Previous releases have received significa…

The post Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Bourbon Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Remus Gatsby Reserve Review

The latest in the Remus Bourbon family, the Remus Gatsby Reserve, celebrates F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, “The Great Gatsby,” which examines prohibition-era America during the Jazz age. The bourbon, crafted by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team at Ross & Squibb Distillery, is made with 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey. How is it? Check out our review!

The post Remus Gatsby Reserve Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Remus Gatsby Reserve
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
15 Years Old
Ross & Squibb (MGP)
Proof: 97.8
MSRP: $199.99
Review

Please enjoy our Remus Gatsby Reserve review by Ray Marcano.

Remus Gatsby Reserve 15 Year Bourbon Review

This bourbon may be expensive, but it’s worth the investment. Exquisite.

History

Mash Bill

Not disclosed

Tasting Notes – Remus Gatsby Reserve

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Cherry, licorice, vanilla
Taste: Butterscotch, warm caramel, maple syrup
Finish: Maple, caramel, vanilla

Summary

Cherry candy and licorice jump out on the nose and remain the predominant flavors. I let it rest in my Glencairn glass for a few minutes, tried again, and got a little vanilla this time but not enough to cut through the cherry. The tongue gets hit with a taste explosion, a mouthful of warm caramel and butterscotch followed by a little maple syrup so thick it felt like my throat was becoming coated in sweetness. There’s a little oak, less than I anticipated for a 15-year-aged product, and the finish is as long as a passionate kiss. Just a touch of burn, and I mean the good kind that makes you feel all toasty inside.

Conclusion – Remus Gatsby Reserve Bourbon

The Remus Gatsby Reserve is one special bourbon that immediately works its way into my top-tier bottles. It’s not a daily drinker only because of the limited availability and price. But it’s worth it. It’s delicious.

I hope you have enjoyed our Remus Gatsby Reserve review by Ray Marcano. Ray publishes a free monthly newsletter, The Bourbon Resource. You can subscribe here. If you would like to learn about more whiskeys from Ross Squibb (MGP) check out our George Remus Single Barrel Bourbon Review and our Rossville Union Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Review!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!

The post Remus Gatsby Reserve Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Protected: Alias Straight Rye Whiskey Review

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Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) Releases Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof

Ross & Squibb Distillery, formerly MGP, has announced the annual release of their Rossville Union Barrel Proof. New for this year, the release carries a 7 year age statement. Ian Stirsman, master distiller at Ross & Squibb distillery …

Ross & Squibb Distillery, formerly MGP, has announced the annual release of their Rossville Union Barrel Proof. New for this year, the release carries a 7 year age statement.

Ian Stirsman, master distiller at Ross & Squibb distillery says of this release:

Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof is another example of the great rye-whiskey tradition we've carried on at Ross & Squibb Distillery and yet another reason Indiana is the rye capital of the world. As the popularity of rye whiskey continues to grow, we've selected another exceptional medley of rye mash bills to satisfy even the most discriminating tastes among the ever-growing numbers of rye-whiskey drinkers.

This release has a limited allocation of 18,000 bottles. It comes in at 117.2 proof (58.6% alcohol) and has a suggested retail price of $69.99. This release was made up of 82 barrels and each bottle has the barrel displayed.

My Take

Doing the math... this means each barrel made up 219 bottles... each barrel holds 53 gallons (240943 mL's total)... so if we multiply 219 x 750 ml, we get 164,250... which means that almost 80,000 mL's were lost to the angel's share (providing the distiller didn't hold any bottles back, which, they probably did).

In terms of the release, I think 7 years of aging is a great time to pick from the barrel. One of my favorites of all time is the Old Ezra 7. For $70, it's a bit on the high side, but I think it's worth giving it a try if you see this out and about.

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below.

Source: Ross & Squibb

In Effort to Confuse Everyone, MGP Rebrands Lawrenceburg Distillery to Ross & Squibb Distillery

MGP has announced that they are rebranding their Lawrenceburg, Indiana location to be called Ross & Squibb Distillery. MGP, as you may know, has long been one of the major bourbon makers in the country. What is unique about them is they w…

MGP has announced that they are rebranding their Lawrenceburg, Indiana location to be called Ross & Squibb Distillery.

MGP, as you may know, has long been one of the major bourbon makers in the country. What is unique about them is they were very successful in making other brands products than their own. This changed recently as they've started marketing house made brands (Eight & Sand, George Remus, Rossville Union etc.). Additionally, they acquired Luxco Brands this January for $475 million dollars, giving them Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, Daviess County, and other brands.

David Bratcher, COO and president of branded spirits for MGP says of the rebrand:

In rebranding our Lawrenceburg distillery, we sought to celebrate Indiana's rich and important distilling history, particularly as it involves the inspiration behind our branded spirits. All Ross & Squibb brands find their inspiration in Indiana distilling history, so it is fitting the distillery itself now does as well.

MGP/Luxco picked the name because "Ross" is inspired by the legacy of George Ross, who in 1847 founded the Rossville Distillery, located on what is now the Ross & Squibb Distillery campus and "Squibb" calls back to the historic Squibb Distillery, founded in 1869 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

MGP will continue to produce bourbon, rye, whiskey, gin, and grain-neutral spirits from this facility under its current name: MGPI of Indiana, LLC, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, for its customers.

So to summarize.... the distillery is being renamed, but the name of the operations responsible for selling the bourbon will remain unchanged except for MGP house brands, which will now carry the Made at Ross & Squib Distillery.

My Take

This whole thing is incredibly stupid and unnecessary. It's a marketing ploy to change the name on the label for the MGP first party brands (Rossville Union Rye, George Remus, and maybe others). The other part of this is that it's a really dumb name. The Ross is fine, but the Squib is ridiculous. For all the Harry Potter fans out there, you probably already know that a Squib is:

Someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn’t got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual.

So.... basically, a wizard who can't wizard. Awesome. Anyway... when you see the new branding, don't be fooled to thinking anything has changed.

Source: MGP/Luxco