THE BOURBON RESOURCE SPECIAL EDITION: Lux Row Lou Gehrig review
The limited edition release is available now
REMUS 2026 LOU GEHRIG
Hi all. Ross & Squibb was kind enough to send me a bottle of the Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve. Instead of waiting for the July newsletter, I decided to send out a special edition since relatively few bottles are being released nationwide and I haven’t found any reviews (yet), so it’s nice to get ahead of the pack. As usual, Ross & Squibb provided this bottle for review purposes without any special considerations.
Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve
Proof: 109
MSRP: $130
Remus Lou Gehrig (2026 version)
Short take: A complex and unique bourbon
History: Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve
From the press release: Following the Remus Babe Ruth Reserve Bourbon in 2024 and 2025, this year’s release honors Lou Gehrig, the iconic New York Yankees first baseman. Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve incorporates four distinct mash bills in tribute to Gehrig’s legendary No. 4 jersey, while the bourbon’s 109 proof pays homage to the 100th anniversary of his 109 RBI season in 1926, the first of his 13 consecutive seasons with 100 or more RBIs. Only 9,665 bottles of Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve will be released nationwide, commemorating each of Gehrig’s career plate appearances.
Mash bill:
14% 2016 bourbon with a 44% rye mash bill
70% 2017 bourbon with a 49% rye mash bill
Eight percent 2019 bourbon with a 99% corn mash bill
Eight percent 2019 bourbon with a 36% rye mash bill.
Let’s taste it:
🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass
👉🏻Nose: Cinnamon, pepper, light fruit
👉🏻Taste: Sweet cherry, brown sugar, corn, pepper, oak
👉🏻Finish: Plum, anise, light cinnamon, pepper, cherry liquorice, rye bread
Summary: Remus Lou Gehrig
I’m a fan of Remus products because I find my taste preferences align with those of Ian Stirsman, the Ross and Squibb master distiller. (You can read 5 questions with Ian here). This a complex bourbon that needs time to breathe so the initial alcohol blows off. Once that happens, prepare for sensory overload. There’s so much going on that I smelled, tasted, and re-tasted for the better part of 30 minutes. It was only then that the flavors started to distinguish themselves. I got a lot of cherry throughout (which isn’t on the tasting notes) and none of the nutmeg the notes described. But I did get brown sugar and cinnamon, along with the properties mentioned above. It’s a long finish that will surprise because plum comes out of nowhere, providing a nice dark-fruit counterbalance to the peppery heat, which lingers.
Conclusion – Remus Lou Gehrig
The mass market prefers bourbons with standardized taste profiles that make it easy to discern flavor. The Remus Lou Gehrig isn’t that. It’s a bourbon that will spark debate on the predominant properties and how they change, with and without water (I tried it with water and thought it thinned out the pour too much and detracted from the complexity). It’s what makes this one of the more interesting and satisfying pours I’ve had this year. It starts light before adding depth, has a little sweetness and then fire, and at times gets that sear of cinnamon. Because of its complexity, I thought this would pair well with a light, sweet dessert, like cheesecake. I was right. I had a piece in the fridge, and the bourbon paired with it like Astaire and Rogers. I also had a chocolate sea salt caramel cookie in the kitchen, and that was also a very good pairing. I would have gotten this out earlier if I hadn’t stopped to eat (and ruin my dinner). The Remus Lou Gehrig is available at Reserve Bar and won’t last. In today’s market, the bourbon isn’t premium priced, and its uniqueness and flavor make it worth a buy. I hope to get a second bottle because I think this one will be consumed with cheesecake and cookies.
Thanks all. I hope you enjoyed this special review!
Ray Marcano writes and publishes the Bourbon Resource monthly, and he’s president of the 32 Staves Society. He’s a bourbon lover and long-time journalist who freelances for some of the country’s largest media brands. He’s the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, a Fulbright fellow, and was recently named best columnist in the state of Ohio. He covers fine wine and dining in Ohio and writes opinion columns for the USA Today network.
A bourbon honoring Yankee legends is the right way to pique my interest.