George Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2 Straight Wheat Whiskey 750ml

Remus Bourbon is known for one thing above all else — exceptional high-rye bourbon, crafted with precision at the historic Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Master Distiller Ian Stirsman has spent years perfecting that signature. So when the time came to launch the second chapter of his annual Experimental Series, he set all of it aside.

No rye. No bourbon. No rulebook.

What Stirsman made instead is a 95% wheat whiskey — the first wheat whiskey ever released under the Remus name — finished not in one wine cask, but four. Simultaneously. Then blended back together into something the distillery has never produced before and will never produce again quite like this.

This is what creative freedom looks like at one of Indiana's most storied distilleries.

It starts with a 2017 distillate built on a mash bill of 95% wheat and just 5% malted barley — a complete departure from the high-rye DNA that defines the Remus core lineup. That base whiskey was then divided into four separate parcels, each assigned to a different finishing cask:

• Tawny Port — aged oxidatively, contributing dried fig, walnut, and caramel depth
• White Port — lighter and floral, adding golden raisin and fresh stone fruit
• Oloroso Sherry — the richest cask, bringing dark dried fruit, roasted nut, and a savory edge
• Ruby Port — the freshest of the four, contributing bright berry, cherry, and jammy red fruit

Each parcel finished independently, absorbing the full character of its respective cask. Then Stirsman blended all four back together — creating a single expression layered with complexity no single cask finish could achieve on its own. The wheat whiskey's naturally soft, clean grain character acts as the perfect canvas, letting the wine cask influences express themselves fully without competition.

Bottled at 113 proof — the boldest proof in the Experimental Series to date — with every ounce of that strength in service of flavor, not heat.

Nose: An inviting bouquet of ripe red fruit and dried stone fruit opens first — the Ruby and Tawny Port signatures showing immediately. Oloroso sherry adds a rich, nutty undertone while the White Port lifts everything with a delicate floral brightness. Warm pastry dough and golden raisin round out a nose that rewards time in the glass.

Palate: Silky and unexpectedly full-bodied for a wheat whiskey — the four-cask finish adds a richness the grain alone wouldn't deliver. Dark berry compote, soft toffee, and toasted almond arrive first, followed by cocoa, roasted hazelnut, and a gentle sherry spice mid-palate. The wheat's natural sweetness threads through it all — clean, almost bread-like — grounding the wine cask complexity and keeping every sip balanced.

Finish: Medium-long and warming. Dried cherry and toasted oak fade slowly alongside lingering sherry spice and a clean, gentle sweetness that stays well past the last sip. Graceful and unhurried from start to finish.