By Randall H. Borkus
Rating: A
(Credit: Jos. A. Magnus)
In 1892, Joseph A. Magnus founded his Cincinnati, Ohio-based whiskey company and built a reputation for aged blended spirits, including his brand Murray Hill Club. That business closed in 1918 as Prohibition loomed. The name Magnus and its association with whiskey remained dormant for nearly a century. In 2015, Magnus’s great-grandson, Jimmy Turner, revived the family name after discovering bottles of the original whiskey, reopening Jos. A, Magnus & Co. in Washington, D.C..
Nancy Fraley was brought on in 2014 as Master Blender, her first project was to create a modern version for Murray Hill Club. A few years later, she created the original cigar blend whiskey. Fraley introduced Cigar Blend Bourbon in 2016 with the intent to create a richer, robust expression designed to pair with a fine cigar. Released in individually numbered batches, it combines mature bourbons with the brand’s sherry- and Cognac-finished whiskey and receives an additional complexity in Armagnac casks. Nancy Fraley stepped down retiring from her post at Jos. A, Magnus & Co. to pursue other passions and passes the torch to Head Distiller Will Fabry.
If you really want to geek out on the various batches there is a complete Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend guide available to review all the batches. I confess I have it bookmarked on my computer.
This is from that guide: “Jos. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon batches #516 – 532 continue to pay a nod to cold winter days spent watching classic cinema indoors. This time around, the names of the batches are taken from famous movie lines which have become idioms in popular culture over the past 45 years, and in particular, are derived from films that were directed by the late great director Rob Reiner. These incredibly rich and unctuous batches are composed of 10-year-old 36% MGP rye Bourbon, 17-year-old Barton rye Bourbon, and 20-year-old MGP 21% rye Bourbon.”
The Bourbon
Here I reference Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch #527 at 50.53% ABV.
In the glass there is a natural visual beauty to this bourbon. The color is deep sherried amber with metallic flashes when held up to the light. When I swirl the whiskey in my glass, I unveil healthy legs moving ever so slowly down the inside of my glass.
The nose streams forth a cornucopia of toasted maple, clarified nutty sweet butter syrup, overripe berries, with a solid touch of oak and tobacco. The front and mid-palate hits my taste buds with a warm sherried vanilla crème Brule like note, caramel, honey, and nutty essence, alongside aged leather, tobacco, candied ginger, cloves and dried oranges. This all leads to an intense finish, with surging notes of dried apricots, stewed prunes, dark chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, and toasted oak. This is a substantial whiskey, bold, complex with a rolling finish that lasts for minutes. A few drops of water further intensifies the flavors for me and begs to be joined by a cigar!
Cigar Pairing: I would pair this with a medium-to-full bodied cigar like the E.P. Carrillo Pledge cigar. This cigar holds up well with a solid whiskey hosting enough structure to bring out more of the chocolate, oak, and tobacco notes of the E.P. Carrillo Pledge.
I have always been a fan of the Jos. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon expressions, and Batch #527 is one of my favorites. I will find one for my home bar.
The Price
The suggested retail price is $189.00 for a 750ml bottle.
