Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon

We're back with batch 264, now a 230 dollar retail bottle. But available...I guess that's something. So, we last left cigar blend after being well...disappointed with batch 110 but Nancy told us she had a plan to work with her now a bit younger bourbon stock and get it back up to the old legends. Let’s see if it worked. Warning - gonna be a long long long comp. Batch 264 - The first nosing brings out a rich amount of leather and oak, sun baked in those armagnac casks. Light winter green notes from a rich high rye spice are coming off. A slight alcohol and battery note. Almost reminds me of a slightly fermented fruit with that. Not off putting here btw. Just a bit different. Really nice rich woods and leathers, nice vanilla complement as well. Red berries with hints of slight orange citrus sneaks in. My initial thoughts are it's a great nosing experience but not as rich and old world as I remember better batches. Taste - It's hard to even dig into one flavor note at first. The size of this whisky is unmistakable. It's a huge flavor punch that coats the mouth. Absolutely a show piece. Arrives light and fruity with strong vanilla notes, reminds me of older bourbons. Turns more citrus and slightly towards sour fruits in the middle and leaves a long-lasting tobacco and smoked oak finish. The overall impression, however, is rich wood soaked almost giving me dark rum with vanilla creamer over oak notes. With tobacco on the back end. I think with this batch the youngest bourbons have perhaps gone up to 9ish vs perhaps having some slightly younger bourbon in batch 110. Either way this comes off a bit more aged while also giving off more finishing. Perhaps wetter casks were used to finish or an ever so slightly longer time finishing to give it more richness? I'm not sure this is the legendary stuff of the past, but it's absolutely outstanding. If you know my scoring, I score to a 4.0 scale with the last point for exceptional whiskies that somewhat defy the status quo. I'm giving this an outstanding 3.75 and debating a 4.0. Cigar blend is back...but maybe not legendary. OK so to compare we have batch 28, 42, 110. You can tell these are all the same family right away nosing them. 110 comes off instantly as the thinnest with more sweetness up front and less oak and spice on the back end. Very much gives me young MGP notes on the back end while giving me that nice richer more complex whisky up front. 42 might be the most aromatic of the bunch. It gives off a huge rich wallop of sweetness up front with heavy oak and leather on the back end. 28 is stately with a very rich oak and well...hell it get a huge rich cigar back bone to it. Pair with a cigar? It is the cigar! Comparatively it's also given a light bit of walnut notes as well. Moving to the 264, my feeling of more finishing on the 264 seems confirmed in terms of experience as the finished notes really stand out here. The vanilla really jumps out too. It's almost dessert in this comparison. Taste - I was really hoping time in the bottle was doing wonders for 110 but sadly not. It's a touch sharp up front. It just doesn't have that refinement. It's not bad. The finish is also lacking, it's not that you don't have a long finish. It's just not very good. Batch 42, just like the nose, jumps out of the glass. Oh god this is good. And the finish...what a flavor bomb. And yet, the approach is softer and silky compared to 110. It's refined, aged, mature, and still a sleeping giant when the abv sneaks up on the finish. This is how I love my whisk(e)y! Ok 28, is stately and mature like 42 upfront with less sweetness, more a drying feeling. And that carries through to the finish. Dried figs and leaves. Fall day and a dried-out bomber jacket in a barn full of tobacco leaves. I'm remembering moments at my buddy’s farm growing up. Is 28 better than 42? Maybe? But 28 is my happy place right now. The hardest part of this comparison is just how long the finish on 42 and 28 are. You've forgotten the last pour to compare by the time they finish. OK so back to 264. Oh man...sorry but the youthful notes and that rye note is taking me out of my happy zone. It's funny as I think this is decently aged 36% rye MGP, but it's just young next to those two. The finishing here too fails us. Refined up front, great mouth feel, but it's a huge step back. And going back to 110 it's like I’m drinking alcohol. Conclusion - Cigar blend isn't back to its old self, not even close. That said I think we've made some good progress here. The added finishing notes are giving it a nice sweetness and there seems to be a slight upgrade in age that's giving it a more refined experience up front. I don't think you'll dwell on how much better the old bottles are on this one, without doing like I am and comparing them. Unlike the 110 where you just can't miss the problems. I'm very good with feeling the 28 and 42 are 4-4.25 scores and the new batch is more of a 3.75...I might be debating going 3.5. Either way, very pleased where Cigar Blend is going. Hopefully, with time there will be more old bourbons to be used in these to get things back to where we want them. But until then, whatever black magic Nancy is doing has this whisky very much on profile with the older batches. It's just not built on the same quality ingredients and that's holding it back a bit. I'd also note the 110 and 264 are lower proofs than the older batches. Not sure the driver here, but I thought it was worth noting. Could be age obviously. Oh value...220-240 seems to be where I see these from stores not trying to go secondary. Fair to slightly below fair value imo. I'd buy at this price again, but I'm not excited about it.

This has been a bit if a unicorn for me. I spotted it in the wild 4-5y ago, hesitated because of the price and never saw it again… until now that is. Price is still painful. Batch 113, 57.8% ABV. Amber color, likely in part thanks to tripple cask finishing. I had thought this was all MGP but aparently is part Kentucky bourbon. The nose reinforces the KY component - reminiscent of Four Roses, cherry and floral notes, some light caramel and slightly dusty oak. It certainly evolves though and MGP shows up later with bits of dill, eucalyptus, cacao and tobacco. The question here is what comes from the base bourbons themselves va the casks. There is a slight mustiness I attribute to the armagnac, the cacao and buttery sweetness of cognac, and the brighter fruit notes could be the sherry (maybe a PX?). Some of this is getting into the palate as well. As far as taste goes it follows the nose with a welcoming warmth but little bite. Lighter body but still mouth coating and hits every single corner. Nothing dominates, just a wonderful balance. Back to price for a moment. Standard JM at $100 is leathery, and for me, nearly offensive with a hearty sulfur component. The result is that standard JM drinks like a +20y bourbon - which most people likely won’t want despite the madness of age statement hype. At twice the price, this cigar blend is what I hoped standard JM would be. Much sweeter, dare I say bourbon-like, complex and interesting. The finish of the cigar blend is everlasting and evolving - and perhaps the place where the price tag is justified. It drinks like a 12-16yo bourbon and the cask finishes compliment rather than dominate the final product. So, the scarcity. It’s frustrating. And the secondary prices are foolish. I would say the best substitutes are also blends - namely some of the Bardstown Discovery series. At $120 they are almost a bargain. This rivals their initial Laubade finish and if I wasn’t whiskey-broke I might snap up their second edition. Frankly, Rare Breed isn’t far off (and should still be under $60 unless you’re being price gouged). Short story - wonderful finished bourbon that is complimented rather than dominated by cask finishing, complex and interesting, approachable and yet not leagues beyond products that are half the price. Worth a splurge for a special pour but nothing to lose one’s mind over.

Batch 242 108.2 proof. Aroma offers cashew nut, date, fig, tobacco, old furniture, leather, sage, honeydew melon, caramel apple, and a hint of smoke. Slight bit of ethanol but overall complex and delightful. Oh wow. Palate brings more nut (now macadamia and hazelnut) along with wine, dried fruits (raisin/fig), pipe tobacco, black cherry, and toffee. Definitely tastes like there’s some quite old whiskey in here. Flavors are rich, robust, and so well integrated it’s almost hard to pick out individual notes. Just know it’s delicious. Finish is medium with plum, sherry wine, dark chocolate, citrus zest, and just a touch of nutmeg. There is also wood tannins but it’s hard to just say “oak”; it’s like layers of different woods. Tobacco and leather notes linger. Zero heat. Mouthfeel is full and buttery smooth. I know I used leather, tobacco, fig, and nut several times, but chalk that up to the cohesiveness of the profile, as these elements are present throughout the experience. Phenomenal. 6 out 5. At $199, I regret nothing and would rebuy. It’s that good, and that unique. The king of finished whiskey.

I enjoy an occasional cigar, and i have been on the hunt for just the right whiskey to compliment my preference for a medium to bold tobacco. My search is finally over! In the past i have found most bourbons to overpower the cigar and cognac to be too sweet. This expression is a perfect complementary blend of the best qualities of both worlds. I admit when I originally got the bottle i was so anxious that I tried it neat by itself, and I wasn’t overly impressed given the strong reviews. Part of that I attribute to the fact I my taste buds have been spoiled by higher end whiskey :). However, when i added my favorite cigar in the mix, that is where the majic happens. I also wouldn’t get too hung up on the batch number, particularly if you are enjoying a good smoke. As I understand it, there are hundreds of batches released each year. My label is batch 400 for what it’s worth. Just kick and celebrate a good life!

I came across this libation in the hotel I was staying at in Virginia. I never had anything from Mr Magnus. The name intrigued me as well. "Cigar Blend". I must say this was very good indeed. The nose yielded characters of brown sugar, baking spices, and warm vanilla. The sipping experience was lovely. At first, I got obvious notes of oak, dark fruit, and corn. Then after a few more savoring sips the palate settled and out came leather and tobacco. These were more prominent on the finish. I enjoyed this so thoroughly, I almost ordered another. Thankfully, I refrained because I later discovered it had cost me $35 for the pour! Now I'm not a cigar expert by any means, but i can only imagine it pairing exquisitely well with this. Especially, since it was more than fine on its own.

Batch 121. This is possibly the most complex, perfect whiskey I have had to date. I got this bottle for Christmas from my lovely wife and we’ve enjoyed over half of the bottle already. We keep saying we have to save the rest for special occasions but we keep coming back to it because of how incredible it is. While this is a finished bourbon, the master blender here has allowed the base whiskeys to shine. The finishing casks don’t take away from the actual bourbon, they make it even more incredible. This whiskey just coats your mouth and you taste it when you wake up in the morning. I hate thinking about when I don’t have this batch anymore, but I’m sure others are just as incredible. If you see one of these at your local liquor store, treat yo self.