Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Jeffrey Schwartz -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Jos. A. Magnus & Co. (whiskey sourced from MGP)
  • MASH BILL: Undisclosed
  • AGE: NAS - No age statement, but rumored to be 9 years old
  • YEAR: 2018 (Batch 39)
  • PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
  • MSRP: $99.99
  • BUY ONLINE: Drizly.com

JEFF'S NOTES

NOSE: Stewed Fruits  |  Dark Chocolate  |  Oranges  |   Nuts

TASTE: Dark Chocolate  |  Caramel  |  Oranges  |  Clove

FINISH: Long, silky and lasting, with clove, caramel and a burst of cherries.

SHARE WITH: Folks who can really appreciate a complex, delicious whiskey.

WORTH THE PRICE: Joseph Magnus is at that hard price range. There's a lot of whiskeys out there similarly priced, with several not deserving of a c-note. However, this Bourbon is well worth the investment.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: It took a store owner to pique my curiosity on Joseph Magnus. He had an open bottle and offered me a taste. It took me all of three minutes to happily hand over my money. This is a must-have Bottle.

OVERALL: We’ve all been there. You have a few friends who pick up a pricey bottle, they tell you what a great whiskey is inside and that you have to get a bottle of your own. You consider what your friends say, then consider other options similarly priced, and you pass on the opportunity - at least for the moment.

Joseph Magnus is an MGP-sourced Bourbon that was triple-finished in Cognac, Oloroso Sherry, and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.

I poured this Bourbon neat in my Glencairn glass. The appearance was a deep, dark brown. A gentle swirl created a thin rim on the glass that produced thin legs that quickly dropped back into the pool.

Holding the glass at chin level, aromas of stewed fruits. Lifting the glass a bit higher to lip level changed that to dark chocolate, oranges, and nuts. Hovering it just under the nostrils gave it a much stronger orange smell. Inhaling the vapor through my lips created a slight menthol flavor.

The mouthfeel was as thin as the legs. However, it pleasantly coated every part of my mouth. Up front was dark chocolate, then caramel, which was then followed by oranges, clove, and char.

The finish was long as silky, and beyond the swallow, the palate kept building clove and caramel. Suddenly and out of nowhere came a delicious cherry that left my mouth watering for more.

Joseph Magnus is fantastic in every way. If you are able to grab a bottle, definitely do so. There won’t be even a second of buyer’s remorse. Cheers!

BRAND NOTES

Joseph Magnus Bourbon is a marriage of straight bourbon whiskey aged in white oak and finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximénez and Cognac casks. Rich and deep notes of vanilla, citrus, dark chocolate, brown sugar and dark stone fruits deliver with a lingering, warm finish.

  • Straight bourbon whiskey, triple-cask finished
  • Alc. by Vol. 50% / 100 proof