Joseph Magnus cigar blend batch 187: A Bourbon Note review!
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@thebourbonnote, Jos. Magnus Master Blender Nancy Fraley here. I'm the "inventor" of the whole Cigar Blend Bourbon trend. I got my production start in the brandy world and studied with a 10th generation Cognac maker who came to Northern California in the early 1980's, so I was very well aware of the long tradition of "Cigare Blend" Cognacs. These are Cognacs that are specifically blended to stand up to the smokiness and intensity of a good cigar. The brandy distillery I originally worked for (Germain-Robin) even created a "cigare blend" brandy in the early 1990's. This is where I got the whole idea to make a Cigar Blend Bourbon back in 2016, as sort of a nod to my mentors and other French brandy master blenders that I've studied with over the years.
A few technical pointers, Armagnac (pronouned "Arm-man-yak") is NOT a liqueur- it is the "country cousin" of Cognac, so it is a more rustic, but more flavorful brandy that is made in the southwest of France. Armagnac is really the only perceptible finish in Magnus Cigar Blend, as the Sherry and Cognac finish notes are just below the aroma detection threshold. In fact, I only use them to add a touch more sweetness to the blend so that it can stand up to the smokiness of a fine cigar. Finally, your batch of Cigar Blend would have Bourbons between 9 and 20 years old, with MPG 36% Bourbon being the majority of the blend, followed by Barton's from KY, so the components are not young. Hopefully that explains why it is not in the $100 to $125 dollar range. Also, one "batch" of Magnus Cigar Blend is basically just a 300 liter Armagnac cask, which equals about 2.6 Bourbon casks, so production is relatively small compared to larger distilleries. Cheers! Nancy.
Wow, Thank you for all of that info, Nancy! You've certainly started a heck of a trend here! We're looking forward to exploring more cigar batch whiskies. Thanks for watching our video!
Hey Nancy, I know you're super busy putting out all these new batches but do you know when we can expect to see nosing and tasting notes on the JM website for recent releases?
JM Cigar Blend was never intended to be a "value" type bourbon but a luxurious, special experience that could also stand up to those who enjoy cigars with their whiskey. Is it extremely expensive? Absolutely! Even if it was much more available, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend isn't going to be anything but a very rare, special pour for 99% of us. I have a bottle from Batch 105 and it is glorious. No buyers remorse for me but that's my opinion. I haven't ever seen or heard of Storytime so I don't know how much of a realistic alternative it is either. Thanks for the review guys and keep them coming!
Thanks for watching!
I have Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend batch 93, which is very good. I watched a podcast that had master blender, Nancy Fraley, and she mentioned that the first 97 batches had some Barton distillate in the blends. Old Elk Cigar Cut and Starlight Cigar Batch are very different from the Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend. 🥃
I've heard the Old Elk cigar cut is malty. I wonder what kind of mix of whiskies it is.
It's Bourbon, but I wonder what the different ages are that would give it that profile.
Arm N. Yak is a good guy for bourbon. It's Con Yak's cousin, another French brandy. Can give nice raisin and grapey fig flavors.
Great video guys. Just found batch 188 up in Battle Lake last week, couldn't pass it up since I've never seen one. It'll be my special occasion pour and I'll forget how much it cost. :) Haven't tried it yet but looking forward to it. Watched til the end of course, I'm fully aware of hidden tracks. Cheers guys!
Thanks, Mike!
Excellent as always, gents.
It’s funny, but I watch TH-cam on my TV 98% of the time, and you can’t comment that way. But I was just about to ask you where the Benny Walker Special was when I noticed the 22+ minute video had only played about 14 or 15 minutes, so I patiently waited…bingo! I knew you guys wouldn’t let us die hard fans down like that; thanks for totally redeeming yourselves, haha!
I was kinda hoping you might also pair it with a cigar, but that’s good Friday night material. 😉
Cheers,
David
Thanks, David!
As usual, love the content... hard to give an objective comparison between a hand picked single barrel - and a small batch shelfer, even if it is a premium bottle. Price is difficult on the JMCB, but they seem to fly off the shelf as fast as they are put out, so someone sees the value. for me its more in that "special occasion pour" category. have you tried the RY3 Cigar Series or Old Elk Cigar Blend?
Haven't had either of those. I've never seen a ry3 product in MN. I just haven't been able to pay the money for the old elk cigar cut.
You guys do a great job
Thank you!
Another great review. I've go Batch 90, 121.52 proof finished in an Armagnac barrel and really like it. Was concerned the hype would surpass the bottle contents, but have been very pleasantly surprised. I agree with some previous comments, that JMCB is for that special drinking experience.
How did you like the storytime cigar batch?
@@TheBourbonNote I have not yet cracked it, but based on this review I need to make a comparison with my bottle of JMCB.
The Friday at Fred's bottle is 6 1/2 year old. The Magnus is going to be older (11 1/2 & 18 yr blend) and you almost always get the depth of leathery flavors to it. Friday at Fred's is just cognac where Magnus has cognac, sherry, and armagnac. Magnus also sources their bourbon so yes there might just be a common thread there.
great review
Thanks!
just scored my first cigar blend today for 190 bux. @@TheBourbonNote
The newer bottles dont have anywhere near the age or drinking experience the old ones did. I got mine for 180 and its mostly 20 yr and is 14 yr age stated mgp. Batch 55 remains the best whiskey ive ever had imo. Id put it over every btac ive tried, easily. Btw armagnac is the other french brandy aside from cognac. Bourbon fans tend to enjoy armagnac, they have some similarities.
Thanks for the info! Do you know how often they release batches?
@@TheBourbonNote much more often than they used to. It used to be like a couple batches at a time, now they are just trying to meet demand
@@TheBourbonNote Magnus Master Blender Nancy Fraley here to answer that question. We release the batches 4 times a year. One "batch" is essentially one 300 liter Armagnac cask, which roughly equals 2.6 Bourbon barrels.
I have the batch 43, 76, 175,176 and the earlier are a bit better or have a bit older taste but the complexity of these bottles are great.
I think comparing it to Old Elk Cigar Blend or another bottle off the shelf. I am not a cigar guy so I'm not sure these finishes appeal to me.
The whiskey is really good, even if you don't like cigars. The price, on the other hand...
Henry McKenna 10 used to be my go to @ 30 and below on sale. I haven't seen the cigar blend in my area for less than 349. Not more than a $15 difference? Sounds like Story Time is the way to go, thanks for saving me some money. I don't think the Old Elk is worth the money after trying a pour 🥃
I'm going Storytime for sure on this one!
$225/bottle!?!!! Holy cow!
Enjoyed the "Easter Egg" ending. I was thinking your editing skills had tanked and almost exited.
Glad you stuck around!
These prices are ridiculous. There are many bourbons that are just as good as the Joseph Magnus and you could get three bottles for what you’re paying for one bottle of this juice. It’s a no brainer for me.
Agreed. I wouldn't buy one if I saw it again.
Tbf this is a late batch which are a far cry from the originals.