Jos A Magnus & Co - Murray Hill Club (Batch 25) - Bourbon Whiskey
$109
Jos A Magnus & Co – Murray Hill Club (Batch 25) – Bourbon Whiskey
Collection: Bottle 2778 / Batch 25
Proof: 103
Age: Blend of 18 and 11 Year Bourbons with a mix of 9 Year Light Whiskey
Distillery: Sourced – Blended by – Jos A Magnus Co
Type: Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown
Website: Jos A Magnus Co
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Leather, Tobacco Leaf, Mild Barrel Char up front. Light Fruits – Apple and Pear come through. You also get light Vanilla and Caramel.
Taste/Palate: Bold upfront. You immediately get mature, slightly dry, Medium Oak and Pipe Tobacco. This dram quickly transitions in the palate with some subtle All Spice and Cinnamon. In the midpalate you pick up sweeter notes of Caramel and Toffee.
Finish: This gives you a long finish with a nice balance. Overall reminds me of rich Pipe Tobacco. The sweetness picks up a bit and you get more Vanilla and Caramel. I get less spice on the finish and the Sweet/Maturity is more dominant.
Verdict: A solid complex pour. Coming in right around $100 I wouldn’t consider this an every day drinker, but I really enjoy it. It didn’t knock my socks off, but I’m happy with my purchase.
The Story: I recently did a bottle giveaway in one of the private groups I’m a member of (The link to that group is listed on our page). The winner of the bottle (Congrats BTW) picked the Willet Family Estate Rye and suggested I meet them at a liquor store that was a good midpoint for both of our locations. While I was out and about I was able to find this bottle at the store location they suggested. I also found some other fun bottles that you’ll be seeing reviewed within the next month. I’m happy I got out and found this along with some other fun pours and I’m even happier I got to meet some other Bourbon lovers that were great to talk to.
The Distillery’s Story: Jos A Magnus was a well established Distillery Pre-Prohibition that started in 1848. Like many many others discontinued due to Prohibition in 1918. It was originally founded in Cincinnati Ohio and after Prohibition the brand was left behind and the family went on to do other things. Nearly a century later a Magnus great grandson found a preserved 122 year old bottle of Murray Hill Club that was handed down from generation to generation. This family heir was able to extract some of the juice (which was described to be one of the best) and leveraged some industry masters to recreate a blend as near to the taste of that bottle as possible. There’s a lot of maturity in the bottle and even the use of “light Whiskey”. Light Whiskey was classified around the JFK era. It’s a Whiskey mash that’s distilled to 160-190 proof (Woof) and as a reminder Bourbon is distilled to no more than 160. Light Whiskey can also be aged in new OR used barrels. It does not meet the definition of Bourbon. Apparently the master blenders felt the need to use Light Whiskey to attempt to recreate the bottle from 122 years prior. I’m assuming a small percentage of Light whiskey was used because this is still classified as a Bourbon.
Another thing to note is that Jos A Magnus Co. was originally reinvented by the Great Grandson and moved from it’s original location from generations past of OH to Washington DC. In October of 2020 it was announced that the brand was being moved from DC to Holland MI. This is pure speculation but if I were a betting man there’s a lot more incentive to have your company in Holland MI vs DC for tax purposes.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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