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A Little Leathery and Nutty with a Cognac Tinge

 
Review by Mark Pringle |
Updated:

79 General Review of Joseph Magnus Bourbon

A little leathery and nutty with a cognac tinge, Joseph Magnus is certainly a bourbon that will appeal to a specific taste profile.

With this review of Joseph Magnus, I am combining my notes from two different reviews. The first review was during a six-bourbon blind tasting, and a lot was going on at that time. However, I wanted to taste this bourbon independent of the other five to ensure the other whiskeys did not taint my palate.

 

 

Rating: 79

Nose
84
Palate
78
Finish
80
Uniqueness
85
Value
72

Ratings breakdown based on a 100 point scale.

  • 90-100 Exceptional
  • 80-89 Very Good
  • 70-79 Average
  • 60-69 Below Average
  • 50-60 Drain Pour

Detailed Tasting Notes

Nose Review - Rating: 84

On the first nosing, I got a floral candy with an almost fruity tinge. After a couple of sips, cotton candy came to the forefront. Additionally, there was a light, sweet caramel aroma. With my second nosing, on a different day, initially, there was a rich caramel nose intermingled with light ethanol, so different than the initial nosing and tasting. After waiting a little bit, very strong crème brûlée with a very soft undercurrent of, possibly, cherry. Between the two tastings, the nose is very, very complex.

Palate Review - Rating: 78

On the first tasting, the taste was a floral oakiness. However, on the second tasting, on a different day, the palate was a little leathery and nutty with a cognac tinge. Sharp spice and black pepper with a slight buttery feel. I have often found that these complexly finished Bourbons (this is triple-finished in Cognac, Oloroso Sherry, and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks) have great noses but fall short on my palate...especially if cognac is involved. The viscosity is light, a lot different than what you expect from the nosing.

Finish Review - Rating: 80

The finish was longer the first time around—spice and pepper with an evident cognac undercurrent. I would say it’s on the solid end of a medium-length finish. Good, with a moderate cognac kick.

Uniqueness Review - Rating: 85

The blend is certainly unique; triple-finished in Cognac, Oloroso Sherry, and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.

Value Review - Rating: 72

Frankly, it was a little too pricey for the experience. Of course, it's hard to keep pricing down when your juice is sourced from MGP.

Author: Mark Pringle
Smell IS taste. I am just a guy who has been hit with the bourbon bug and who has come to the conclusion that life is too short to drink average tasting bourbons. Go Gators!
My External Website (External Website Opens in New Window)

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