What Bourbon Are You Drinking? (Summer 2019)

[0895]

37 minutes ago, Clueby said:

Hate to tell you there was actually Fireball in that bottle. 

Ha!

If that was fireball, I need to seriously rethink my strategy. 

[DRAMachine]

Wild Card Baseball / Rangers@A’s

[Kepler]

On 9/19/2019 at 8:46 PM, Bob_Loblaw said:

$90!! At that price I’d flirt with divorce  with the number of bottles I’d buy (all of them). 

 

I did that.  Not the flirting with divorce part but loading up on cases of it.    I don't regret it one bit.

[Kepler]

4 hours ago, marshall9779 said:

First go with WTRB. Damn good. Nose is great with just very light ethanol. The finish is great and long. Drinks a good bit below the proof. Spicy and delicious.

It's about damn time!  

[jeffrey r]

7 hours ago, FasterHorses said:

Almost pulled the trigger.. went back and it was gone. What does it compare to?

Very hard to compare the Cigar Blend to anything.  You’ve got some well aged bourbon in there, I believe up to 20 years old.  Plus, the finish in Armagnac, Sherry and Cognac casks is not really replicated by anybody else.  And then there is the cigar aspect of it, which I don’t mind, though I don’t smoke cigars and just drink this on its own. But Cigar Blend is big and rich, fruity, oaky and leathery, and there is a ton going on.  

 

Obviously YMMV, but this is one that if you see it at a decent price, it should be a strong consideration to pick it up.  And yes, it will likely be gone by the time you go back...  This stuff seems to be extremely limited release.

[BigSkyDrams]

At a conference for work at a nice resort and saw this at the hotel bar. As I’d never seen it in person before, I elected to buy a pour. Good decision (as further explained below). It was quite good. I usually prefer some water or a big ice ball when they start getting over 110 or so, but this was perfectly sippable neat; cherry fruitiness on the front end and nice vanilla custard finish. Great viscous mouthfeel.

 

The best part, though, was chatting up the proprietor about it. Since he could tell I’m a bourbon guy, we chatted about the market and various products for a few minutes. Then he gifted me with a sample pour of Saz 18 (2018) on-the-house. My friends, it was life changing! I’ve never had a rye aged more than about ~6 years before. And this was incredible. Unlike anything I’ve previously had, and even though I only got like .5 oz, it took me about a full 15 minutes to drain, because each of my three sips just kept evolving with a super long finish. I NEED to find a bottle.

Edited September 21, 2019 by BigSkyDrams

[FasterHorses]

4 hours ago, jeffrey r said:

Very hard to compare the Cigar Blend to anything.  You’ve got some well aged bourbon in there, I believe up to 20 years old.  Plus, the finish in Armagnac, Sherry and Cognac casks is not really replicated by anybody else.  And then there is the cigar aspect of it, which I don’t mind, though I don’t smoke cigars and just drink this on its own. But Cigar Blend is big and rich, fruity, oaky and leathery, and there is a ton going on.  

 

Obviously YMMV, but this is one that if you see it at a decent price, it should be a strong consideration to pick it up.  And yes, it will likely be gone by the time you go back...  This stuff seems to be extremely limited release.

Thanks for the notes. Wishing I had bought it now. It was $149. Probably the wiser thing to pass but youve made me want to seek this one out. Theres a place near my parents that is likely to have it.

[HoustonNit]

Wild Card Baseball / Rangers@A’s

This is a pretty cool pic but you really need to replace that WT 81 with the 101. Completely different animals.

[BMartin42]

Starting with 1792 SB while watching my Cardinals try to reduce that magic number at the Friendly Confines. Wind dead out at 18 mph. Guessing this game isn’t going to end anything close to 3-3. Like it is now.

 

[macdad]

Had an ounce pour of OGD bib.  Just a sampling off the new bottle.  Not bad for the price, but not the best I own either.  

[WhiskeyBlender]

23 hours ago, LCWoody said:

Having a pour of Murray Hill in my new favorite glass. I don’t know what they call this particular glass, but I love it. 

What batch of MHC is that, @LCWoody? I'd be happy to give you some production notes on it.  

[LCWoody]

35 minutes ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

What batch of MHC is that, @LCWoody? I'd be happy to give you some production notes on it.  

Batch 16. Its the best Ive had of MH. I've had batches 5, 7, and 16

[WhiskeyBlender]

23 hours ago, jeffrey r said:

Long week.  Went for a tour-de-force on Friday night.  The Cigar Blend is so interesting, unique and complex (and good).

 

 

@jeffrey r (and @FasterHorses), ah, the infamous Cigar Blend batch "Lucky #13"! So, if memory serves me correctly, I put that one into the Armagnac barrel around the last of July/beginning of August last year. The majority of the blend is comprised of mostly 36% 13 year old MGP bourbon, with some 13 y.o. 21% bourbon, followed by a healthy amount of 20 year old bourbon to give it more length and depth on the palate.

 

In order to combat the spiciness and dryness from the 36% bourbon (high rye recipe) and the older components, I add about 10 to 20% of the finished 13 y.o. JMB Triple Cask as well into the blend. This VERY small bit of Sherry is meant to give a touch of sweetness so that it doesn't try out the palate if paired with a cigar or pipe. That said, the real cask finished notes that you'll get on Cigar Blend come from the Armagnac barrels, and NOT from the Sherry or Cognac influence. Those notes are really negligible, and should be below a detectible sensory threshold. Unfortunately those barrels legally have to be added to the label, but from a realistic standpoint, they're adding very little to the actual flavor of the whiskey. 

 

After all of these components are mingled into a stainless tank, I then put them into 400 L barrels, and occasionally 300 L Armagnac barrels. Batch #13 came from a 400 L barrel. Cigar Blend batch #13 was part of a larger "coupe mere," or mother blend, from which batches #11 through 14 came. You can think of a coupe mere, or just "coupe," as a sort of skeleton or proto-blend, to which you can make small adjustments or modifications to as needed. Thus, in the particular Armagnac cask that CB #13 was in, I found the barrel to be really spicy, with lots of black pepper and brown baking spices like Jamaican allspice and cinnamon coming from it. In fact, I initially found it too spicy and was worried that the spice and tannin would be overwhelming and that the whole whiskey would be out of balance. 

 

After the Armagnac barrel was coming out of the winter dormancy period, I also felt that it needed more 20 year old bourbon in order to give it greater depth on the nose and more length on the palate. So I added even more of the 20 y.o. to the barrel (thus, over the course of about 9 or 10 months, about 800 to 1000 mL more of the 20 year were added to this 400 L barrel. That might not sound like a lot to lay people/non-industry folks, but with old components, believe me, if the aromatics are intense it really doesn't take much at all to completely change the direction of the blend. This stuff is pretty potent!). 

 

As an aside, I come from an alambic brandy production background, where Cigar Blend Cognacs and other Cigar Blend brandies are very commonplace. I created the Cigar Blend bourbon as a sort of "homage" to my mentor and friend, Hubert Germain-Robin, a 10th generation Cognac maker who came to California in 1982 to create artisanal Cognac-style, Old World brandy using New World grape varietals such as pinot noir, viognior, and semillon for distillation. Thus, the Magnus Cigar Blend bourbon pays respects to him and my other mentors, like Dan Farber of Osocalis alambic brandy, Alain Royer, also of old Cognac royalty, etc. And besides, I started smoking a pipe 30 years ago, back in 1989, and cigars around 2001, so I wanted something unique that would pair well with them. 

 

So, to @FasterHorses, if you want to have an idea of what this stuff tastes like, you might want to try some vintage Bas Armagnacs from either Darroze or Delord, etc. That'll give you some sort of indication of what it will be like. Plus, think of an older high rye MGP bourbon (from the 36% bourbon stock) along with that. I hope that gives you some sort of idea of it. I tend to think of notes of aromatic pipe tobacco, English Christmas cake, prunes in Armagnac syrup (pruneau d'Agen), old saddle leather, dried apricot and date/fig, brown baking spices, and candied black cherries as part of the profile. Then again, I'm probably biased and not the person to ask! 

 

At any rate gentlemen, whether or not you like CB, I hope you've enjoyed hearing about its genesis and the production of it. Of all the bourbons and other whiskey I've blended or created over the years, this one's really my "child." In fact, I'm having some #13 right now.

 

Cheers, 
Nancy

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by WhiskeyBlender

[LCWoody]

I opened, and having a pour of EW Master Blend. Very good. 

[marshall9779]

An 8yr ECPS. So good for only 8years. Really enjoying EC lately. Watching my alma mater ODU currently beating my hometown team UVA.

[Clueby]

Cracked open a fresh Colonel SmB tonight. This one seems to have a tad bitter finish to it but the nose is awesome.  

[FasterHorses]

1 hour ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

@jeffrey r (and @FasterHorses), ah, the infamous Cigar Blend batch "Lucky #13"! So, if memory serves me correctly, I put that one into the Armagnac barrel around the last of July/beginning of August last year. The majority of the blend is comprised of mostly 36% 13 year old MGP bourbon, with some 13 y.o. 21% bourbon, followed by a healthy amount of 20 year old bourbon to give it more length and depth on the palate.

 

In order to combat the spiciness and dryness from the 36% bourbon (high rye recipe) and the older components, I add about 10 to 20% of the finished 13 y.o. JMB Triple Cask as well into the blend. This VERY small bit of Sherry is meant to give a touch of sweetness so that it doesn't try out the palate if paired with a cigar or pipe. That said, the real cask finished notes that you'll get on Cigar Blend come from the Armagnac barrels, and NOT from the Sherry or Cognac influence. Those notes are really negligible, and should be below a detectible sensory threshold. Unfortunately those barrels legally have to be added to the label, but from a realistic standpoint, they're adding very little to the actual flavor of the whiskey. 

 

After all of these components are mingled into a stainless tank, I then put them into 400 L barrels, and occasionally 300 L Armagnac barrels. Batch #13 came from a 400 L barrel. Cigar Blend batch #13 was part of a larger "coupe mere," or mother blend, from which batches #11 through 14 came. You can think of a coupe mere, or just "coupe," as a sort of skeleton or proto-blend, to which you can make small adjustments or modifications to as needed. Thus, in the particular Armagnac cask that CB #13 was in, I found the barrel to be really spicy, with lots of black pepper and brown baking spices like Jamaican allspice and cinnamon coming from it. In fact, I initially found it too spicy and was worried that the spice and tannin would be overwhelming and that the whole whiskey would be out of balance. 

 

After the Armagnac barrel was coming out of the winter dormancy period, I also felt that it needed more 20 year old bourbon in order to give it greater depth on the nose and more length on the palate. So I added even more of the 20 y.o. to the barrel (thus, over the course of about 9 or 10 months, about 800 to 1000 mL more of the 20 year were added to this 400 L barrel. That might not sound like a lot to lay people/non-industry folks, but with old components, believe me, if the aromatics are intense it really doesn't take much at all to completely change the direction of the blend. This stuff is pretty potent!). 

 

As an aside, I come from an alambic brandy production background, where Cigar Blend Cognacs and other Cigar Blend brandies are very commonplace. I created the Cigar Blend bourbon as a sort of "homage" to my mentor and friend, Hubert Germain-Robin, a 10th generation Cognac maker who came to California in 1982 to create artisanal Cognac-style, Old World brandy using New World grape varietals such as pinot noir, viognior, and semillon for distillation. Thus, the Magnus Cigar Blend bourbon pays respects to him and my other mentors, like Dan Farber of Osocalis alambic brandy, Alain Royer, also of old Cognac royalty, etc. And besides, I started smoking a pipe 30 years ago, back in 1989, and cigars around 2001, so I wanted something unique that would pair well with them. 

 

So, to @FasterHorses, if you want to have an idea of what this stuff tastes like, you might want to try some vintage Bas Armagnacs from either Darroze or Delord, etc. That'll give you some sort of indication of what it will be like. Plus, think of an older high rye MGP bourbon (from the 36% bourbon stock) along with that. I hope that gives you some sort of idea of it. I tend to think of notes of aromatic pipe tobacco, English Christmas cake, prunes in Armagnac syrup (pruneau d'Agen), old saddle leather, dried apricot and date/fig, brown baking spices, and candied black cherries as part of the profile. Then again, I'm probably biased and not the person to ask! 

 

At any rate gentlemen, whether or not you like CB, I hope you've enjoyed hearing about its genesis and the production of it. Of all the bourbons and other whiskey I've blended or created over the years, this one's really my "child." In fact, I'm having some #13 right now.

 

Cheers, 
Nancy

 

 

 

Goshdangit I had that feeling I should buy it.  Sounds like it would be a fine pour to have available through the colder months ahead. Thanks for the notesand insideinformation as always. It’s one of the highlights of being on this forum. 

[marshall9779]

Then on to some BT.

[Obeezy1Kaneezy]

[Wedelstaedt]

HMcK 10 & ECBP tonight. 

 

Cheers

[DCFan]

Some Tim Horton's coffee with a healthy pour of Ezra Brooks bourbon cream and an everything bagel.

[kiltedchef]

MHC batch 16 tonight. My favorite bourbon, if I was in the tax bracket to drink $100 bottles daily, it would be bad for my liver. 

[macdad]

Having some WTRB.  I am drinking the first ounce neat.  May put some ice in the second half to see how it hold up.  I do like it a lot neat, though. 

[Harry in WashDC]

As the Nats trail the Marlins on a Sunday afternoon, AND because I was curious, I am in the midst of a side by side of WT MK Decades and Murray Hill Club Batch 18.  Why?  Because - When I tasted the MHC Batch 18 a few days ago, it reminded me of the Decades even though I hadn't had a sip of Decades in months.  I've had no spicy food since last night (and that wasn't really all that spice - just some tomatoes and a vinegar dressing and salmon filets) so figured this afternoon, which is going bad quickly (thanks, Nats) needed some distractive activity.

 

One ounce of each.  Both have wonderful legs, and the MHC is slightly lighter.

 

The nose on the Decades is classic 100+ proof WT - oak and caramel (but not TOO sweet) with some dried fruit or mild orange bitters.  It is exceptionally balanced with no particular smell dominating.  The nose of the MHC has less oak but does have the slight caramel and dried fruit I found in the Decades.  The MHC seems to have a bit more complexity which I attribute to the fact that it is a blend of several whiskeys and not just a mic of bourbons.

 

The palate differences are interesting.  The Decades started with a bit of heat (not a surprise for a 104 proof) which gave way rapidly to oak, creamy butterscotch (feel and essence) with a little smoke and some spices.  The MHC skipped the heat (which was a surprise given its 103 proof) but also had a creamy mouth feel and a bourbon-like, complex of flavors - caramel, dried fruit, and some astringency that I attributed to oak which was NOT really present (or at least not easily found) - and while these were well-balanced, they were muted compared to the Decades.

 

The finishes were very similar.  Both were long with a nice balance of sweetness and mild spice.  The only difference in essences I think I found is that the Decades had a hint of dried fruit and a bit more oak while the MHC had a fruit-brandy hint.

 

Decades is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 13% malted barley.  The MHC, I think, is a blend of 9-10 YO light whiskey (maybe 20% of the blend?), 12-13 YO MGP bourbon with the 13% rye mash bill, and 19 YO MGP bourbon (but I don't know which one).  There COULD be some as yet unidentified KSBW supplementing the MGP (depending on the batch), but I don't know whose or how much or of what age.

 

Final thoughts - I have some scotch drinking relatives who are not all that fond of my special bourbons.  This MHC is a hit with  persons who like mild peat but don't like oak.  I expect I'll offer them this unless I have some special single malt sitting around which I don't usually.

 

Nats lost.  Glad I kept this to about an ounce each.

[Obeezy1Kaneezy]