Review #469 - Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch 176

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

In order to craft this bourbon to pair well with cigars, Joseph A. Magnus & Co. blends together various ages of straight bourbon before finishing each batch. Generally, this bourbon is sourced from MGP and Barton, and the age ranges from 9 years to 20 years, depending on the batch. Details about this specific batch are difficult to find online - either way, there's no age statement on the bottle, anyways.

Three types of casks are used for finishing for these blends: Armagnac, sherry, and Cognac. The Armagnac and Cognac brands casks could add some nutty notes, dried fruits, and spice; depending on the type of sherry cask used (it isn't specified), we could see a range of flavor influences - anything from light fruits to dark fruits, sweet fruit to drying tannins, nuttiness and spice, or a possible saltiness.

All batches of the Cigar Blend Bourbon are bottled at cask strength, without any water added - for this Batch, number 176, that strength falls at 59.59% ABV (119.18 proof).

Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch 176

USA - Bourbon

Current Locally Available Price: USD 210 (2025)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 59.59% ABV

Cask Makeup: Finished in Armagnac, sherry, and Cognac casks

Details: Batch 176

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Oak forward - wood spice and a decent amount of wood smoke, quite mature. There's a subtle hint of syrupy sweetness behind that, as well as some soft fruit - cherry, oranges.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick, and there's a great silky texture to this spirit - strong oak notes start the flavors. Char and wood smoke, some tannins, and a bit of pepper add a dry side; clove and brown sugar add baking notes. Orange oil adds a fruit aspect, and there's a pleasant warmth or coziness.

Finish: While most of the palate leaned dry, the finish grows continually sweeter - simple syrup, raisins, cherries, and brown sugar stand out. There's still a bit of dry, charred oak; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: This shows a nice mixture of flavors - fruity, sweet, and spicy. There's a good amount of maturity in the oak profile, shown by all of that spice and wood smoke, but the sweeter flavors from the finishing casks are enough to balance out that spice. The texture was especially nice, possibly the best part of it all.

Value is a bit tricky, though - these batches of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend are quite pricy, with a suggested retail price between $170 and $200; even then, many retailers will mark it up even higher because of the rarity. If you're in the market for a high quality luxury whisky to pair with your cigar, this could be a good option; otherwise, there are finished bourbons that offer plenty of flavor at much lower price points.

Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 4.91

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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