Is all sourced whiskey a bad thing? Certainly not, especially if care is put into how the final product is drawn up and bottled. It also happens to help if it has one hell of a back story, which is apparently the case with Jos. A. Magnus & Co’s Joseph Magnus Bourbon. This release has been making the popularity rounds in its Washington D.C. home, and there looks to be a little bit left floating around for the curious.
First, the backstory. Jos. A. Magnus & Co. is, according to an article in the Washington City Paper a few months back, the brainchild of a descendant of a once well-known distiller named Joseph A. Magnus. His brand, like so many others, eventually passed into the annals of whiskey lore until a discovery a few years back of an old bottle with “crumpled brown packaging” tied to it. This led the descendant on a journey of discovery to learn about Magnus and the bourbon he produced.
Assisted by a family who had a old bottle of the bourbon sitting around and a dream team of bourbon industry experts, an eight year old bourbon from MGP said to be “reminiscent of the original bottle” was sourced as the base of the new whiskey. From there, a triple-cask finished spirit was created via “a marriage of bourbon aged in white oak and finished in Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, and Cognac casks.”
As with Scotch, sometimes the bottle also tells part of the story. In this case, the distillery has said the design of the custom containers is “inspired by historic Magnus bourbon bottles.” The whiskey it hosts, bottled at 50% ABV, is not cheap for a young distillery, sourced or otherwise – expect to pay at least $70. Limited tasting notes from Jos. A. Magnus & Co are below for your consideration.
Rich deep flavors with notes of orange citrus, dried dark fruits and vanilla.