Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club is a blend of older bourbon ranging from 11-20 years depending on the batch and a younger light whiskey ranging from 9-11 years. So far both special releases were finished in Pineau des Charentes casks which I had not heard of before this bottle. Apparently it is a wine fortified with Cognac eau de vie. As I enjoyed the regular Murray Hill Club quite a bit and tend to enjoy wine and brandy finished whiskies I was very excited to get a bottle of this! So let’s see how this finish either adds to or takes away from the regular MHC.
Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Special Release Batch 2
Age: NAS
Abv: 112 proof
Price: $149.99
Neat
Nose: Bright red wine and sweet cognac notes with more traditional bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla and rich oak.
Taste: Cognac forward with more caramel and vanilla as well as oak and leather with a thick, luscious mouthfeel.
Finish: Long and lingering with sweet cognac and warm, rich oak notes
Conclusion
All in all this was a small step up from the regular Murray Hill Club. The finish did add a bit of sweetness and fruit notes but all in all didn’t make the whiskey much better. It started and ended as excellent whiskey and for me it was fun to try a new type of finish and continue to explore blends of bourbon and light whiskey.
It can be hard to give a value rating to a whiskey like this. I really enjoyed it but it was significantly more expensive than it’s already pricey shelfie counter part and probably not enough better to justify the price increase. All of that said I did got back and buy another bottle haha.
I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the third batch and will be sipping on Cigar Blend in the meantime.
TL;DR: A great whiskey, the finish is nice but doesn’t add all that much
9 - a favorite I’d like to keep on my shelf
Fair - Worth the money, happy with my purchase
Scale
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