I hadn’t reviewed a bottle of Cigar Blend in nearly a year so it’s time to fix that. Batch 21 was released about a year ago and was one of the new higher proof offerings from Joseph Magnus. I was a little skeptical about the proof change but after Batch 19 my fears were laid to rest so I grabbed as many as I could of the 19-22 series.

Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch #21: Icing on the Spice Cake

Age: NAS

Proof: 124.3

Price: $180

Neat

Nose: Sweet, dark and spicy like a delicious boozy fruitcake.

Taste: A little more spice forward than my favorite Cigar Blend with holiday spices, rich oak, dark fruit notes, brown sugar, vanilla and a bit of cinnamon. Very nice, viscous mouthfeel that hits the roof of the mouth especially.

Finish: Very long and very tasty with dried fruit and holiday spice notes and a slightly dry oak but in the good tannic red wine way. A touch of proof sting on the finish isn’t unpleasant but isn’t perfect either.

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Conclusion

Another winner from Nancy Fraley that’s just a little more spice forward on the palate and slightly hotter on the finish than my favorite batches. It’s definitely nitpicking at this point though and I’d happily pick up more of this batch(and most batches) of Cigar Blend.

On another note I’m very glad I stocked up on Cigar Blend when I could regularly get new batches for 170-250. It’s hard for me to value any bottle of whiskey at over 250 but the best batches of Cigar Blend come close. That said if I was in a pinch and willing to go big I’d go for batches 12 or 19 and probably 14 over 21. While folks like Bardstown and Redwood are certainly giving Magnus a run for their money in this niche I’m still team Cigar Blend.

TL;DR: Fantastic whiskey but it doesn’t quite hit the perfection of batch 12 or 19 for me.

When OJ from Taste Select Repeat told me he was getting his Old Forester at 100 proof instead of barrel strength I wasn’t sure what to think but it was a barrel from warehouse I and TSR had done some solid picks so I ordered a bottle. Then I tasted it.

 

OF x TSR

Age: NAS

Proof: 100

Barrel: I2-5272

Neat

Notes: The nose is sweet and sticky landing somewhere between a candy bar and a chocolate covered banana. The palate brings more banana, warm spice, caramel and subtle oak. The mouthfeel was great for the proof and proof integration was excellent. The finish was medium to long with cinnamon, banana and vanilla notes.

Stars: 1 - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

Conclusion

Overall this was a great bottle and I enjoyed every drop. It is best 100 proof OF pick I’ve had/ Who knows how it would have been at barrel proof but it was a winner at 100 for sure.

TL;DR: Great pick, lots of flavor for 100 proof

Rose in Paradise was one of the Willett single barrel ryes that hit Texas back in 2020. I’ve been nursing my second bottle but it’s time for a review and a bottle kill

 

Willett Rose in Paradise

Age: 10-13 years

Proof: 110

Notes: The nose has a bit of proof sting then becomes sweet and herbaceous with mint, cinnamon candy and vanilla. The palate brings more of the same with a bit of oak and some proof sting too. The long warm finish gives you a KY hug with cinnamon candy and herbal liqueur notes.

Stars: 3 Stars

Conclusion

I’m a huge Willett fan these ryes are killer at 6+ years old. Rose in Paradise lives up to my expectations for Willett and is surprisingly drinkable for the proof.

It’s been years so hopefully another round of Willett single barrels hits Texas soon. We’ve seen them rolling out in other states and I’m optimistic we won’t be too far behind.

 

TL;DR: Great releases, my favorite Discovery Series bottles

It was a bittersweet evening finishing off bottles of my 2 favorite Bardstown Discovery Series releases. 3 and 4 are basically tied for my favorite release with 2 and 7 as the next tier and the first release still eluding me.

 

Bardstown Discovery Series 3

Age: 10-13 years

Proof: 110

Notes: A beautiful blend of well aged Indiana and Kentucky bourbons. The classic brown sugar sweetness and leather notes from 13 year MGP are balanced with nutty and oaky notes from the Kentucky bourbons. I haven’t had another IN/KY blend ever hit my palate quite like this.

Stars: 3 Stars

Bardstown Discovery Series 4

Age: 10-15 years

Proof: 115

Notes: Sweet and rich with notes that remind me of cracker jacks and a long slightly dry and spicy finish that makes me want to take the next sip.

Stars: 3 Stars

Conclusion

Thankfully I have backups of both of these but I need to clear some shelf space before I crack them! I’m also very excited to see what Bardstown Bourbon Company does next after the return to form with Discovery Series 7.

 

TL;DR: Great releases, my favorite Discovery Series bottles

A while back these State of Texas Sazerac single barrels started popping up around Austin so I made sure to grab one. I mostly used this as a cocktail base but also drank it neat a few times. Now that the bottle is almost empty it’s time for a review!

 

Sazerac Rye Texas Single Barrel

Age: NAS

Proof: 90

Neat

Notes: Sweet, herbal and spicy but thin mouthfeel and short finish.

Stars: 1 Star

Conclusion

I drank most of this as a mixer but did enjoy some neat as well. Overall it was pleasant but not something I reach for to sip neat. That said the herbal notes came through nicely in cocktails though which made it a great spirit base and it was a go to for rye old fashioneds, sazeracs and old pals. I also tried it side by side with Thomas H Handy Sazerac and while you could tell they similarities there was no competition even when proofing the Handy down.

 

TL;DR: Good for the price, great for cocktails.

When I first saw this was coming I knew I had to get a bottle. A blend of 6 year Willett bourbon and 10 year MGP rye sounded interesting no matter what and I’ve always been a fan of High West’s bourye so I felt like this would be right up my alley.

 

Willett Blend of Straight Whiskies

Age: A blend of 6 and 10 year

Proof: 104

Neat

Notes: Very well balanced between sweet, herbal and spicy with dark fruit, herbal liqueur and rye spice notes. Long, warm and sweet finish with more fruit and spice.

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Conclusion

Overall I am a big fan and glad I grabbed a backup. I’d love to see them do a take on this with all their own distillate. As far as comparable offerings go I definitely put this above High West Bourye and I can’t wait to see how it stacks up against this year’s Wild Turkey Master’s Keep.

TL;DR: My favorite bourbon rye blend so far.

Thomas H Handy Sazerac 2021

Age: 6 years 4 months

Proof: 129.5

Neat

Nose: Rye spice, vanilla cream, subtle oak and a bit of cinnamon.

Taste: More rye spice, sweet herbs, licorice, rich oak, baking spice, vanilla cream and cinnamon. Luscious mouthfeel.

Finish: Very long, warm finish with rye spice, oak, some herbal notes, vanilla extract and that cinnamon.

Conclusion

This was my only big Buffalo Trace score in 2021 but I was very happy with it. The rye spice, herbal and sweet notes were well balanced if tending towards the spicy side. I preferred 2020 in a side by side but 2021 was close and definitely a return to form after 2019.

 

TL;DR: Awesome bottle, not quite at the level 2020 but a big step up from 2019

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

I don’t drink my Cigar Blend bottles as much as I used to but they are still some of my favorites. This batch in particular stood out to me in 2021 and it’s getting low so it’s time for a quick review and bottle kill.

 

Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch 47 “Beatnik Breakfast”

Age: NAS

Proof: 127.56

Neat

Notes: Old leather, dark chocolate, tobacco and charred oak are balanced by subtler brown sugar and cherry notes.

Stars: 4 Stars - Extraordinary whiskey: An all time favorite

Conclusion

This is one the best high proof Cigar Blend batches I’ve had and while it doesn’t quite hit the same as the lower proof legends like 12 and 14 this is still an amazing bottle and drinks well below the proof. Now it’s time to start looking for a new bottle to fill the spot on the shelf!

TL;DR: Still an all time favorite expression and this batch is a great one

I’m a longtime fan of Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond so I was excited to try its ‘big brother’ Pikesville. These are both Heaven Hill ryes but Pikesville is aged for 2 more years, bottled at a higher proof and theoretically taken from better barrels. Pikesville is ~60% more expensive though so let’s see if it is worth the upgrade.

Review

Age: 6 years

Proof: 110

Neat

Nose: Less fragrant that I expected with oak and smokey notes

Taste: Bold rye and spice are balanced with sweet honey and a touch of the oak from the nose

Finish: Significantly less spicy than I expected a medium to short finish with honey and hints of spice

On a rock

Nose: The ice brings a nice honeyed touch to the nose

Taste: The ice moderates the rye but it is still definitely there though the honey comes a bit more to the forefront. Another note is relatively prominent as well though I couldn’t quite place it, clove or baking spice perhaps?

Finish: Very similar to the neat finish

Conclusion

This is a nice step up from Rittenhouse especially with the extra proof. If you are mostly sticking with Rittenhouse for cocktails this doesn’t do much more but if you are drinking it neat it’s worth the upgrade if you can find a bottle at a good price. This one definitely isn’t worth hunting or overpaying though.

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

TL;DR: Step up from Rittenhouse but not a must have upgrade

In February a group of 24 folks from ADLS did a blind tasting of Stagg Jr batch 10 - 17 over a few weeks. A couple of group members poured the samples and labeled them A - G so the tasters wouldn’t know which batch was which. 22 folks got their results in on time and the organizers tabulated them before the big reveal.

I tasted them in 2 groups of 4 with the top 2 from each group moving on to the winners tasting and the bottom to the consolation.

 

Stagg Jr Blind Tasting Batches 10 - 17

B15 - A

Proof: 131.1

Notes: Nose is hot, cherry and spice but a lot of heat. Palate is also hot but very nice cherry caramel notes. Plenty of spice. Finish is slightly dry and warm.

2 Stars - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

B12 - B

Proof: 132.3

Notes: Nose is more accessible. Palate is spice and oak forward, dark, cherry cola notes under the wood and spice. Great mouthfeel. Long warm finish with lingering wood and spice alongside something faintly sweet.

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

B10 - C

Proof: 126.4

Notes: The nose is big but not as intense as A, very bourbony. The palate is awesome with well balanced heat, spice, cherry cola. Also great mouthfeel. Long finish with cola, oak and baking spice. Just the right amount of KY hug.

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

B17 - D

Proof: 128.7

Notes: The nose is on the gentler side like B. Quite sweet with vanilla and cherry notes. Still spice and oak too but less. Medium length finish.

2 Stars - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

B11 - E

Proof: 127.9

Notes: Nose is slightly harsh but some good Stagg Jr notes in there too. Palate is all cherry cola and heat but in a great way. Medium to long finish with cherry, baking spice and oak

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

B13 - F

Proof: 128.4

Notes: Softer nose than E but still potent with some spice. Classic BT profile but dialed way up with cherry, caramel, oak and rye spice. A decent KY hug on the finish

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

B14 - G

Proof: 130.2

Notes: Dark and hot with oak, baking spice and some caramel

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

B16 - H

Proof: 130.9

Notes: Probably the easiest drinker of the bunch. Really nice BT flavors but turned up. Similar to F but better.

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Conclusion

In the end the batch labeled B really stood out to me in a good way and the batch labeled G was clearly not at the same level as the others. 15 and 17 were also a bit behind for me but were still great. The other 4 batches had their differences and I have slight preferences but they were close enough in quality that I wouldn’t go out of my way to track down one over the other.

My personal ranking was: 12 > 16 > 10 > 11 > 13 > 15 > 17 >> 14.

The group consensus was: 13 > 16 > 11 > 12 > 10 > 17 > 15 >> 14.

There was a lot of variability in people’s top choices but 14 lost really hard.

This was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to do it again with a different bourbon!