Another Cigar Bourbon

[El Presidente]

 

This $200 bourbon is crafted to pair with a good cigar

 

 

Charles Passy

Sun, January 28, 2024 at 4:05 PM GMT+1·3 min read

 

 

 

 

The Cigar Blend Bourbon has notes of vanilla and dried fruit, a hint of spice and a boozy kick. - Joseph Magnus

The bottle

Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon , $199.99

 

The back story

Americans continue to love their bourbon and other domestic-made whiskeys. Sales have soared for the category in recent years, with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reporting that they reached nearly $5.1 billion in 2022.

Meanwhile, many Americans have also always loved a good cigar. And these days, they’re showing their appreciation more than ever. Imports of premium (or hand-rolled) cigars have grown from 330 million stogies in 2017 to 464.5 million in 2022, according to the Premium Cigar Association.

All of which makes a cigar-friendly bourbon a natural, no?

Indeed, Joseph Magnus, a Michigan-based distillery whose roots go back to the pre-prohibition era, has been selling such a bourbon (and a fairly high-end one) for the last few years. It’s released regularly in limited quantities and batches are typically gone fairly quickly, according to Matt Overway, production manager for the brand.

So, how do you craft a bourbon that pairs with a cigar? Overway says it’s all about having a sip that’s rich enough to stand up to those potent tobacco flavors.

Part of that is about the proof — meaning it needs be boozy enough to holds its own (the Cigar Blend we tried clocked in a fairly alcoholic 114 proof). But it’s also about aging the spirit to a certain maturity, so it should come as no surprise that Cigar Blend is a blend of whiskeys aged between roughly 10 to 18 years. Plus, the whiskey is finished in barrels that formerly held Armagnac, so the French brandy adds its own notes of sweet complexity to the mix, Overway explains.

What we think about it

I’m a cigar-loving whiskey drinker so I was especially curious about this one. To Overway’s point, it’s a big, bold bourbon that can easily meet the challenge of pairing with a big, bold stogie. You’ll get notes of vanilla and dried fruit, a little hint of spice and a boozy kick with each sip — in all, quite hearty and delicious.

My only quibble is that you don’t really need to spend $200 to find a good whiskey (or other spirit) to enjoy with a cigar. I particularly like aged rums and Calvados, a French apple brandy, with my smokes — and those can be found for well under $100, to say nothing of other flavorful bourbons that can be had for far less than $200. Still, the Magnus Cigar Blend is quite a delight.

How to enjoy it

Overway suggests having this neat if you’re pairing it with a cigar, so the proof stays high. But if you want to sip it sans stogie, he suggests trying it with some ice and letting it slowly blend into the whiskey. “I like the journey of the proof change as the cube melts,” he says.

[Lant63]

I coincidentally had a pour of this in my glass when I saw the notification about your post. It is a very good whiskey. Generally, the bourbons are somewhere between 15 to 18 years old when they are blended. The ABV can be a bit brash so sometimes a warm-up whiskey is helpful. With that said, at the price point, there are numerous scotch that I would rather have, however few bourbons rival it. 

[Chas.Alpha]

At least they priced it so you wouldn’t feel so bad burning a CORO. 😳

[pohlmad]

I really enjoy this bourbon!  Made specifically for cigars? Not so sure. But really good bourbon and I’m happy to drink with a cigar!

[Boss Hog]

53 minutes ago, Lant63 said:

It is a very good whiskey.

Most definitely.

Pairs quite nicely with a full bodied New World cigar.

[DaBoot]

Snagged a bottle, haven’t opened it yet…  

[JoshD]

A friend gifted me a sample of Batch 67 @ 130 proof. 

A lot of high end stuff is hype, this one is not.  Its an amazing whiskey. 

[Boss Hog]

39 minutes ago, JoshD said:

A lot of high end stuff is hype, this one is not.  Its an amazing whiskey. 

Speaking the truth right there, my fellow brother.

[Tinny]

Another fantastic whiskey with cigars is the High west midwinter's nights dram. It's aged in port and French oak barrels.

[wjs]

I would consider myself a bourbon drinker, but when I'm smoking I prefer cognac or a full bodied red. 

[Drguano]

A question for fellow bourbon drinkers: are there particular Cuban smokes that go better with bourbon? I do like Partagas but what do you like?

[Greenhorn2]

4 hours ago, Drguano said:

A question for fellow bourbon drinkers: are there particular Cuban smokes that go better with bourbon? I do like Partagas but what do you like?

I guess it depends on the bourbon I'm drinking and the mood I'm in. I like Blanton's and Cohiba together and if it's a bourbon with a stronger bite I prefer something along the lines of a Partagas.  

[JohnS]

Honestly, I love Blanton's bourbon too. I would drink it, no problem, with any cigar.

[gormag38]

12 hours ago, Drguano said:

A question for fellow bourbon drinkers: are there particular Cuban smokes that go better with bourbon? I do like Partagas but what do you like?

Some of my favorite pours when smoking a cc have been Heaven Hill BIB (about $50 a bottle and is in every way a solid bourbon), Russell Reserve Single Barrel, and any of the mid/higher tier Elijah Craig stuff. If I'm smoking something that's a little more nuanced I'll go the route of blantons or something that's < 100 proof. 

[Drguano]

2 hours ago, gormag38 said:

Some of my favorite pours when smoking a cc have been Heaven Hill BIB (about $50 a bottle and is in every way a solid bourbon), Russell Reserve Single Barrel, and any of the mid/higher tier Elijah Craig stuff. If I'm smoking something that's a little more nuanced I'll go the route of blantons or something that's < 100 proof. 

Yes! I agree on all three and especially the Blanton’s. Thanks!

[Drguano]

On 1/31/2024 at 4:43 PM, JohnS said:

Honestly, I love Blanton's bourbon too. I would drink it, no problem, with any cigar.

John! I will open a bottle when you come for a visit!

[RKPStogie]

Some of my favorite pours when smoking a cc have been Heaven Hill BIB (about $50 a bottle and is in every way a solid bourbon), Russell Reserve Single Barrel, and any of the mid/higher tier Elijah Craig stuff. If I'm smoking something that's a little more nuanced I'll go the route of blantons or something that's < 100 proof. 

I second the Russell Reserve and bourbons less than 100 proof


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[CaptainQuintero]

I've become a bourbon hound the last couple of years! I think pairing is as individual as cigar preference; I don't think you ways need big bold flavours to stand up to a cigar, subtle stuff can work great too. It's more a case of just trying things until you find a combo you personally like

Woodford Double Oaked and Michters American have been pretty consistently great for any cigar to my taste buds

[Jackdani7401]

I tend to not pair higher proof spirits with CC’s. It torches my palate and I lose the subtle flavors of the cigar. NW cigars tend to be more punch in the face flavor and work better with higher proof. All the bourbons below get a little ice to get them to 80ish proof, nothing scientific, just practice.😂

My favorites have been Woodford Double Oak with a Sancho Panza Belicoso. Eagle Rare with Juan Lopez. Elijah Craig Toasted with BBF. Penelope Toasted Bourbon with Vegas Robania Famosos. 

[JohnS]

13 hours ago, Drguano said:

John! I will open a bottle when you come for a visit!

Brilliant. Now that sounds like a plan!

[El Presidente]

7 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Brilliant. Now that sounds like a plan!

...that's a Nudie Ninfa ...just saying .....

[JohnS]

39 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

...that's a Nudie Ninfa ...just saying .....

What a beautiful (and shameless) product plug there, Rob! 😂

[Kaips1]

Bourbon is only from KY, everything else is just whiskey.

[trader1974]

WT101 with a PSD4 is one of my favorite combinations. Also, Woodford Double Oaked with RASS or Monte 2 (especially if they have darker wrappers).

[Kaips1]

My well is Bulliet and my special at the moment is larceny barrel proof latest release, both have been great with any CC I've paired with. Now I have had to use bourbon to try and draw flavors out of NCs but what else is new.