The bottle
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon, $199.99
Back story
Americans still love bourbon and other homemade whiskeys. Sales of this category have been on the rise in recent years, with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reporting that they will reach nearly $5.1 billion in 2022.
At the same time, many Americans have always loved a good cigar. And these days, they're showing their appreciation more than ever. Imports of premium (or hand-rolled) cigars grew from 330 million cigars in 2017 to 464.5 million in 2022, according to the Premium Cigar Association.
All of this makes for a natural cigar-friendly bourbon, right?
In fact, Joseph Magnus, a Michigan-based distillery whose roots go back to the pre-Prohibition era, has been selling just this kind of (and somewhat upscale) bourbon for the past few years. It is regularly released in limited quantities and batches usually run out very quickly, according to Matt Overway, production manager for the brand.
So, how do you make bourbon that goes with a cigar? Overway says it's all about taking a sip that's rich enough to stand up to the strong tobacco flavors.
Part of that has to do with the proof – which means it has to be drunk enough to retain its character (the cigar blend we tried was registered at a fairly alcoholic proof of 114). But it's also about aging the spirit to a certain stage of maturity, so it should come as no surprise that Cigar Blend is a blend of whiskeys aged approximately 10 to 18 years. Additionally, the whiskey is aged in casks that previously held Armagnac, so the French brandy adds its own flavors of sweet complexity to the blend, Overway explains.
What we think about
I'm a cigar-loving whiskey drinker so I was particularly curious about this. To Overway's point of view, it's a big, bold bourbon that can easily meet the challenge of pairing with a big, bold dog. You'll get notes of vanilla and dried fruit, a little spice and a boozy kick with every sip – all in all, very tasty and delicious.
My only problem is that you don't really need to spend $200 to find a good whiskey (or any other type of spirit) to enjoy with a cigar. I especially love aged rum and Calvados, a French apple brandy, with smokiness—both can be found for under $100, not to mention other delicious bourbons that can be had for under $200. However, the Magnus Cigar Blend is great fun.
How to enjoy it
Overway suggests this is elegant if you pair it with a cigar, so the proof stays high. But if you want to drink it effortlessly, he suggests trying it with some ice and letting it slowly blend into the whisky. “I like the journey of changing proof as the cube melts,” he says.
