Description

Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Bourbon Whiskey

More than 135 years after the doors to his distillery were first opened, his whiskies are still heralded as the most remarkable spirits for the most remarkable people.

Magnus’ story begins all the way back in the young, war-torn America of the middle nineteenth century. In the midst of the Civil War in 1864, young Magnus received news that his father had been killed in battle. With three younger siblings to take care of, he matured quickly and took on the responsibility of caring for his siblings. His late father had been a merchant, and Magnus took after him to become a savvy businessman. He soon discovered a niche market for wholesale liquors, and by the time he was twenty-six he had painstakingly built up a liquor empire based out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Magnus prided himself not only on the quality and age of his spirits, but on intelligent and honorable business methods. Excellent whiskey, he recognized, was more than simply a pleasant experience for the drinker – it was a means of promoting good conversation, close fellowship, and “the interchange of kindly deeds and pleasant thoughts.”

The drinkers of Murray Hill Club Whiskey were, in accordance with Joseph’s vision, people of discriminating taste and mature judgment. Joseph actively introduced his whiskey into the leading bars, hotels, cafes, and groceries of his day. Local newspapers were peppered with advertisements for this new whiskey, which quickly earned great acclaim. He encouraged readers to sample just a taste, for “give this whiskey a trial once, and you’ll take no other brand.”

In 1918, the imminent arrival of National Prohibition caused Magnus to pause his whiskey production and sales. For the remainder of his life, Magnus enjoyed but did not produce fine spirits. His four children grew up and started families of their own, and the story of their father’s success began to fade into legend. Stories and a few dusty artifacts were all that remained.

Then, nearly a century later, a fortunate discovery was made by one of Magnus’ great-grandsons: a bottle of 122-year-old Murray Hill Club Whiskey, tucked away and seemingly forgotten. The possibility of having an original, unadulterated remnant of Magnus’ famed whiskey was incredibly exciting and also carried a weight of responsibility to do justice to this beautifully aged and preserved bottle.

To make sense of this rare find, the family gathered industry veterans to extract a few milliliters from the famed bottle, to taste, test, and reproduce, if possible. These experts were stunned to discover it to be one of the greatest bourbons they had ever tasted.

Today, using the same blending and finishing techniques Joseph Magnus employed over 100 years ago, Magnus Master Blender, Nancy Fraley, finishes 12-year-old bourbon in a triple cask finishing process using Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximénez, and Cognac casks. The result is that we have come as close as possible to the original Joseph Magnus Bourbon in that 122-year-old bottle.

A true bourbon blend crafted using the same techniques Joseph Magnus used to create this original pre-Prohibition spirit more than 100 years ago. Artfully marries 18 and 11-year-old bourbon with 9-year-old light whiskey to deliver notes of butterscotch, honey, toffee, autumnal baking spices, vanilla, and char, with a hint of black pepper that lingers through a softly spiced and toasted finish.

Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Bourbon Whiskey Notes To Your Senses:

• APPEARANCE: Golden amber
• AROMA: Baking spices, vanilla, toasted oak and honey
• TASTE: Butterscotch, honey, toffee, autumnal baking spices, vanilla, and char, with a hint of black pepper
• FINISH: Long and lingering
• ABV: 56.56%