Crème brûlée | Boston cream donut | Fresh mint | Charred oak | Brown sugar | Faint cocoa powder | Light cherries jubilee

Rye spice | Cinnamon powder | Orange Julius | Vanilla | Mixed peppercorn | Light maple candy | Nice mouthfeel

Black peppercorn | Rye spice | Aged oak | Leather | Cigar box | Faint cocktail cherry |  Lingering

Jos. A. Magnus & Co. is the second iteration of the Magnus brand. Joseph A. Magnus started the company in 1892, and it focused on producing whiskey until Prohibition took hold.

Re-established in 2015, the company now focuses on the blending and finishing techniques Joseph Magnus initially employed. For this release, however, Magnus is bringing back rye into its whiskey portfolio for the first time since 1918. Aged for over 10 years, the company has focused on a classic 95/5 rye mashbill.

A heavy aroma of sweet dessert scents greets you instantly. The whiskey starts with scents of crème brûlée and Boston cream donut before rich brown sugar and charred oak appear, along with a pop of distinctive mint. A light cherries jubilee scent pops before you transition to a midpoint full of spice with pleasing sweetness thanks to notes of Orange Julius and light maple candy that coat your mouth. The sweetness mostly drops off for the finish, instead being replaced with black peppercorn and rye spice which push against aged oak and a cigar box note. Lingering spice and wood cap off the experience.

MGP has been known to produce some excellent rye, and the barrels selected for the inaugural batch of Joseph Magnus 10 Year Cask Strength Rye are no exception. Priced at a reasonable $75, Joseph Magnus 10 Year Cask Strength Rye Batch #1 delivers a full-bodied sip that stands out for its balanced delivery of sweet and spice notes up front, while delivering a classic aged rye experience in the finish. It may have taken the company over 100 years to revisit rye whiskeys, but the company’s patience has paid off, as Joseph Magnus 10 Year Cask Strength Rye Batch #1 is one whiskey you don’t want to sleep on.