Joseph Magnus Triple Cask Finished Bourbon

Simply God awful. The single worst bourbon I've had

moderately spicy. Palate seems heavy. Some alcohol burn. Sweet with some sherry.

There's tons of rich barrel on the nose, but there's also plenty of vanilla. The palate is punchy and complex with bitter barrel balanced by assertive vanilla and some harsh cinnamon. It's also kind of fruity with cherry notes bursting through. This is really good stuff. Yeah, it's really bitter and on the dry side, but it's incredibly rich like Wild Turkey Master's Keep Reserve, Delord 30, and Glenfarclas 25. It tastes just the tiniest bit skunky. It could use some more complexity, but there is some stuff going on with deep dark roast espresso, bittersweet chocolate, dark cherry, vanilla, and just a general sense of deep richness. You don't often find richness like this for under $100 unless it's mixed in with some nasty flavors. Fortunately, this just tastes richly aged. All of the flavors are very good and the net complexity is enough to keep this a little interesting. The finish avoids gross bitterness, so the overall experience is very nice. There's some mint, but it is definitely peppermint rather than spearmint. Despite the fruit notes, this is a dry whiskey (though it does have enough sweetness to work well). For the price, this is an amazing find. And it's fantastic in general. The nose is super rich with savory wood and spicy notes along with some toasty vanilla. The palate is robust with rich vanilla wood and notes of spice. There's a nice leather presence like in Wild Turkey Master's Keep Reserve that I adore and suggests the Sherry Cask finish mixed with the smoke (but without excessive char). This is hedonism with brilliantly executed flavors but not without complexity. The sweetness is a rich toffee and brown sugar. There's a slightly musty presence to the wood, but it fits beautifully with the cinnamon. This is really a magnificent bourbon.