Jos. A. Magnus & Co. Relaunches Historic Murray Hill Club Whiskey Brand
19 July 2016 --- Jos. A. Magnus & Co. announces the relaunch of Murray Hill Club Whiskey – a blended bourbon made from whiskeys ranging in age from 9-18 years. Joseph Magnus' Murray Hill Club Whiskey, first introduced in 1892, was reportedly one of the finest whiskeys on the market prior to Prohibition. The relaunched product was created using blending techniques that were regularly employed in Magnus' era but were largely lost with Prohibition.
"With the desire to stay true to those century-old advertisements and newspaper articles stating that Murray Hill Club was one of the very best whiskeys of the day, that it tasted 'mellow,' was absolutely 'pure,' was preferred 9 times out of 10 by 'gentlemen in society and club circles,' and was unlike any other whiskey on the market, I set out to create a similar whiskey that would be worthy of the Magnus name," said Magnus Master Blender Nancy "The Nose" Fraley. "It's truly an exceptional and unique product."
11 year-old bourbon makes up the majority of the Murray Hill Club Whiskey, with the 18 year-old bourbon adding some depth and complexity. The product is rounded out with touch of 9 year-old light whiskey, to impart additional complexity.
Fraley's background is in brandy production, and based on her experience she believed that the Murray Hill Club Whiskey would best be brought back using techniques and process similar to those used to create Cognac, Brandy, or a blended Scotch, including a slow reduction to reach final proof. The proof comes in at 102, making it just intense enough without losing any of its body.
"Tasting Murray Hill was an adventure in whiskey made in a fashion of an era gone by," said Henry Preiss, whose former company built the AH Hirsch Bourbon Brand and finalized the remaining whiskey inventory into a collectable Humidor engraved and fitted a hand-blown bottle that contains AH Hirsch 16-year-old Bourbon and a scroll that tells the AH Hirsch story. "Rich notes of vanilla and layers of dried fruit make for a most enjoyable whiskey."
The Murray Hill Club Whiskey is a color of golden amber and contains notes of vanilla layered in with dried fruit.
"We are honored to get to work with Magnus Master Blender Nancy Fraley and it was amazing to get to taste her Murray Hill Club Whiskey blend," said Master Distiller Brett Thompson. "We're excited to be able to offer our patrons a taste of such a unique whiskey."
Those interested in trying the classic Magnus brand can visit the distillery in Ivy City. To stay up to date on all the latest happenings at Jos. A. Magnus & Co., subscribe to our newsletter at josephmagnus.com.
