Mordecai Jones is selling a pig-in-a-poke. The character played by George C. Scott in the raucous 1967 movie The Flim-Flam Man has just stolen a truckload of rot-gut from moonshiners and is looking to unload it on a sucker. The con is that he'll replace the liquor in the sample jar with something truly outstanding. He needs something that is the polar opposite of cheap hooch. He settles on bottled-inbond Bourbon.
Once the patsy gets a taste of the good stuff, he's an easy mark.
In the '60s, when American whiskey was riding high, the words “bottled-in-bond” were a mark of distinction that placed a drink at the pinnacle of the spirits world. Then the distinction all but disappeared. When the whiskey category slumped for decades, so did the importance of its top designation. Even when whiskey made its comeback in the new century, it was led not by bonded samples, but products with names such as “small batch” and “single barrel.” Bottled-in-bond seemed quaint.
But the category is now roaring back. Liquor stores are stocked with examples that run from Bourbon to rye to corn liquor and even brandy. Moreover, modern mixologists have rediscovered the potent charms of this type of spirit, using it in classic cocktails as well as newly invented drinks. At a stout 100 proof, bonded spirits also provide formidable partners when paired with cigars.
This story is from the July/August 2024 edition of Cigar Aficionado.
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This story is from the July/August 2024 edition of Cigar Aficionado.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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A Major Celebration - pro golfer and cigar lover Xander Schauffele was ready to unwind after winning the PGA Championship in May
Cigars are meant for celebration, so when pro golfer and cigar lover Xander Schauffele was ready to unwind after winning the PGA Championship in May, he lit up.It was a time of immense relief. Despite being a marquee name in golf, with a Gold Medal and a Ryder Cup among his wins, the 30-year-old Schauffele was haunted by another distinction: the back-handed compliment of being on the list of the best golfers never to win a major. He had come ohso-close in many majors, finishing second twice, and seven times in the top 10. But in May, when his final putt-just over six feet in length-dropped for a birdie, the wait was over. He raised both arms in celebration, a huge smile spreading across his face. He was finally a major champion.
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