Review #: 37
Description: George T. Stagg 2017 Release
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection garners praise nearly every year, and George T. Stagg is often at the head of the praise. Un-cut and un-filtered, Mashbill #1, and boasting a solid age, it is highly regarded among enthusiasts and rarely comes without a significant premium. So when I found it at a tiny Mexican restaurant for a fair price, I jumped on it. My notes reflect tasting it in the restaurant in a rocks glass, but before eating my meal, so take that as you will.
Distillery – Buffalo Trace
Bottler – Buffalo Trace
Brand – George T. Stagg
Selection – N/A
ABV – 64.6%
Age – 15 Years 3 Months
Nose – Wonderfully oaky char, sweet cornbread, cherry pie. Pastry, fruit, and oak all stand out yet balance so well together.
Taste – Maple syrup, vanilla ice cream, gooey caramel, thick mouthfeel that coats the tongue. Incredibly heavy and rich. An ice cream sundae disguised as whiskey.
Finish – Burst of fruit: cherry comes in strong, long finish of oaky embers and rich tobacco. The oak and fruit play off each other and continue to push each other for dominance while simultaneously remaining balanced with each other.
Score: 9
Would I buy a bottle? Yes, I’d even pay up to 2x retail
Thoughts: Well, this pour certainly didn’t disappoint. Everything you could ever want in a bourbon but with the intensity and complexity cranked up to maximum. So desserty and rich and yet the oak and tobacco work to compliment it from the nose through the long lingering finish. I don’t think it’s worth the $400+ that it commands on the secondary market, but that’s more because I don’t think any whiskey is worth that. $200 is about my personal limit and I’d be willing to spend it on this bottle.