George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2014)

Best bourbon I've ever had. Not really a bourbon fan but this I'd love to have a bottle of. At around $800USD on the secondary market not a chance that'll ever happen though. I was fortunate to spot a an opportunity to taste an open bottle. Beautifully rich complex and amazing easy to drink neat at nearly 70% abv Update: I got to try this again years with a lot more experience under my belt and not surprisingly the score has dropped to 4.25. Great dram but not quite the dizzying heights it reached before.

95.5/100* *I rank my whiskey based on a 100 point scale. It is a cumulative score with each category of nose, taste, finish, and balance worth up to 25 points. Here is how this score translates to the number of stars I give: 0 stars = 50 or below 1 star = 60 2 stars = 70 3 stars = 80 4 stars = 90 5 stars = 100 The score is rounded to the closest 1/4 star increment.

Sad to say I was unable to drink it without water but after adding a fare amount I could give this juice it's deserved justice. Old leather almost dusty in flavor with notes of salted chocolate and oak. I have trouble getting most of the fruit notes. I may be rusty but i was not impressed at first but it grew on me as I had more.

Whewwwww this one I tried Omar a tasting blind and I knew it was hottttr! A few drops of water maybe three added to the heavy pour and wow the complexity is unreal! So much going on and the finish Just hugs your tongue till the end I wish I had a whole bottle!

Peppered corned beef on the nose. Initial taste feels like you accidentally touched your tongue to a car battery. That must be the 140+ proof. But let this sucker sit for 5 minutes or add a drop of limestone water and you have the best bourbon I've ever had.

Probably my favorite GTS release. Huge bourbon...tons of caramel and vanilla with a dark chocolate undertone that fades to tobacco. Try it neat to get the full experience, but it can handle a add splash of water. Goes perfectly with a light, creamy cigar