George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2020)

Got 2 oz of this so this is my 3rd attempt at this. Lets see how this goes. Nose - So this has been poured for about 15 minutes. When I first nosed this it was sweet cherries and over oaked buffalo trace classic oak with a bitter over coat. Now it's straight creme brulee, caramel drizzel, dare I say some kind of chocolate pie, and well some more oak. Taste - Ok tannic, chalky, cherry, big...bold...hot. OK it's opening up a bit. Bottom line is it's good, it's certainly a stagg, but I don't like it more than better GTS's and while the age is there it might have turned a bit while not getting mellowed with age. It is playing very well with water, it's allowed some sweet to come out and hidden some bitter oak, but still something is missing. I'll give this a 3.25, feels awfully low for a Stagg, but this is coming up short. Edit - yeah everytime I come back it starts out WONDERFUL and then the finish goes south, fast, and it doesn't recover. A real shame as this is missing what makes the great stagg's great. Still it's good!

Very intense. Added a bit of water. The nose is leather, nuts, corn syrup, rye, burnt sugar. The palate was a bit too intense for me without water. Fiery, spicy rye. Maybe some cloves/baking spices. Oaky barrel. Burnt marshmallow, burnt brown sugar, sweet corn, toffee, maybe a hint of anise. Finish of caramelized sugar, smoke, slightest hint of maple. Charcoal, leather, tobacco. Lingering rich caramel. A real heavyweight in the bourbon world, a nonstop barrage of intense flavors. Having had Thomas Handy Sazerac, William Larue Weller, and George Stagg on a few occasions, William Larue Weller is my favorite because it is mellow, complex, and sublime. Stagg is the opposite - it is aggressive and intense. I think Weller is the better, more sophisticated whiskey, but Stagg is a non-stop assault on your tastebuds and should not be discounted. Thanks for the sample, Paul!

Alcohol first on the nose then it’s get straight into rich flavors of caramel, vanilla, tobacco sweetness, nice fruit aromas. The 130 proof is definitely there on the palate and very warm, the swallow is nice, thick and smooth. I really love it. I prefer it neat all day long. Now I understand the hype because it lives up and beyond it. This is my first bottle and first sip and probably last sip as I want it to last FOREVERMORE. If you ever have the chance of getting even a small taste don’t pass it up. I’m here to tell you it’s well well well well WORTH IT IMO!

Nose: Caramel, dark fruit, vanilla, cacao, coffee. Palate: Caramel and vanilla on the entry. Cacao, tobacco, dried cherries appear after. Some black tea and spice at the end. High alcohol burn. Does very well with water. Finish: Medium-Long. Bitter cacao notes dominate. Dries the mouth (tannic) A nice bourbon with a more complexity than the normal caramel and vanilla notes. Big bold flavors and a very memorable dram. This would be hard to pass up at MSRP, though the bitter notes were a bit too strong for my taste.

Nose: caramel, dried black cherry, dark oak, ethanol punchiness, dried herbs Nose After Swirl: bigger pick up of the ethanol burn, dried medicinal herbs similarly to earlier, so much dark fruit. Palate: Crazy thick mouthfeel. Immediate heat, very dark taste profile... cacao, black cherry, those dried herbs show up again Finish: extremely long finish, dummy juicy 💦, maintains the darker notes of the palate and doubles-down on the apothecarian profile, nice sharp oak that muddles perfectly with the sparse lighter notes.

Nose - Snickers right off the bat. Creamy peanut butter with caramel drizzle inside of milk chocolate. Little bit of oak and vanilla linger Straight candy bar. Palate - Vanilla red hots. A lot of cinnamon and barrel char. Mouthfeel is pretty medium, not too full or too thin. Dark chocolate and oak bring out a pleasant bitterness. More peanuts, almost like a cross between Bookers and Stagg Jr. Finish - Incredibly long and hot. Its still lingering from the first sip my goodness. Roasted nuts and oak.