This is one of the bottles in each years lauded Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases. Its barrel proof, well aged at ~15 years, mashbill 1 BT distillate.
There’s not a lot of nuance this year — Stagg can often take on a dark coffee/chocolate tone — but it’s a very capable and highly enjoyable bourbon from start to finish. What else were you expecting?
While this iteration of George T. Stagg is a high octane monster of a bourbon, it still drinkable at its barrel proof and only becomes more so with a little water.
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House Review
Nose:
Massive molasses. Cinnamon. Vanilla. Oak. Its like Bookers turned up to 13 in that the molasses is the first note out of the bottle. Theres a surprising lack ethanol here, despite the mammoth proof.
Taste:
Intensely sweet in a good way. Vanilla and cream, molasses and brown sugar that gives way to deep wood and oak notes. Theres some subtle dark chocolate. Its hot on the tongue, not as much as I expected but its still a hot dram. Not surprising.
Finish:
Long, and hot but filled with oaky vanilla and that cream note is back. This disappears to oak and chocolate, spice and leather.
Overall:
Impressively complex and rich. Unfortunately difficult to get. Very enjoyable.
Score:
95
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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