George T. Stagg Bourbon 2011
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2011: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace High-Rye Mashbill (#1)
Proof: 142.6 (71.3% ABV)
Age: 18 Years 5 Months
Location: Kentucky
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2011 Price: N/A
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2011 Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark maple syrup. Dissipating rims, small droplets hang on.
Nose: Odd - there’s an alkaline scent at first that’s really off. It goes away, so maybe it wasn’t there, but that was strange. Dry cherry cough syrup builds after the first sniff. Nostril-stinging heat, some burnt corn, slightly vinous.
Palate: Lots of black cherry and a ton of heat. Wow that’s hot. Oak astringency, candied and artificial cherry. Candy shells. Mouthfeel is syrupy, velvety, prickly, very filling, keeps the heat going the whole way. This is all cherry - cough syrup, black cherry soda. Did I mention cherry?
Finish: Dried, unsweetened cherries rehydrated in high-proof bourbon. Finally some corn and vanilla poke through, but only just.
Overall: I don’t know what happened on the nose, but it doesn’t show up again so I’m thankful for that. This is hot and all cherry, one-note dialed up to 11. There’s almost no other flavor here. Not necessarily a bad whiskey, but not a good GTS.
Final Rating: 5.2
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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