George T. Stagg Bourbon 2017
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2017: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace High-Rye Mashbill (#1)
Proof: 129.2 (64.6% ABV)
Age: 15 Years 3 Months
Location: Kentucky
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2017 Price: $99 (MSRP)
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2017 Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Grade A maple syrup. Very thin rims, beady droplets that drop slowly.
Nose: Muted at first, a touch of oak comes out. Caramel corn with a touch of salt. Proof is very gentle. Cherry, slightly artificial. Milk chocolate peeks out but the nose stays muted.
Palate: Pleasant heat focused on the tip of my tongue and underneath. The cherry is there, like Luden’s. Peppery oak, caramel, spice and proof building. Dark chocolate with whole almonds. Mouthfeel is light yet syrupy, brings the heat which keeps building alongside the chocolate.
Finish: Hot, full-on dark chocolate with some chocolate-covered cherries. Short side of medium, though it hangs on the palate like a varnish.
Overall: Fine, but the nose was tight and the full dark chocolate bomb only comes on at the end. Maybe it needed more time to open up, but it was too long for me.
Final Rating: 6.7
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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