George T. Stagg Bourbon 2018
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2018: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace High-Rye Mashbill (#1)
Proof: 124.9 (62.45% ABV)
Age: 15 Years 4 Months
Location: Kentucky
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2018 Price: $99 (MSRP)
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2018 Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Maple syrup. Zero rims and droplets holding on.
Nose: Stone fruits and brown sugar on a tight nose. Bourbon flavors only emerge with some air. This never really opens on the nose and the fruits remain isolated.
Palate: Brown sugar brittle, candied pecans, heat is strong but rolls in slowly over the tongue. Spice drop heat, tea biscuits, maple candies, cinnamon, thick but not powerful. Pure bourbon, but also fairly simple. Mouthfeel is viscous, spicy, seems more concerned with heat than flavor.
Finish: Slightly astringent, tea biscuits open and develop as a full profile with some cinnamon and vanilla lingering.
Overall: GTS is rarely anything less than good, and this holds true to that. Unfortunately, this batch doesn’t quite stand up to some of the other recent batches, notably George T. Stagg 2016. This is one note and hot, with the heat the focus rather than the flavor.
Final Rating: 6.8
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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