Tastes

Its best qualities are up front. Sweet nose, vanilla, dark fruit (grapes, plum?), and Bubblicious gum. The palate continues largely in the same sweet vein, with a bit of cherry cola added to the mix. The finish veers off in a completely different direction. Dry oak, spice. It’s an interesting sip. Quite good, even though I don’t love the note it exits on. And I know this is the 2018 bottling but if it’s similar to 2017, I don’t see a path to whiskey of the year.

From the moment it hits your nose, you know you’re in for a treat. Cherry, raisins, vanilla, and oak. No ethanol burn, despite its lofty proof. I don’t remember it being like this when I first cracked the bottle, but tasting it now after it has breathed for a few months, it is almost syrupy... I recall it being a bit more brash. But now it’s like an energetic puppy that has grown up a little bit and settled down, and it’s truly fantastic in its maturity. Layer upon layer of flavor - starting off sweet, cherry, chocolate, and moving into oak, leather, tobacco, cinnamon spice... it’s rich and full and complex. The heat starts to catch up a little on the back end, and the long finish ultimately winds up at a slightly bitter yet pleasant note - think roasted coffee. It’s unfair how little of this there is to go around because it’s a truly spectacular pour.

The nose is a wild ride. Starts off sweet cinnamon, and once it hits the back of your nose, it’s salty dill pickles, full nose tingle. Tastes like a mouth full of pastry. Not syrupy sweet like the toasted bourbon. My wife bakes elephant ears using puff pastry dough, and this tastes like an elephant ear that’s a little bit well done - not a ton of sugar, and what is there is browned and at the point right before it starts to burn. Rich mouthfeel. Two minutes after I sipped it, I was still getting dill pickles.

Nothing complex about this one - a straightforward, nicely aged wheater. Butterscotch and hints of apple on the nose. Oak joins on the palate. Faint alcohol burn. Long, mellow finish. A pleasant sipper.

A real cherry bomb on the nose... almost in the style of William Larue Weller. Baking spice, chocolate, oak, plums on the palate. Tingly, spicy finish. A real beauty.

Rich, oily mouthfeel. Sweeter on the nose - fruity, vanilla, fairly spicy and bitter on the palate, wood, tobacco. Tingly finish.

2017 bottling. Did not like this one right after cracking it open - the damp wood flavors were too strong. After 3-4 months, I tried it again and it is much improved. Caramel and apples on the nose. Nutty toffee on the palate, which continues for the finish with a bit of smoke and leather.

Whereas this year’s George T. Stagg tempers it’s usual attitude a bit (in a delightful way), William Larue Weller does the opposite. So much sweet fruit - the familiar profile of cherries, dark fruit like raisins and blackberries, brown sugar - but this year there’s notes of cinnamon spice that have this feeling like a bolder bourbon than in years past. Some hints of smoke, oak, and leather join for the finish. As usual, this one’s a real stunner.

Nose: Smoky, yielding to vanilla, tobacco, cola. Palate: Cherry, apple, cinnamon, charred oak. Not nearly as much of a scorcher as some other Stagg releases - this one is more refined, but without losing any of the rich, oily mouthfeel or the full-bodied flavor that makes Stagg a king among bourbons. Finish: Caramel, dark fruit, and oak last forever. One hell of a sip.

Corn, maple syrup/vanilla, and smoky wood on the nose. I disagree with the expert on the taste. As I gave this the old Kentucky chew and swallowed it, the maple syrup showed up in a big way. Yes, there is plenty of spice to go with it, but this is still a very sweet and syrupy bourbon. Oak joins for the finish. You can tell it’s a bit on the younger side, but the toasted barrel finish adds more than enough to elevate it. This is a solid four stars and a little extra. I would continue to buy at retail every chance I get.