George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2013)

NOSE - SWEET SWEET SWEET. Rich deep dark Honey, Werthers original candies, marshmallows, Nutella PALATE - HUGE viscosity, syrupy and sweet, ginger candy, dark honey, praline candied nuts, overwhelmingly amazing! FINISH - lime zest, marshmallow sweetness, cinnamon, chocolate hazelnuts Some whiskies have no words, BUT incredible, life changing, exhilarating would fit this.

The white whale of the bourbon world beckons. This is a rare treat for me, and my wife and I had only an ounce of it to share between us. Thankfully, that was more than enough to savor and enough to do a review. In the glass, George T. Stagg is a rich, dark chestnut brown, so pure you can practically dry it out and reconstitute the barrel. One thing I enjoy about Buffalo Trace is that their distillate tends to produce unusual fruit flavors. Stagg, although much older than the distillery's more commonly found bourbons, is no different. The standout notes are pineapple, tropical fruit, and raisins, but they meet their match in antique oak, caramel, wood shavings, and tobacco. We sat around just taking in the scent of this bourbon for a while before having a drink -- it really is that good. It's hard to describe, and just identifying flavors doesn't convey it, but Stagg's scents are deeper and richer than other bourbons. The intensity of the alcohol produces a minty or spicy tingle at the beginning, although I believe that's the proof rather than the rye. The age immediately reveals itself in wood tannins that coat the mouth -- even moreso on subsequent sips. The only comparable feeling is drinking Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, but even ECBP doesn't have the same sensation of a film over my teeth. I'm not 100% in love with it, but it's unique. The midpalate is impossibly rich and sweet, richer than any other bourbon I've tried, and overflows with salted caramel, oak, brown sugar, corn, and cinnamon. Like the nose, it's hard to convey how intense the flavors are. Stagg leaves behind a big bomb of ripe banana, spice, caramel corn, mint, apple, and a final lingering note of cedar. It's a little shorter than ECBP, which features the longest, spiciest finish I've experienced in a bourbon. Stagg probably is the best bourbon I've had in my life. However, for most of us, the only realistic avenue to get a bottle is to pay the secondary market price of $500+, and it's not worth that much to me. It is a unique product, particularly in its rich, complex palate, which is a hair or two better than Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. But considering I can still find ECBP online or in stores for $60-100, I could never justify paying five to ten times the price for this one.