George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2018)

Super complex, smoky, vanilla, fantastic!! Better than Pappy 12 year

Nice body and very complex

love it, high octane, crazy flavors, tons of kick and Waters down super mellow and delicious!

Completely wonderful. All flavors one after another. Caramel, vanilla, orange, cherry, chocolate, black pepper, wood, almond, a bit of smoke and very creamy. My three favorite bourbons all rolled into one.

Smooth almost caramel first sip, with a strong bite to the finish.

We've tried two earlier editions of Stagg and raved about both (2013 and 2017). Thankfully, Buffalo Trace has not let us down with this latest edition. Stagg is hands-down the best rye-recipe bourbon that I've tried, with the best Elijah Craig Barrel Proof editions coming a close second. It's so much older than typical bourbon releases, with an extra three years of age compared to the already well-matured ECBP, and has a characteristic and unmistakable resulting profile overflowing with stewed fruit, peanut oil, rich caramel, vanilla, green tea, salted dark chocolate, and lumberyard wood. I often associate great bourbons with a note that's reminiscent of chocolate, and Stagg offers the clearest and best example of that slightly bitter but intoxicating flavor. I doubt I'll be able to find or afford a bottle in the next five years, but this remains one of the best bourbons in the world and I can only hope that I'm lucky enough to try Fall 2019's release.