George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2018)

Rich sweet smell, lots of honey. Oaky with a great finish. Hot and has an appropriate burn. A little sweet on the finish.

Vanilla up front, oaky for sure and vanilla wafer

I hope to do a SBS with the 2017 GTS soon. First impressions: Acetone on the nose, but not in a way that is offensive because it still smells like bourbon. That being said, I couldn't really get around the acetone to pick up much else. The oak is heavy on the palette, with a nice oily viscosity. Take it slow and you can pick up a faint hint of baking spices, and then the bitterness comes in. Adding a few drops of water only serve to enhance the bitterness. You would think the viscosity would lend a nice long finish but instead your reward is more bitterness and a short finish. Unfortunately, I do not think this will stack up well against the 2017. This bottle is worth retail, or trading for (assuming your are giving up a bottle you paid retail for). I will NOT be searching out more of these at the current secondary prices. I have picked up several of the 2017 bottlings at secondary prices.