George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2022)

Nose: Deep vanilla, Stone fruit/Cherry, Heavy sweet oak, Leather, Caramel, Dark chocolate, Cinnamon, Tobacco Palate: Maraschino cherry, Burnt caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Chocolate, Plum, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Tannin Finish: Super long finish, Smoothing heat.

Probably the easiest 5.00 score ever. . . No flaws, just in-your-face cask strength bourbon done well. The nose: It starts with a warm, enveloping nose with some candy-like sweetness ontop of the oak, dark fruits & tobacco notes. Very concentrated once the ethanol has evaporated out of the glass. On the palate: It drinks well under proof (~120), it’s very syrupy, and has a finish that keeps going well after the sip is done. So balanced and yet, complex. Spectacular pour, truely one of the very best out there. Overall: I’d recommend that you pour a little more than you normally would for this one if you have the time to spare. This bourbon was constantly changing as I sipped it. Take a while on this and you’ll experience bourbon nirvana.

This was an abaolute beast. Oaky, toasted marshmallows on the nose. The u oresuming sweetness from the nose leaves zero preparation for the palate; agressive, barrel-forward. Undertones of burnt caramel and dark frjuit. HUGE barrel hear but yet stikk alarmingly approachable. Unreal.

Started hot (it is 70%). Relatively easy drinking though after 5 minutes on an ice ball which is shocking. Nice smooth flavor. Definitely worth the hype. Top 5 bourbon.