Thanks again to my friend Mark for this sample of Stagg. Look: George T Stagg is pretty dark, almost brown but with orange edges on it. Lacing shows but no legs when lightly swirling around the glencairn. Nose: Like Bookers, this is just popping out of the glass. Cinnamon spices are noticeable from afar, clove, just really a lot of spice. A little bit of cherry pops up when I move in closer, showing the age of the bourbon. From there I get more oak. I’m a little surprised at how little depth I get on the nose with the age Stagg is. I really don’t get any sweets Palate: The taste is much better than the nose, with those missing sweets of vanilla and brown sugar hitting the tongue first. The follow up are the spices and then oak. Lingering on the tongue, I get more fruity flavor. There’s a good amount to taste on this one. Less sweet, more oak, and earthy/nutty quality than Stagg Jr. Finish: oak, but the bitterness isn’t as high as other bourbons I’ve had. There’s a little bit of sweetness lingering on the tongue. Pretty dry finish as well. Overall: I like Stagg, it’s very similar to its younger partner, but with more oak and maybe slightly less heat.