BACKGROUND: This bottle was gifted to me by a good friend for Christmas in 2017, and it is opened only on anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions. I took it off the shelf today especially for this review. The bourbon’s namesake, George T. Stagg, was a business partner of Col. E.H. Taylor, and together they built the most successful distillery of the 19th Century. Using a mashbill recipe of Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota malted barley, the bourbon was distilled to 135 proof and entered the barrel at 125 proof in the spring of 2002. Though 2019 is the rare exception, George T. Stagg is usually the highest octane offering in the famed and highly-sought Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The 2017 offering was bottled at 129.2 proof. It spent more than 15 years and 3 months in barrels from Warehouses C, K, M, and Q. This batch consisted of only 309 barrels, and, as always, it is uncut and unfiltered. NOSE: A wonderful combination of leather and maple syrup. Perhaps a bit of cherry lingers in the background. There is a surprising lack of ethanol given the proof. I would wear this as cologne if I could. PALATE: The maple syrup on the nose converts completely into maple syrup on the palate. I sense some chocolate covered cherries on the tongue, as well. The bourbon is sinfully viscous in texture. It begs the question, “Can a bourbon be called ‘sexy’?” FINISH: The sweetness continues, but there is also some mint on the back of the tongue. Oak flavors develops, as well. Though the finish is a long one, there is no pepper and no bite. FINAL ASSESSMENT: You would think that a bourbon at this proof drinks hotter than a hooker’s door knob on nickel night, but the 2017 George T. Stagg sips easier than Sunday morning. This might not be the absolute best bourbon I have ever sampled, but it is certainly in the top damn three. Since there is no way to replace this bottle, I will be rationing it like I am stranded in the desert with a thimbleful of water. A simply fantastic bourbon experience. It gets the rare five cork pops out of five.