george t. stagg
2024

I presume it was the same for most folks as it was for me: You construct a mythology around the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection when you're a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed newcomer. The bottles seemed as if they existed in some unreachable depths of insider enthusiasm. Buffalo Trace occupies an interesting space in general -- a legacy distillery that commands so much respect among drinkers that even non-enthusiasts know the exceptionalism baked into names like Blanton's and Pappy. This innate deference doesn't come without its consequences though. The distillery's brands are plagued by shortages, controversies, and a widespread, chaotic secondary market. The subject of the distillery's response to this spontaneous explosion of interest and love for their whiskey is perhaps the most divisive issue I've observed among enthusiasts. However, I will leave it at that, as I prefer to talk about the whiskey itself.

George T. Stagg and indeed the entire Antique Collection is an interesting one because most folks get introduced through a pour at a bar, since they are annual releases and tightly allocated. It's not one that you can simply pluck off a store shelf. This was my experience with George T. Stagg. I had many, many pours of the BTAC bottles, and lost many raffles (as is mandated the ancient curse of bad luck upon my bloodline) before I was finally confronted with a trade opportunity. In all honesty, the bottles I had been stashing for trading purposes were meant for something else, but the opportunity arose and I decided in the moment to indulge that old bright-eyed, bushy-tailed version of me that would've done anything for a BTAC bottle on my shelf a couple years prior.

One final anecdote before getting into the tasting notes -- I dropped my bottle of George T. Stagg not once, but twice before I even had the chance to open it. Once was on the way inside from picking it up, it slipped right out of my hand and landed perfectly upright on the ground. Then, as I was trying to get a pincer grip on the pull tab, the cutting board the bottle was rested on shifted position and it toppled to the floor. No damage resulted from either incident, but I thought to myself, "I oughta open this quick, or I might revert to never having had a BTAC bottle in my collection."

Nose Spiked cherry cola and a deep sour oak note head off an exceptionally punchy nose. Port wine vapors weave through the oak layer. There is a subtle hint of stone fruit, like the syrup in a can of pears. For how much of an assault on the senses this whiskey is, the nose is surprisingly sweet and inviting.

Palate Sour oak transfers from the nose to the mid palate, but comes with a bit of moisture, like a rain-soaked railroad tie -- A formidable flavor but one that exists in competition with the iconic Buffalo Trace grape. The combination unfortunately offers flashes of chemical harshness. Gratefully, the brief unpleasant notes fade comfortably into bold barrel char on the deep palate fortified enthusiastically by cinnamon and nutmeg. A hint of tobacco guides confidently into a robust finish.

Finish This is a finish that'll put hair on your chest. It sears down with potent spiciness translated mostly from the cinnamon on the palate. Tannic charred oak perseveres. I wouldn't call it a complex finish, but it is rambunctious. Significant heat, as expected from the proof point, gives way to a high stamina. An all around impressive finish.

Notes This is certainly within the realm of the experience I'd hoped to have way back when a bottle like this was my primary directive. For the sake of principle, I will note here that my exploration of whiskey between that time and now has driven my preferences away from the Buffalo Trace profile. The distillery's yeast tends to impose a wine-adjacent profile upon all their whiskey and it's not quite the profile I prefer. However, with the higher proof offerings such as George T. Stagg and Stagg Jr., those wine-like flavors often transform into something more palatable for me -- An effervescent, cherry cola punchiness.

Having said all this, preferences make no comment on the objective quality of a whiskey. George T. Stagg is usually aged 15 or more years, bottled at barrel proof, and has been universally loved for over 20 years. It is an undeniable, unstoppable force of a bourbon that even folks like me whose preferences don't exactly align, have to acknowledge as one of the titans.