First Impressions
George T. Stagg is the centrepiece of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection — uncut, unfiltered, and aged at least fifteen years.
Distillery & Heritage
Named for George Thomas Stagg, the salesman who took over from E.H. Taylor Jr. in 1879 and gave the distillery its name (the George T. Stagg Distillery, later renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999). Released annually since 2002 as part of the BTAC, it uses Buffalo Trace's Mash Bill #1.
Tasting Notes in Detail
The nose is a wall of aged oak, dark molasses and leather, with dried cherries and tobacco curling underneath. The palate is improbably composed for the proof — toffee, espresso, black cherry compote, cinnamon and oak char arrive in waves.
Verdict
The benchmark for cask-strength bourbon.
