George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2014)

The best bourbon I've ever had. I'm not typically a bourbon drinker, but I would love to own a bottle of this. At around $800 USD on the secondary market, that's highly unlikely though. I was fortunate to have the chance to taste an open bottle. Beautifully rich, complex, and amazingly easy to drink neat at nearly 70% ABV. Update: I tried this again years later with significantly more experience, and unsurprisingly, the score has decreased to 4.25. It's a great dram, but not quite the astonishing experience it was before.

95.5/100* *My whiskey rankings are on a 100-point scale, combining scores for nose, taste, finish, and balance, with each category worth up to 25 points. This score corresponds to the star rating as follows: 0 stars = 50 or below 1 star = 60 2 stars = 70 3 stars = 80 4 stars = 90 5 stars = 100 The score is rounded to the nearest 1/4 star.

Difficult to appreciate without water, but after adding a good amount, I could do this spirit justice. It tastes like old, dusty leather with hints of salted chocolate and oak. I struggled to detect the fruit notes. Perhaps I'm out of practice, but I wasn't impressed initially; however, it improved as I drank more.

Wow, tried this blind and knew it was intense! A couple of drops of water, maybe three, added to the generous pour, and amazing! The complexity is incredible. So much happening and the finish just coats your tongue all the way to the end. I wish I had a full bottle!

Peppered corned beef on the nose. The initial taste is like accidentally touching your tongue to a car battery. That must be the 140+ proof. But let this sit for 5 minutes or add a drop of limestone water, and you have the best bourbon I've ever tasted.

Likely my preferred release of this particular bottling. A substantial bourbon with abundant caramel and vanilla, complemented by a dark chocolate undertone that evolves into tobacco. Best enjoyed neat to fully appreciate its profile, though it can benefit from a small addition of water. Pairs wonderfully with a mild, creamy cigar.