George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2015)

Pours a deep, dark golden amber, nearly brown, with nice legs. The aroma is fantastic, with rich caramel, vanilla, oak, and spice notes, but this clearly uses the low rye recipe. This doesn't detract, as the aroma continues to develop, making it a bourbon to savor for hours. A little water softens the caramel slightly, making it seem more like molasses or something similar, still amazing. The taste delivers rich caramel, oak, and vanilla initially, with some spicy, earthy notes as well, and a significant alcohol presence. Water mellows it out somewhat, enhancing the sweet notes. The mouthfeel is rich and full-bodied, coating the mouth with a long finish; it's naturally very potent, yet not as harsh as some lower ABV bourbons. A touch of water smooths it out a bit, reducing intensity slightly (though it's still quite remarkable). Beer Enthusiast Thoughts: Regarding the hype around Pappy barrel-aged beer, I don't recall seeing any Stagg barrel-aged beer. While they likely exist, they seem uncommon. Evil Twin created a Stagg barrel-aged Belgian Pale Ale, which seems like a considerable waste. I can't seem to find more sought-after barrel-aged styles like stouts or barleywines, but this appears to be a promising market. One could argue these are just "Buffalo Trace" barrels, which might suffice. These are frequently used in beer and often result in excellent products, as demonstrated by a win in the FiftyFifty Eclipse horizontal tasting. It's also hard to surpass Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged Black Magick (though Pappy Black Magick did, in my opinion). Personally, I wouldn't use this for homebrewing. It feels like a transgression not to drink this entire bottle neat (and, of course, with a little water).

Finished the bottle at Frank Grisanti's in Memphis on 6-17-16. Big but not overwhelming like W Larue W. The aroma was brown sugar and almost cedar rather than oak. Light on citrus with surprisingly little red fruit. The taste was full with expected burnt molasses and nutty almond. A hint of tangerine and light baking spice. Long and strong finish with white pepper sprinkled over caramel pie with chocolate. Drank neat because I was seeking specific familiar flavors that did not appear? Below the 14 on my score and not comparable to the 14 WLW. I'll give it an 88 only because of the price I paid!:)

This was my second drink at Chimes and it met expectations. Even with the high proof, the nose was rich with vanilla, brown sugar, and just the right amount of oak. The aroma was truly exceptional. The mouthfeel is nearly perfect, thick and chewy with considerable heat and pepper. An excellent bourbon. I paid $26, requested a single serving, and the kind person at the bar gave me a double portion!

I'd never reveal the location of this fantastic bar because the bartender recently received an amazing award; it's a shame. Tried it neat. It's hot on the palate but quite delicious. I'll revisit it. Does anyone else find it challenging to be at a high-end establishment with friends? I can't offer a rating right now. See you later!

Drinking this neat will be intense. Dry oak dominates, but typical bourbon characteristics are present: vanilla, caramel, toasted corn, and brown sugar. This is an outstanding American whiskey, marked down to four stars due to its excessively high price.

Intense heat. I genuinely enjoyed this year's release, though it didn't quite match the previous one. The buzz and cost are the only things holding me back, and either of the 2015 Booker's from '01 or '03 still reigns supreme (and it's $60 with no fuss).