The 2017 George T. Stagg is a 129.2-proof, uncut and unfiltered straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace's annual Antique Collection. It was a relatively generous batch by Stagg standards, and far gentler in strength than the 144.1-proof release of the year before.
About This Bourbon
The 2017 bottling was distilled in spring 2002 and aged 15 years and 3 months in Warehouses C, K, M and Q, on floors one, two, three and six. It drew on 309 barrels, a larger batch than most years, and around 54% of the original whiskey had been lost to evaporation, noticeably less than in the lean releases just before it. Bottled at 129.2 proof (64.6% ABV), it was described by the distillery as tasting of espresso, chocolate fudge and tobacco.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Chocolate fudge, espresso and tobacco leaf, with caramel and roasted nuts.
- Palate: Full-bodied and sweet at the core; brown sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit with a firm oak frame.
- Finish: Spicy and persistent, fading through cocoa and leather.
Serving & Food
Room temperature, a tulip glass, and a small jug of still water on the side so each drinker can dilute to taste. It is a fine match for pecan pie, a cheeseboard with aged Gouda, or coffee after dinner.
How to Enjoy
High-proof bourbon fans and anyone assembling a vertical of Antique Collection Staggs.
Product Details
Producer: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Expression: George T. Stagg
Collection: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Country: USA
Region: Kentucky
Release: 2017
Style: Uncut and unfiltered Kentucky straight bourbon
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Bourbon Mash #1 (low rye)
Distilled: Spring 2002
Age: 15 years 3 months
Barrels: 309
Proof: 129.2 proof / 64.6% ABV
Format: 750mL
Solera SKU: BOUSTAGEOR0750017000
About the Distillery
Stagg is made the same way as the distillery's other traditional bourbons, from Buffalo Trace Bourbon Mash #1, a low-rye recipe of Kentucky corn with Minnesota rye and North Dakota malted barley. The grain is cooked and soured, fermented in carbon steel vessels and double distilled through a beer still and a doubler, coming off at 135 proof.
It goes into new white oak barrels made by Independent Stave in Lebanon, Kentucky, charred to #4 for 55 seconds, at an entry proof of 125. From there everything depends on time and position in the warehouse. The Sazerac-owned distillery picks the Stagg barrels after at least fifteen years and bottles them with nothing added and nothing filtered out.