The 2019 George T. Stagg was bottled at 116.9 proof, the lowest strength in the bourbon's history. It is still uncut and unfiltered straight from the barrel, a fifteen-year-old Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release that simply came out of the wood gentler than usual.
About This Bourbon
The whiskey was distilled in spring 2004 and aged 15 years and 3 months in Warehouses C, H, I, K and Q, on floors one to four. Around 56% of the original whiskey was lost to the angels. Bottled at 116.9 proof (58.45% ABV), it has the dense, dark Stagg profile in a form that many find easier to drink neat. Reviewers noted cherry, oiled leather, cloves and black tea, with a surprising burst of butterscotch at the end.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toffee, cinnamon and dark cherry, with clove and seasoned oak.
- Palate: Full and spicy; brown sugar, leather and black tea, tannic but well rounded.
- Finish: Long, with butterscotch, red pepper and a gentle char.
Serving & Food
Of all the Staggs this is the one to try neat first. Use a Glencairn at room temperature and sip slowly; water is optional. Serve with a plate of aged Cheddar and apple, dark cherry clafoutis, or smoked pork belly.
How to Enjoy
Stagg fans who want the full flavour at a more forgiving strength, and collectors marking the release with the record-low proof.
Product Details
Producer: Buffalo Trace
Expression: George T. Stagg
Release: 2019
Distilled: Spring 2004
Age: 15 years 3 months
Proof: 116.9 proof / 58.45% ABV
Format: 750mL
Solera SKU: BOUSTA11690750019000
About the Distillery
Buffalo Trace's master distiller Harlen Wheatley oversaw this release, and he was open about why the number fell. Many of the barrels chosen for the batch had aged on the first floor of the warehouses, where it is cooler and more humid, so alcohol evaporates faster than water and proof sinks rather than climbs.
That frankness is typical of how the distillery handles Stagg. Each autumn it publishes the distillation date, warehouses, floors and evaporation loss alongside the proof, letting drinkers see the working behind the whiskey. The distillery, in Frankfort, Kentucky, belongs to the Sazerac Company and produces the Antique Collection alongside its everyday Buffalo Trace bourbon.
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