George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2018

VITALS:

- $110

- 124.9 Proof

- NAS (15 yrs., 4 mos.)

- Kentucky

Okay, let me just get this out of the way . . . this is really fucking good!! No surprise, right?!? For me, this has been the most consistent of all the BTAC releases in that I can't recall there ever being a "down year" for George T. Stagg.  In fact, I was on the fence about even writing this review. After all, by this point, there are hundreds of reviews of the 2018 release, and guess what? Every one of them tells you this is really fucking good!

But, I held onto this bottle for so long, saving the last few pours for who knows what. I just didn't want it to be gone and off my shelf. I liked having that last bit of Stagg sitting there on my shelf, just in case someone came over to my house who had never had it, or just really wanted to try this particular year. After six years, though, it was time, and on a random night drinking with friends, we finally polished off the last few pours.

The nose on this was really fun.  Of course I got some of the traditional notes of caramel and cinnamon, and even some dark cherry and amaretto. It certainly came across as rich and sweet but with a bit of depth. What I loved, however, was that there was a cake-like note on the nose, and eventually I was able to place it as waffle batter. I thoroughly enjoyed this note, particularly as it mixed with the caramel and cherry notes.

From the first sip I couldn't help but notice just how rich and flavorful a bourbon this was. Even at a lower proof than previous years, this had so much depth and flavor and richness and complexity, and all of it seemed to be right in my wheelhouse.

It was full of toffee and cinnamon notes, of course. There was also the constant undercurrent of vanilla bean throughout. And what brought me great joy and pleasure was that I also got the waffle batter that I loved on the nose!!  It added this cookie-like or cake-like flavor and sweetness that, again, just seemed to complement everything else going on here.

The great viscosity on this bourbon provided for a long and lasting finish, and that's where the darker, richer notes really came through. It as dark but sweet cherry along with a brown butter note. It almost had a praline flavor to it that was incredible. As the finish lingered, notes of dark chocolate and cinnamon really stuck in the back of my throat, kind of like a spicy Skor bar. 

Again, no surprise here.  I absolutely loved this. It's always been top tier for me in my ranking of whiskeys, not to mention it's always held a particularly special spot in my heart. I miss it already!

Grade: A+

Eagle Rare 17 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2020

VITALS:

- $120

- 101 Proof

- 17 Years

- Kentucky

This is one of those bottles that I felt luck to have been able to obtain. It is Eagle Rare, after all, that really opened my eyes to the bourbon world. Having started my whiskey journey in the Scotch world, it wasn't until a local liquor store clerk suggested that I give Eagle Rare a try that I really started trying out and learning about bourbon.

Eagle Rare is still one of my favorite under $50 bottles, and it's always one of the top three whenever I'm asked for that recommendation. This bottle, of course, takes that up a notch or four. It obviously ups the age from 10 years to 17 years, which is no small jump. But, it also punches up the proof from 90 proof  101 proof.  It's a much older and stronger Eagle Rare, and I couldn't wait to try it. Although I opened this bottle immediately when I got it, I held onto the last three or so pours for a really long time, simply not wanting it to be gone. But, all good things must come to an end, so finally the other night I shared the last few pours with good friends and called it a day.

The age on this bourbon was immediately noticeable on the nose. I got healthy oak notes right up front, but there was also a soft sweetness to it as well. I got notes of caramel and dark chocolate, reminding me a bit of a turtle bar. It even had some rich walnut notes to it.  It smelled decadent and delicious, very much like something you'd get from a good chocolatier, even if the nose wasn't all that pungent. 

As to the flavor, right up front I got a sweet but smooth caramel note, like that good, soft caramel used in Godiva chocolates--sweet, rich, smooth and creamy. It also had an oak note tagging along, but, given the prominent oak note on the nose, it was surprisingly nowhere near as oak-forward on the palate. Rather, it seemed to add a sort of a light roastiness, kind of like a coffee note but without the bitterness. Perhaps like a coffee ice cream?

The wood influence was certainly there, but it was almost a sweet wood note, if that makes sense. Kind of like almond or pecan or even hazelnut, where it has that soft sweetness to it, along with the nutty, earthy note and even a touch of bitterness.  But the caramel was always the backbone to everything, always bringing it back to the traditional bourbon notes.

It wasn't until the finish that the cinnamon spice finally kicked in. This was the one thing I felt was missing, but on the finish it came through along with an amaretto liqueur note, to add just a bit of that tanginess hitting the sides of my tongue and lingering in the back of my throat. There was also a healthy amount of vanilla that seemed to linger, which really didn't show up anywhere other than on the finish.

I'm so happy I got to try this bottle. It didn't necessarily blow me away like I had hoped it would, but it is certainly still a fantastic bottle.  And it does the trick as an older, punchier Eagle Rare. I have no regrets over finally finishing off those last few pours.

Grade: A-

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2017)

VITALS:
- $90.00 MSRP
- 129.2 proof
- 15 years, 3 months
- Kentucky

The one problem with the theme of this blog--waiting until I finish a bottle before posting a review--is that when it comes to "special" bottles, by the time I finish them off, they're a bit outdated. Here it is now June, only a few months away from the 2019 BTAC releases, and I'm just now getting around to reviewing the 2017 George T. Stagg.

And, quite frankly, what can I say about this that hasn't already been said at this point? Because reviews are completely subjective, and therefore stupid, I'm just going to front the fact that Stagg has always been right in my wheelhouse.  It's my measuring stick for great bourbons. Don't get me wrong, I've had others that I've enjoyed more (maybe two), but they're always measured against Stagg.  Something about it just hits me right, and the 2017 release was certainly no exception.

The nose is full of vanilla and cinnamon, with the cinnamon leaning more towards a cloves kind of scent. I certainly got a decent amount of alcohol, which is to be expected at this proof, but nothing offensive by any stretch. There was a light oak on the nose, along with a rich toffee note to offset that slightest bitter note. Towards the end of the bottle I was also getting some anise notes. The nose was pretty much everything you'd expect from a high quality, 15 year old, barrel strength bourbon.

When I took my first sip, the first thing I noticed was the rich, coating, oily mouthfeel.  I hate using the word "mouthfeel," but the point is that this is a nice, creamy and oily bourbon that just coated my mouth and throat with flavor right up front.

The most noticeable of these flavors were the vanilla and wood flavors. I did not get any bitter tannins, though, as I had somewhat expected, even just a little. Rather, it was a nice, rich vanilla bean flavor that was absolutely delicious.

There was also a burnt sugar note that made for a sweet bourbon but kept it from coming close to being too sweet (did I mention this is in my wheelhouse?).  It seemed to balance that sweetness very well, perhaps due to the age, and also perhaps due to the nice cinnamon note that seemed to linger at the back of my throat forever, begging me to take another sip.

In addition to these traditional vanilla, caramel and cinnamon notes, however, I got hints of dark cherry (natural dark cherry, not that fake flavor that I sometimes get in whiskeys). I also got a coffee note which was pleasant and unexpected. I can't recall ever having such a tasting note in the past.

To be clear, however, this was a vanilla, caramel, cinnamon bomb. I know that phrase is used often, and usually it's used to demonstrate the dominance of one particular flavor (i.e. a "vanilla bomb").  Here, however, all of these flavors are bold, independent and absolutely delicious, culminating in one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth.

Aside from the fact that I have a particular sentimental attachment to this bourbon for reasons that I don't need to get into here, this is a bourbon that I will forever chase, buy and drink at every opportunity.

Grade: A+