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George T Stagg 15 years

woody malty
4.2
(19)€1,408United States, Kentucky, Bourbon

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Facts

George Thomas Stagg ran the O.F.C. Distillery in Frankfort after the Civil War. The site was renamed in his honor in 1904. That name now sits on one of the most sought-after bourbons Buffalo Trace releases each year. This particular batch rests in the rickhouses far longer than most before release. It goes from barrel straight to bottle, with nothing added and nothing filtered out. The result is a thick, chewy pour loaded with burnt sugar, dark chocolate, and charred oak. Cherry and baking spice show up too, backed by a wave of corn sweetness. Drink it neat, in small sips, and let the proof do its work slowly.

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4.2 /5

19 reviews

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About the distillery

Distillery

George T Stagg

A Civil War captain turned whisky salesman, George T Stagg took over the distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, from Edmund H. Taylor Jr. in 1878. The operation was renamed after him before eventually becoming Buffalo Trace. The bourbon that carries his name is bottled uncut and unfiltered, straight from barrel to bottle. No water is added, so it comes out at full barrel strength, sometimes over 130 proof. Aging runs 15 years or longer in charred oak, and the proof shifts with every vintage. Because each year's barrels differ, collectors treat every annual release like a vintage wine. One year might land near 120 proof, another past 140, with flavors of chocolate, dried cherry and clove shifting each time. George T Stagg has become one of the most chased bottles in American whisky as a result.

4.2Average rating

8Whiskies on Distilld

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Kentucky

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About the George T Stagg 15 years

George T Stagg 15 years is a barrel proof bourbon from Kentucky, United States. It is bottled by the George T Stagg Distillery, part of Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection. The whisky comes in at 58.45% ABV, uncut and unfiltered. Nothing is added between barrel and bottle, and nothing is filtered out. That leaves the full weight of caramel, char, and dark chocolate intact. Almond and burnt sugar linger underneath, rounding out the first impression. The George T Stagg name honors a real person, not a marketing invention. George Thomas Stagg was a bourbon industry leader in Kentucky after the Civil War. He helped modernize the O.F.C. Distillery in Frankfort during the late 1800s. The distillery took his name in 1904, over a decade after his death. Today that site operates as Buffalo Trace Distillery, still in Kentucky. The George T Stagg bourbon keeps his name alive in every release. Fifteen years in the barrel gives George T Stagg 15 years its depth. Corn, the backbone of any bourbon mash bill, shows up sweet and rounded. Butterscotch and brown sugar follow, thickened by clove and cinnamon spice. A streak of dark cherry and cola runs through the long finish. Cocoa and charred oak close things out, backed by real alcohol heat. Banana and apple notes drift in and out between sips. This is a whisky built for sipping neat, in a proper glass. At cask strength, it rewards patience more than a quick pour. Give it time in the glass and the cream soda sweetness opens up. Each annual batch varies slightly, which is part of the appeal for collectors. George T Stagg remains one of the most sought bottles from Kentucky each year. Fans of big bourbon return to it release after release.