2018 George T. Stagg (GTS) Bourbon Review
Sometimes I really hate plopping my fat ass down in front of this awesome Microsft Surface to spew out a bunch of hot garbage that nobody will ever read. This is not one of those times - I mean I'm still a fatass and nobody will read it but I'm more than ok sitting down to churn out some words.
The George T. Stagg (GTS) is part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) and is one of the easier ones to get your hands on. You may even see this bottle in your local liquor store marked up to some ungodly price like $499.99 and up - it's retail is $99.99. If you see someone marking this up make sure you leave the store without purchasing anything.
Something a lot of WAY more serious people than me were questioning / complaining about is that this year's Stagg release is the lowest proof ever at 124.9 (62.45% alcohol). I reviewed the 2015 HAZMAT edition here and it was too over the top for my virgin mouth. I'll talk about the tasting notes momentarily but I enjoy when it isn't setting your mouth on fire - allows the flavors to come out instead of lying to your buddies about HOW IT'S NOT THAT HAWT...
In da nostrils I get some licorice and melted butter that's sitting on pancakes. Probably because I'm a fat guy I'm just thinking non-stop about food. In da mouf I get French Toast and roasted pecans at a Cracker Barrel - mmmmm. It's actually quite tame on the front but the proof kicks up really nice on the finish. One thing that was surprising is it seemed a tad thin this year - may just be me but that's what I think.
If you ever get the opportunity to purchase a GTS at retail make sure you do and enjoy the shit out of it. It's a superior bourbon and one of my favorites when available.