Review #531 - George T. Stagg (2023)

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

An annual release from Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection, the George T. Stagg Bourbon is uncut and unfiltered - full barrel proof, generally above 65% ABV, though it varies from year to year. The bourbon takes its name from a man born in 1835; George T. Stagg served in the Union Army during the US Civil War, after which he went into the bourbon business.

Partnering with Colonel E.H. Taylor of the Old Fashioned Copper distillery, Stagg worked as a salesman, selling barrels of bourbon; eventually he would come to own the O.F.C. distillery. Stagg and Taylor worked together to build the distillery into the icon it is today: Buffalo Trace.

Today we're looking at the 2023 release of George T. Stagg, which arrives with a hefty strength of 67.5% ABV (135 proof); it hasn't been chill filtered or watered down, so flavor should be in no short supply. Buffalo Trace releases a sales sheet with the Antique Collection bottles each year with lots of interesting information; here are a few excerpts for the 2023 edition of GTS.

  • Distilled in the Spring of 2008, bottled in the Fall of 2023, total age statement of 15 years and 3 months

  • Mashbill includes Kentucky-grown corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley

  • The new white oak barrels used for maturation were char #4 from Independent Stave

  • 68% of the original liquid in the barrels was lost to evaporation over those 15 years

  • Maturation took place in warehouses C, I, K, L, and M

This is one of the most sought-after bourbon bottles in the market each year - how does this powerful ryed bourbon stack up?

George T. Stagg (2023)

USA - Bourbon

MSRP: USD 125 (2023)

Available Price: USD 610 (2025, based on recent auction results)

Age Statement: 15 Years

Strength: 67.5% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2023

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 80% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Sweet, rich tobacco leaf or cigar smoke; very deep, with a dark complexion. Caramel, bruleed sugar, and powdered sugar add more sweet scents, while cinnamon and dark chocolate add more balance in the baking profile. Oak grows much stronger with time - lots of leather.

Palate: A thick mouthfeel, very warming, with great viscous texture. The rye character of the secondary grain is surprisingly forward to start the palate - pepper, mint. Strong oak brings wood smoke and more leathery notes; there's some smooth caramel in the background.

Finish: Rye spice and oak spice linger - eucalyptus, black pepper, leather. It's still quite warming, and caramel still adds the sweeter side; the finish is long.

Final Note: One of our favorite bourbons that we've ever tasted - this packs a ton of flavor with that high strength and long maturation period. We found the palate somewhat rye-forward, maybe even surprisingly so, considering neither of Buffalo Trace's ryed bourbon mashbills are supposed to have a particularly high proportion of rye grain; still, we liked that spicy, slightly herbal element it added to the profile. The strong oak, bringing those tobacco and leather notes, was a real treat.

In terms of value - of course, this is very good value if you can get it at the suggested retail price. Since most of us won't have that chance, we have to look at the secondary market; recent auctions put modern bottles of George T. Stagg around $600 to $650. Value isn't very good at that sort of price.

Our Average Rating: 9.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating (MSRP): 7.20

Value Rating (Available Price): 4.25

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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Review #530 - Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey