Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 96 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 68.05% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $149.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-11-06 |
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2024 Review
When it comes to reviewing the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, there are a few reasons I like to save George T. Stagg for last. On the one hand, it’s usually the highest proof of the lineup. It’s also the boldest, at least among the bourbons, with a flavor profile famed for its impact (while often showcasing impressive finesse).
On paper, this year’s bottling seems right in line with what we’ve become accustomed to. It’s a 15 year, 2 month old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, bottled at 136.1 proof. For reference, the 2023 release was 15 years, 4 months old and clocked in at exactly 135 proof.
Manufacturer Buffalo Trace hasn’t divulged much more info than that, and we don’t have specific info on warehousing or bottle count for this one.
Let’s dive in and see how the latest “GTS” stacks up!
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2024: Stats and Availability
This year’s George T. Stagg bourbon has an MSRP of $149.99, up about $25 from last year. If I were to see it listed for that on a nearby shelf, I’d snap up that bottle in a heartbeat. Like all Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases, George T. Stagg often commands a significant markup at retail and on the secondary market, frequently listed for five or six times its MSRP. That said, it doesn’t quite command the same multiples as William Larue Weller, Eagle Rare 17, or Sazerac 18.
George T. Stagg Bourbon 2024 Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Given George T. Stagg’s reputation, each year’s release has a lot to live up to on the nose. Dear reader, 2024’s release clears that bar. Black cherry, natural vanilla extract, cinnamon sugar, and barrel char lead. The wood elements get even darker with time, taking on some earthy components including packed soil and old gravel. Combine those initial scents, and it’s reminiscent of walking into the first floor of an old rickhouse, where the earthen floor meets wooden slats stacked with decades of aging charred oak barrels.
A wise bourbon drinker once told me George T. Stagg is like bourbon syrup, and at least on the nose, 2024’s version certainly concentrates and combines scents like few others on the market today.
A little further in, the nose opens up a bit with brick oven-charred pizza dough and bitter gentian root; the char and bitterness are kept somewhat at bay by the continued aroma of cinnamon sugar.
There’s a tiny (and I mean barely perceptible) scent of chlorinated water, which then shifts into some more vague minerality that eventually reminds me more of a sandy beach than a well-kept pool.
Taste
A first sip of this year’s George T. Stagg is bold, but the ethanol is quite gentle relative to the proof. Syrup-soaked Luxardo cherries lead, followed by rolling waves of oak tannins and caramel sweetness. The wood and sugar alternate, one always tasting a little more prominent from sip to sip. That hallmark cherry note remains consistent throughout, coating the tongue from tip to tail and never quite getting boxed out by anything else.
It’s worth contrasting this specific cherry note with William Larue Weller, which I often find has a more medicinal, cough drop-adjacent flavor. Fortunately, both are (usually) delicious in their own right.
A few more sips in, and we’ve got even more dark fruit, specifically ripe Gala apples, dried figs, and prunes. Cinnamon and clove spice accumulates toward the back and sides of the palate, carried by a wonderfully viscous mouthfeel that might get too treacly with less complex bourbons. While I tasted some surprise herbal components on last year’s release, 2024’s Stagg is a bit more in line with its own norm. I’m not complaining in the slightest.
Alcohol heat builds gradually, and (again, relatively) tame early sips evolve to punchier, even oakier flavors, along with a familiar cola note. It reminds me of full-sugar cherry/vanilla cola — only best enjoyed in greater moderation.
Finish
The finish is where this Stagg truly shows its proof, with a big Kentucky hug all the way down. That cherry cola is the predominant note, with a touch of cinnamon and both black and white pepper lingering in the throat. (And linger it does, for minutes after each sip.)
Served neat, this year’s George T. Stagg is a great example of Buffalo Trace near the distillery’s very best. But don’t scoff at experimenting with a few drops of water, which shifts the bourbon’s profile to include spiced raspberries and strawberries, along with chocolate covered raisins and a hint of macadamia honey.
George T. Stagg Bourbon Rating
96/100
Recap
This year’s George T. Stagg is a great bourbon right in line with what long time fans have come to expect. It doesn’t throw any curveballs — try as I might to detect them — and instead leans into familiar territory: dark cherry, syrupy vanilla, and oak flavors that almost transport you to the nearest barrel warehouse.
Most importantly, it’s a worthy continuation of one of the most revered expressions in American whiskey. Drink and savor accordingly.
*Image retrieved from Buffalo Trace Distillery
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