Long-lauded as the king of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, I too have fallen for the rich, perfected flavors of George T. Stagg bourbon. Having tasted some of the original Geo. T. Stagg whiskey from the early 1900s, I'm well equipped to tell you if this year's release is any good. The fact that they only release it once per year and will also skip years if the quality isn't good enough should be telling enough. I've tasted quite a few years of Stagg, and they are, for the most part, some of the best bourbon I've enjoyed in my long tenure as a whiskey taster.
What makes it so great usually is its balance between epic volumes of flavor and supreme drinkability. I've often used it as my toast pour; when I need to really celebrate an occasion, we bust out the Stagg. Christmas, birthdays, promotions—you name it—they've all been celebrated with the legendary George T. Stagg. This is not to say there aren't dud years. I think the 2023 release was a bit of a miss personally. I had asked myself going in, "Is GTS still the king of the Antique Collection?" Unfortunately for the 2023 bottling, the answer was a resounding, "No." I went in depth with that one too, comparing the 2019, 2020, and 2022 releases, noting that the 2023 was a deadbeat, last-place finisher.
But it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me... and I'm feeling good. Buffalo Trace kindly enough sent along a media sample of the 2024 bottling for review with no strings attached, and that's just what I'll be reviewing here today in accordance with my editorial policy. Is the crown ready to come back? Let's dive in and find out.
Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Buffalo Trace mash bill #1 (high corn, low rye, malted barley)
Proof: 136.1°
Age: 15 years
Further identification: The 2024 release of George T. Stagg is detailed in their yearly release letter:
Nose: Lifting the glass to my nose shows off a whiskey rearing to go. Cherry cordial, buttercream frosting, and barn-cured tobacco leaves lead the way—this is the Stagg I remember falling for. Deep inhales nose well underproof as creamy vanilla cupcake, pear liqueur, and glazed doughnut tones permeate the wonderfully balanced glass. Brown sugar, dark, rich oak, and wonderful rickhouse funk offer all the hallmarks of a well-aged bourbon. After a sip, walnut and almond tones become stronger, though the dominant character remains trending towards Buffalo Trace's classic stone fruit. Nosing late in the glass offers delectable marshmallow notes, one of my favorite notes to find in whiskey. The marshmallow adorns a beautifully boozy hot chocolate profile, one that has been made more robust by the creamy addition of sweet amaretto. Late in the glass, leathery tones begin to take over a bit, though it remains just a perfect bourbon throughout. Sweet panela, thick maple caramel, creamy espresso, and bitey graham cracker smell like the most inviting coffee shop you've ever been to. There are candles, board games, and bake-at-home warm salted pretzel kits in a boutique shop next door. Everything about this pour oozes comfort and class. Butterscotch, lavender, caramel, and bergamot undulate in infinite, poised complexity. Each component countervails the next, never letting the glass grow boring over a two-hour tasting. The empty glass smells of a distant campfire, granite grindstone, the misty spray of a Maine waterfall, and tempranillo grape.
Palate: My first sip is far bolder than the nose led on, though it carries that same cherry cordial and a buttercream frosting note predominantly. The mouthfeel is pervasive, tingly, sweet, and creamy—everything I like in a barrel proof bourbon. Another sip and swish reveals tart raspberry, ganache, and mulberry up front before a tingling linger of cinnamon simple syrup, anise, and allspice swings in softly. This glass tastes like fall. It carries with it the excitement of hiking without sweating, the sling of an arrow, the quickened heartbeat of a lover drawn near for warmth. Sipping later in the glass continues the cherry theme, now leaning towards a root beer profile, settling somewhere closest to a less-sweet cherry cola. As the glass nears empty, the volume knob stays pegged. Almond extract, Luxardo cherry juice, and bergamot round out a perfect glass of whiskey. My last sip is like the confident actor finishing their lengthy performance with perfect accuracy and pizzazz. Linalool gives off that sweet, earthy, woodsy tone, while sweet tea cools the senses. The finish is long, smoldering, and thoroughly enjoyable. Stewed quince, plum, and the infinite complexity of a loquat leave me utterly satisfied.
TL;DR: A majestic performance from Stagg, delivering infinite complexity in perfect harmony
Rating: 5/5
The king of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is back. This glass has such a wonderful balance between hefty, in-your-face flavor and drinkability with this year's GTS release, something that was a bit of a struggle last year. The 2024 release manages to shine bright without the need for comparisons to any other years—it's a marvelous whiskey in its own right. The effort that went into getting this right must have been massive. Kudos to the team behind this bottling, as this is one of the finest whiskeys I've tasted in a long while. If you're interested in seeing where this lands in relation to the rest of the GTS releases I've tasted, make sure to check out the Stagg Hub.
I don’t know what to even say other than my mouth was watering reading this.