George T. Stagg: 2013 Release

Bourbon Review #4: George T. Stagg 2013 Release

Category: Boutique

Price: $80

Availability: Limited Annual (Fall) Release

Proof: 128.2, 64.1% avb (uncut and unfiltered)

Mashbill: B.T. #1

Age: 15 years

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

     

     George T. Stagg is the flagship of the Buffalo Trace "Antique Collection". This collection is made up of five premium bourbons, which include: 1. George T. Stagg, 2. William Larue Weller, 3. Egle Rare 17 Year, 4. Sazerac Rye 18 Year and 5. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac. The collection is released once a year, in the fall, with a very small allocation. Like many limited release bourbons, the Antique Collection is normally delivered directly into the hands of the customers on a waiting list. In most cases, the collection has come and gone within a matter of minutes for the entire year. 

     The 2013 George T. Stagg marks the 14th offering of this annual release. Each year the proof is slightly different, although it is always uncut and unfiltered. This years offering went into the barrels in the spring of 1997 (the year I graduated high school). It was aged in Warehouses I, K and Q and weighs in at 128.2 proof. 

     2013 is the first year that the proof has dropped into the 120's since 2004. The reason for the lower proof is due to the location of the barrels on lower floors.  “We sample many barrels throughout the year to find the best ones to create George T. Stagg.  It just so happens this year, most of the barrels had been stored on lower floors.  The temperature remains cooler down low where it balances the mature flavors from the wood, and in turn, the proof climbs slowly from the entry proof.  The quintessential George T. Stagg taste is there – a big, bold whiskey that is easy to sip,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller.  Although still highly allocated, Buffalo Trace did begin to start putting more barrels away back in 1997 for future George T. Stagg releases.

    
    Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace

     Who was George T. Stagg? George T. Stagg was born December 19, 1835, in Garrard County, Kentucky. While little is known of his early years, the impact his adult life had on the bourbon industry was quite impressive.

     Working as a whiskey salesman in St. Louis, he had the good fortune of teaming up with bourbon icon E.H. Taylor, Jr. Together they built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century. A leading industry expert at the time declared the Distillery “one plus ultra of its class,” the best of the best.

     Stagg’s salesmanship and financial acumen helped build the Distillery into one of the world’s leading bourbon producers. In 1904, the Distillery was rechristened to bear Stagg’s name, a title that was maintained for nearly a century.

     Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery strives to carry on the tradition of innovation and excellence of one of its famous forefathers. In 2000, the Distillery was honored with the prestigious “Distillery of the Year” designation by Whisky Advocate, the culmination of Stagg’s work, begun nearly 150 years ago. (History sourced from Buffalo Trace)

  I was able to obtain a personal copy of the official letter from Buffalo Trace describing this year's release of George T. Stagg. It provides a more thorough breakdown of this year's expression. On a personal note, the 2013 Stagg comes full circle for me, as it is a Kentucky product that makes use of grains from both North Dakota and Minnesota. (See the recipe section on the back side of the letter)

   

     Overall: This is one of the most highly sought-after bourbons on the planet!  Its a bruiser of a bourbon, but don't scoff at its elevated proof as mere "novelty". It's full of rich and complex flavors that take time unfolding. This bourbon has both grit and grace. A truly decadent pour! I would not recommend this one for the novice, or the faint of heart. However, if your a seasoned bourbon connoisseur, set your sights on this expression!

     On a scale of 1-10, I would give the 2013 George T. Stagg a solid 9! This is a true gentleman's Kentucky Straight Bourbon! If you can get your hands on a bottle (easier said than done), buy it quickly! I'll leave you with a quote from Buffalo Trace, "Sip it slowly and ponder the mysteries of the universe."

The Colonel's Top 10 Best (and 1 worst) Whiskey List

     I'll start with my top five favorite "go-to" category. I'll rank them in order, from my #1 favorite, on down. All of these whiskies can be purchased for around or under $30 bucks. They can be found most anywhere. I wont say much about each label. I'll save that for the reviews. This list is subject to change, as I encounter new bourbons that may replace one of these expressions. I plan to retroactively update this list when this occurs. So, you might want to check back on this post in a few months to see if changes have been made. Also, all of these whiskies are ones that I have ether tried, or are in the queue to be reviewed.

#1. Four Roses Single Barrel $37

#2. High West Double Rye $32

#3. Elijah Craig 12 Year Small Batch $25

#4. Old Grand-Dad Bottled In Bond $19 (one liter)

#5. Evan Williams Bottled In Bond $19 (one liter)

     OK, and now on to my top five favorite boutique bourbons. The prices range from $140 to $70. All of these are hard to find, as they are released once a year in very small quantity.

#1. Four Roses 2013 Limited Release Small Batch Barrel Strength $100

#2. Old Rip Van Winkle "Pappy" Family Reserve 15 Year $100

                                                                

#3. Old Rip Van Winkle "Pappy" Family Reserve 20 Year $140

4. Orphan Barrel Collection- Lost Prophet 22 Year Old Bourbon $125

5. Van Winkle's Family Reserve 13 Year Old Rye Whiskey $70

     I thought that I would provide some contrast. I did have one terrible bourbon this year. It was the Cabin Still label. The reason that I picked it up was because it was originally distilled out of Stitzel Weller (one of my favorite, now out of operation, distilleries) It's a perfect example of what happens to an old world brand that gets farmed out, and ultimately becomes a cheap, bottom shelf bourbon. Despite a noteworthy history, nostalgia could not remedy the fact that modern Cabin Still just taste plum awful.

     In short it had a flavor like cheep maple syrup mixed with cough syrup. The viscosity was as thin as water. The alcohol was cheap and twangy. The only thing that I was happy about was that the finish was pretty much non existent. I really didn't want to go on tasting any more of this than I had to!

    

   

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel

Bourbon Review #3: Elmor T. Lee Single Barrel 

Category: Go-To

Price: $32

Availability: Year Round, everywhere

Proof: 90, 45% avb

Mashbill: B.T. #2  (higher percentage of rye than the standard B.T. #1 mashbill)

Distillery: Buffalo Trace


     Up for my next review, is the Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel. I have compared several great go-to bourbons with this label. Despite there best efforts, none of them have been able to debunk Elmer T. Lee as my #1 go-to bourbon.  

     I believe that this bourbon is every bit as good as Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Basil Hayden among other top shelf verities. At $32 a bottle, it can be significantly less in price when compared to the above mentioned labels. There are other reasons for its title of #1 go-to, but we will get to those in a bit.

     Over a fifty year period, Kentucky native Elmer T. Lee, was an instrumental part in the development of the Buffalo Trace distillery. He started working there as a maintenance engineer 1949. He eventually worked his way up to become the plant manager, and then went on to be the plant's Master Distiller. In 1984, Mr. Lee introduced the world to it's first single barrel bourbon concept with the addition of Blanton's Single Barrel. Not long after that, Elmer himself was honored with his own single barrel namesake. Since that time, both labels have been recipients of the highest world wide acclaim and honors.   

     Let me take a moment to explain what singe barrel bourbon is for you folks that might not know. I'll oversimplify it in order to make a point. One barrel is used for the end product. Basically, the barrels that go into these expressions have not been married with other barrels. This differs from the way bourbon is typically mass produced. By contrast the more standard "large batch" method makes use of hundreds of barrels, by dumping them into holding tanks where they lie dormant until bottling.  

     Mr. Lee was very selective about the rick-house (barrel storing warehouse) aging facilities on the B.T. property. He felt as though rick-house C, I and K yielded a flavor profile that was unique to his single barrel concept. He also felt that certain floors within the rick-houses produced better results in quality control. This is due to the concept of heat rising. During the summer months in KY, the top floors experience higher amounts of heat, while the lower floors experience less. The reverse is true during the winter months. Because of this Elmer felt that the middle floors were experiencing less dramatic fluctuations in temperature and humidity. He selected these middle floors for his premium lines of bourbon as they were capable of consistently producing better aged products.

       
     Mr. Lee retired from Buffalo Trace in 1985. He continued to serve as an ambassador and Master Distiller Emeritus. His work and legacy have been honored by his induction into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of fame in 2001, his receipt of the Life Time Achievement Award from both Whisky Advocate and Whisky Magazine and other recognitions.

     Mr. Lee passed away in the summer of 2013 at the age of 93. He was reportedly serving at Buffalo Trace and tasting barrels until his death. Shortly after his passing, I noticed a spike in sales of his label. I feel that this was due to the hype surrounding his death in the bourbon world. Buffalo Trace has assured me that they are making great efforts to maintain his line of bourbon with the upmost care and attention to detail. Despite his passing, the Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel line will prevail into the future.

     E.T. Lee is not part of a limited release, and it is available with full distribution year-round. However, It can be a little tricky to find. If you would like to pick up a bottle of this expression, but can't find it in your location, I would recommend the following; Find a liquor store that carries Buffalo Trace products, talk to the store manager, and let him/her know that you would like to place an order for this label.       

     

     
     Overall: this label has all of the flavors that you would come to expect in a nice bourbon. What makes it so special? The flavors are so tightly concentrated. I honestly had a hard time separating them on the pallet. 


     Why didn't the other expressions measure up? It's splitting hairs, but the Even Williams 10 year lacked concentration, the Elijah Craig 12 year had a bit to much barrel acidity, the AAA 10 year became discontinued, and the Weller 12 year was a bit on the sweet side while lacking maturity (despite its 12 years in the barrel). And so on....you get the idea. 

     The Colonel's score is a solid 8. Takeaway: BUY THIS IF YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN!!!