Must Buy

George T Stagg (2018)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

2018 Release
62.45% ABV
$90 to ??? (retail has gotten unpredictable)
Website
Stagg

What the Distiller Says

This extremely hearty whiskey ages in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years. Straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the taste is powerful, flavorful and intense. Open it up with a few drops of water, sit back and ponder the wonders of the universe.

The 2018 release is comprised of barrels aged for more than 15 years and 4 months.

TASTING NOTES:
Lush toffee sweetness and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla, fudge, nougat and molasses. Underlying notes of dates, tobacco, dark berries, spearmint and a hint of coffee round out the palate.

What Gary Says:

Nose: Rich dark chocolate, charred oak, vanilla, brown sugar, cigar paper; bit of water tamps the oak, brightens it and brings out more caramel with toffee.
Palate: Warm, dark chocolate with vanilla, raisins, hint of cherries, cinnamon; bit of water brings out malted chocolate candy with milk chocolate and caramel.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with a spicy smoke note.
Comments: Very similar to the 2014 (in fact, I took a bit of both vintages, brought them down to 100 proof – and found them virtually identical).  Which is to say delicious.  My track record of never meeting a George T. Stagg I didn’t like remains unscathed.

Rating: Must Buy

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George T Stagg (2014)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

2014 Release
69.05% ABV
$80 to $100 (retail)
Website
Stagg

What the Distiller Says

This extremely hearty whiskey ages in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years. Straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the taste is powerful, flavorful and intense. Open it up with a few drops of water, sit back and ponder the wonders of the universe.

The 2014 release is comprised of barrels aged for more than 16 years and 4 months.

TASTING NOTES:
Lush toffee sweetness and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla, fudge, nougat and molasses. Underlying notes of dates, tobacco, dark berries, spearmint and a hint of coffee round out the palate.

What Gary Says:

Nose: Rich dark chocolate, charred oak, vanilla, molasses, cigar paper; bit of water tamps the oak and brings out more brown sugar and toffee.
Palate: Warm, bitter chocolate with vanilla, raisins, cinnamon; bit of water brings out more caramel, more milk chocolate and mixed nuts.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with a smokey note of dark roasted coffee.
Comments: I have never met a George T. Stagg that I didn’t like. Are some years “better” than others? I suppose if you’re blessed to have multiples laying around to compare – sure.
I’ve never had one that I thought wasn’t pretty damn great. Where does this sit? No idea; I did a blind side-by-side between this and the 2018 vintage – which is 13 proof points lower – and found the differences to be few/far between. This is one of those that if I ever see it retail (stop laughing, it might happen again some day) and it isn’t marked up obscenely – it’s an automatic buy for me.

Rating: Must Buy

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Four Roses 130th Anniversary Small Batch Limited Edition 2018

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses 130th Anniversary Small Batch Limited Edition 2018

54.2% ABV
$140
Website

What the Distiller Says

If you’d like to experience some of the best Bourbons we’ve ever put in a bottle, ask about our Limited Edition bottlings at your favorite bar or liquor store. From time to time, our Master Distiller hand selects a few exceptional barrels from our 10 Bourbon recipes for these special releases. Each is non-chill filtered and barrel strength, so you get to savor them exactly as they come out of the barrel. Look for them. Find them. Collect them. Share them. Or not.

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Warm aromas of rich vanilla, mingled with raspberries, crème brûlée and ripe berries.
Palate: Bright apricot flavors greet the palate, then give way to hints of mint, cinnamon, apple and mellow oak.
Finish: Very long, with notes of cinnamon, more fruit and vanilla.

Recipes:
10-year-old OBSV
13-year-old OBSF
14-year-old OESV
16-year-old OESK

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, vanilla, coffee cake, a floral mustiness, nutty butterscotch, allspice and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet entry with caramel, vanilla, honey before sharpening with lovely spices (nutmeg, allspice) and oak (maybe a hint of clove).
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with oak spice and a hint of cinnamon.
Comments:  The bit of butterscotch I get from this reminds me of dusty Old Taylor (which is a huge compliment for those unfamiliar). It isn’t the ‘butterscotch bomb’ that you find there, but if tasting blind – I might have guessed this to be mingled with some dusty Old Taylor. This is flat out delicious, which isn’t a surprise to me. I’ve yet to find a Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition I didn’t think was pretty amazing, and this continues that trend. I lament no longer being able to walk into a store and pick one of these up for $80 (or even the ability to walk in and buy one retail for the current MSRP; locally you’ve got to be in good with a store and get lucky). But if I found myself staring at one in a retail store that wasn’t gouging, this would be an automatic buy for me every time.

Rating: Must Buy

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Glenturret Old Particular 1987 28 Year Old

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Glenturret Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Douglas Laing “Old Particular” 1987 28 Year Old
(K&L Wines Exclusive)
49.7% ABV
$100
Website
1286859x
What the Retailer Says:
It’s rare to see a 25 year old whisky for less than $150 these days, and even when we do see the occasional bottle our first instinct is often to ask: what’s wrong with it? Understanding that natural reaction we had to ask ourselves: how will people respond when we offer them a 28 year old, single barrel, cask strength, Highland single malt for $99.99? We’re hoping you’ll be excited because we’re absolutely thrilled! Glenturret isn’t a household name among whisky drinkers, but for those in the know it’s part of the Edrington portfolio: the group that owns Macallan, Highland Park, and Glenrothes. Glenturret is also considered the oldest distillery in Scotland, having been founded in 1775, and today it’s the home of Famous Grouse: the world-renowned blended whisky in which it plays a large role. This 28 year old expression has reduced naturally down to a perfectly-drinkable 49.7% ABV and has the richness, oiliness, and concentration that only mature whisky can offer. It’s full of brandied fruit, resin, supple caramel, and creamy malted goodness. Despite its old age, the whisky is surprisingly lithe and light on its feet. By no means is this a heavy, full-bodied number, but rather a classic Highland whisky with plenty of barrel-aged complexity. For the price, it’s a no brainer.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Rich, thick depth of tropical fruit salad, herbal spice, subtly floral with a note of malted milk balls.
Palate: Viscous, creamy mouthfeel, crème brluee, fruity (plums, lemon curd) before sharpening to a pepper spice – and then softening up again; a bit of water thins the mouthfeel a bit, but opens up the fruity sweetness further, adding a cereal grain note.
Finish: Long, and softly drying.
Comments: I’d never had anything from Glenturret, and this was more of an opportunistic purchase than anything (had the chance to pop into one of K&L’s stores, and thought “$100 for 28yr single malt? Why not!”) One of the better $100 blind purchases I’ve made. This is a lovely dram, and while very drinkable at bottled/cask strength – it stands up to water nicely. This was one of three bottles I picked up during my visit, and the only one I sought a back-up of. As a single cask private selection (which was sold out in short order), I don’t expect to have another chance to add a third, but this would be an insta-buy for me if I did.
Rating: Must Buy

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Early Times Bottled-In-Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Early Times Bottled-In-Bond

50% ABV
$23
Website
Early Times Bottled-In-Bond

What the Distiller Says

Early Times, a brand of Brown-Forman, introduced limited-edition Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. The spirit is a tribute to the 75th anniversary of the original Early Times bonded bourbon recipe, the company says. Early Times Bottled in Bond Bourbon follows the guidelines of bonded bourbons and is crafted with pure water, a high corn mash bill and a proprietary yeast strain. The distillate rests in new, charred American oak barrels for a minimum of four years, resulting in a smooth and complex bourbon rich in taste a character, it says. The 50 percent alcohol-by-volume spirit offers flavors of caramel corn that melds with shortbread cookie coated with a hint of chocolate and oak with a trace of cinnamon spice, it adds. Available in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Oregon, Bottled In Bond has a suggested retail price of $22.99 for a 1-liter bottle.

[NOTE: I couldn’t find a direct reference on Brown-Forman’s web-site, so the above information is from Beverage Industry Magazine’s post. The same or very similar content was found on multiple other sources.]

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick and rich, brown sugar, freshly baked brownies, vanilla, caramel, toasted oak.
Palate:  Rich sweetness (but not overly so), vanilla, salted caramel sundae with notes of chocolate and some oak.
Finish:  Moderately long and wet, a bit peppery at the end.
Comments:  I really like this bourbon – hands down my favorite new whiskey I tried in 2017 (excluding any unicorns/limited editions). Is it a complex, thinking dram? No, but damned if this isn’t one of the more satisfying new bourbons I’ve tried in a while. Rich and intense flavor – and I don’t know that you could beat it for the money. My only regret is only buying just the one bottle when I saw it (thinking “Hey – a liter bottle will last longer, right?”) If you’re like I was, recalling the disappointment that was Early Times 354 bourbon, I think you’ll be rewarded by giving Brown Forman another chance (I mean – not like they don’t know how to make delicious bourbon!) For the money (did I mention this is a 1 liter bottle?), this is an absolute “Must Buy”. I can’t imagine anyone buying this blind and feeling like it was a mistake.

Rating: Must Buy; Great Value

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