It’s been a long road for George T. Stagg’s understudy. It originally launched to much fanfare and hopefulness of it being an easier-to-obtain version of the ever popular Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release. Instead, initial Stagg Jr. releases were a letdown as a result of their brashness. But over the years the brand matured, and eventually overtook George T. Stagg in quality from time to time, though it never truly became the readily available version everyone hoped for. David Morrow is the Editor In Chief of Whiskey Raiders and has been with the company since September 2021. In the latest video on the Whiskey Raiders YouTube channel, spirits critic Jay West, aka t8ke, tastes and gives his initial reactions to the first expression in the 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: George T. Stagg Bourbon, which Jay refers to as the “most iconic” bourbon in the coveted annual lineup. The folks at Maker’s Mark will be the first to tell you that age is just a construct, and they typically claim their whiskeys are perfect at around 6 to 8 years old. Maker’s Mark claims with its latest release, what matters is not the actual number but the aging process. The George T. Stagg expression from Buffalo Trace’s hard-to-find antique collection takes its namesake from the dutch whiskey salesman. Stagg was one of the first “whiskey aristocrats,” according to the Buffalo Trace brand, and used his sales chops to turn E.H. Taylor’s massive distillery into a thriving business, which later became the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

George T. Stagg - Wikipedia

SEE ALSO: Stagg Jr. Batch 15 Bourbon Release Proof, Price, & Review Stagg Jr. Bourbon Review & Whiskey Awards The last two releases of George T. Stagg came in at very similar ages, with 2020’s release sporting a 15 year, 4 month age and the 2022 release sporting a 15 year, 5 month age. While 2021 sadly saw no release for the brand, this year's release continues the trend by coming in at 15 years and 3 months. This has proven to be a sweet spot in regards to an age target for the brand. Falling in the middle between these past two releases proof-wise, all the ingredients line up for a repeat showing of those two great releases.The nose of this spicy yet nuanced rye has plenty of jam, maple, tobacco char and pepper. On the palate, expect cherry cola, ash, honey, pepper and toffee. With an impressively long finish, this rye is oaky without bitterness, complete with toffee and more cherry cola. In so many words, it’s a fun rye that’s easy to enjoy, which West describes as “cool stuff.” Of note in October: The 2023 Buffalo Antique Collection dropped, and we tasted our way through it. Keep scrolling to see where each of this year’s BTAC expressions fall among our other favorite whiskeys of the month. 11. Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate The best whiskey we tasted in October is what West describes as a “killer release” that earned a rare 9/10 rating.

11 Best Whiskeys We Tasted In October 2023, Ranked

Cynthia Mersten is a writer/editor for Whiskey Raiders and has worked in the Beverage Industry for eight years. She started her career in wine and spirits distribution and sold brands like Four Roses, High West and Compass Box to a variety of bars and restaurants in the city she calls home: Los Angeles.

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Wild Turkey 8-Year 101 Proof has an orange peel throughline that lingers on the palate and gives away to a pleasant finish of turtle candies, oak, and nutmeg coupled with plenty of baking spice dusted throughout. 9. Frey Ranch Straight Rye Whiskey In December 2015, the 2015 release of George T. Stagg was named "#3 of Top 65 Five-Star Spirits of 2015" and awarded "5 Stars - Highest Recommendation" by F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal. The 2015 release of Stagg also won a Gold Medal in the "Best Non-Age Statement Bourbon" category of the 2016 World Whiskies Awards, sponsored by Whisky Magazine. As far as cask strength bourbons, Stagg Jr. and Booker’s are some of the more established products. Therefore, they are often times compared head-to-head. They are both high heat, uncut and unfiltered. Booker’s by Jim Beam is typically released 4 times per year, twice as much as the Buffalo Trace offering. Booker’s is aged 6 to 8 years, while its counterpart is made with 8 to 9-year juice. Booker’s proof is generally in the 121–130.6 range, whereas Baby Stagg has landed in the 126-134 range. SPECIAL AWARD - Best of Category/Division/Show Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition Barley Barley wine Corn Mageu Pozol Tejuino Tesgüino Millet Oshikundu Tongba Rice Agkud Amazake Apo Beopju Brem Choujiu Chuak Dansul Gwaha-ju Hariya Makgeolli Mijiu Mirin Pangasi Rice wine Rượu cần Sake Sato Shaoxing wine Sonti Tapai Tapuy Rye Kvass Sorghum Pendhā Multiple grains Ale Ara Beer Boza Huangjiu