George T. Stagg - 2018 Release

Tasted April 2019 ~ 124.9 proof

Rich vanilla and caramel lead the way followed by jam (jelly?) notes, perhaps a bit of raisin or dried cherry.

Creamy, butterscotch – like a melting Werther’s candy. It fades away on the mouth like a piece of shortbread that dissolves slowly leaving residual sweetness. The finish is a soft spice with hints of cedar. An amazing sip.

Go Stagg!

Consistently this one will hold the bar. I wish I had the tasting notes of the 2016 and 2017. I was fortunate enough to try those, as well. Solid product - always!

Dominant Flavors:

Butterscotch and shortbread.

George T. Stagg ~ 2019 Release

TASTED DECEMBER 2019 ~ 116.9 proof

There's a definite allure to this one just from the appearance: deep ruby color and it clings to the inside of the glass. The nose is full of wafts of brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel. This is soon followed by baked spices. The high proof is well hidden with this nose of baked deliciousness.

If taking as your first sip of the day you may want to just allow a small amount to roll across your tongue. The nose is amazing but this is still high proof and you may want to acclimate your palate so that you can truly taste what is in this liquid.

There is a definite warmth with the 2019 over the 2018, and its of lower proof. The heat is coming from some of the flavor profiles. Hints of sweet cedar come across the palate followed by some spice notes. There's some cinnamon too it but it's a bit more than that. There's a sweetness in there as well. It's like cinnamon Red Hots. The finish leaves a slight warmth on the lips that makes another sip all the more inviting.

Dominant Flavors:

Red Hots. Cinnamon. Sweet and spice.