Review #29: George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2013 release, distilled 1997,128.2 proof, OB

oh no, a lower proof.

Let's open the Stagg first.

I wish I understood how the barrel proof gets higher than the entry proof. That water evaporates faster than alcohol at high temperatures doesn't make sense to me. I thought about coaching my kid to write into the local paper's 'Ask a Scientist' column, but that might end up being more trouble than it's worth.

I thought last year's was a little disappointing. Good, no doubt. It had so many flavors -- the rye spices seemed unusually prominent to me -- and they were all very powerful. It was impressive, but I didn't want to drink it all that often.

This one is delicious. I want to drink it all the time, and it's not going to last long. It doesn't have quite the same power, but c'mon, it's still 64.1%. And it has depth -- it has that old whisk(e)y nose of overripe fruit, spring blossoms, and mellow wood, and everything intermingles. And it still has power: at first I thought it seemed like barrel proof Eagle Rare, but it does have some intense fruit.

nose: butterscotch, corn roasted on a grill, milk chocolate, pipe tobacco, sawn oak and cloves, maple sugar, dulce de leche, lilac and poached orchard fruit, even a little bit of a nutty rancio note -- noses well even neat

palate: corn pudding, tiramisu', cinnamon red hots, leather, red Lifesavers, rye, caraway, orange zest

finish: spicy vanilla pudding, lasts forever

score: 93

much better than last year's! indeed, stunning by any measure.