George T. Stagg 2004 Barrel Proof 15 yo

 

 

 

58,45°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - U.S.A.

New Charred White American Oak Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

Since 2002, the Geroge T. Stagg, named after one of the owners of the distillery in the 19th century, who had the heating installed in the warehouses in 1886, includes a 15-year-old in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, that mythical and highly sought-after range which is released every year. Here we have the George T. Stagg of 2019, distilled in 2004, and therefore aged for 15 years and 3 months. The Product Roadmap tells me that three types of grain were used, Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye and North Dakota malted barley. Fermentation took place at a temperature of 240° F. The barrels used were charred for 55 seconds and stored in 5 different warehouses. 56% of the original product disappeared during the ageing process, so there can't have been that many bottles released, but the exact number is unknown.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Thick caramel, varnished wood and walnut cake. Black cherry, cinnamon, and of course a little bit of vanilla. Powdered chocolate, fig and dried tomato. Roasted hazelnuts and chickpeas. A few notes of coffee. Grainy cereals. On the palate, it's syrupy, forest honey, oak resin, heather, some fruit underneath, bilberries, cranberries, then it dries out and gives way to spices, cloves, turmeric, saffron. The finish is fairly long, woody, tinder, pepper and terracotta, forest undergrowth, a grain of redcurrant. Puffed rice.

 

In Short, 

It's surprising, you don't smell much cereal, the corn seems to melt into the caramel, and the rye just adds a little foresty and grainy touch. It's very well balanced. Apart from that, it's certainly an excellent Bourbon, but there's nothing to justify the outrageous price, I'm not even sure I'd buy it if it were ten times cheaper.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Benjamin Tod - Wyoming

Stagg Jr. 2007 Batch 5

 

 

 

64,85°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - USA

New Charred American White Oak Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bottled in 2015

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

In the 19th century, George T. Stagg founded the distillery that later became Buffalo Trace, now recognised as one of the finest in the U.S.A. In his honour, the Sazerac Company, which now owns the distillery, has been producing a Bourbon Whiskey under the name of George T. Stagg since 2002, which is immensely famous, very expensive and hard to find, aged for at least 15 years. Launched in 2013 at the rate of two bottlings a year, Stagg Jr. is simply the blend of a few casks that were not deemed good enough to be included in the George T Stagg brand. Here, we're talking about Batch 5, which dates back to 2015. It's apparently a blend of two casks, one dating from 2007, the other from 2006. The age is therefore between 8 and 9 years. The number of bottles produced has not been disclosed.

Let's Taste It : 

Slow-flowing braised caramel, glazed with pepper, treacle, melted chocolate, roots and black radish. Thick honey, prunes, cooked damsons, black grapes. Some olives in the background but very discreet, brown tobacco. On the palate, it's consistent, thick, the alcohol is fairly well integrated, it's still strong, but not as strong as we might have feared. Mushrooms, damp earth, nuts, all wrapped up in a caramel bursting with vanilla and overripe greengages. The finish is quite violent and explosive, with smoky tea, liquorice, bark and nutmeg. The tobacco comes back even stronger, with heather and hazelnuts.

 

In Short, 

It's an excellent Bourbon, I must say, perfectly balanced, full of character and intense. My score is a little harsh, though, as I found it lacking a tiny bit of originality. There is less variety of flavour in Bourbon than there is in single malt. As for the price, it all depends on where you find it, and it can vary by as much as double. Look hard enough.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Alex Fawcett Band - No Love No More

Blanton's Single Barrel La Maison du Whisky 2023 River Edition c. 11

 

 

 

64,4°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - Kentucky 

Charred American White Oak Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Barrel Bourbon

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

In 2016, to mark the 60th anniversary of La Maison du Whisky, Buffalo Trace offered some of its Blanton's casks for exclusive sale in the Paris shop. And the working relationship has been going strong ever since. Every year at Whisky Live, we have the opportunity to taste a few casks of Blanton's Single Barrel, which are then sold exclusively by La Maison du Whisky. This year, there's no change, except that this time it's a tribute to the rivers, the Kentucky and the Seine in Paris. The new batch of Blanton's Single Barrel made available to La Maison du Whisky will therefore be subtitled River Edition. I tasted a drop of cask 11, of which 200 copies are being sold under the New Vibrations collection.

 

Lets Taste It  :

Sticky caramel, icing sugar, almost iodised. Honeyed freshness. Beautiful fullness of wood. Sugar cane, with something slightly boggy about it. Grooves in the wood. A hint of vanilla. On the palate, quince purée, toffee, spongy wood, intense spices, grated nutmeg, pepper and cumin. Melted butter, shortbread biscuit. Barley sugar. The finish is long, deep and woody, autumn leaves, gingerbread, a touch of liquorice and warm earth, brown sugar, candied fruits.

In Short, 

The alcohol is perfectly integrated, and the intensity of the flavours is impressive. It's the same thing every year, and it's different every time. Here we have a certain freshness, and at the same time a depth of sweet fruits that is very pleasant. That said, I think I preferred the 2022 batch, at least the ones I tasted. A question of taste, no doubt. Otherwise, the price is really outrageous, but if there are people willing to pay that price, so much the better, or too bad for them.

Score : 90

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The Nortons - Married to the Blues

William Larue Weller 2008 Limited Edition Barrel Proof 12 yo

 

 

 

67,25°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - Kentucky

New Charred White American Oak Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

One of the oldest and most productive distilleries on the American continent, Buffalo Trace, has an impressive number of brands. Every year since 2000, the most prestigious ones have been the subject of a special release. This is the BTAC, the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. William Larue Weller is part of this illustrious collection, it was excluded from it only in 2004. This brand is special because it produces a Bourbon marked by wheat, one of the three cereals used to make the product (corn, wheat, malted barley). The bottlings reserved for the BTAC are Full Barrel Proof, Uncut & Unfiltered, that is to say the liquid is unchanged after distillation. Thanks to the product roadmap, I know which barrels have been used, how long they have been charred (55 seconds), and in which warehouses they have stayed (I & C). 73% of the original liquid having been evaporated, it must not remain enough to make many bottles, however I do not know the exact number.

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, I find more corn than wheat, with a nice drop of molasses that mingles with melting caramel, milk chocolate, crispy cereals and a noble and elegant woodiness. Hot chestnuts, acacia honey, pine needles. On the palate, the wood becomes prominent, with prune, grains of rye, cooked apples. Various spices, from paprika to nutmeg, through pepper and cinnamon. The finish is long, violent but well integrated, undergrowth, heather, bay leaf, caramel and resin. Eucalyptus.

 

In Short, 

A product of great refinement, and a magnificent length in mouth. A delight for the taste buds. It seems that the release price is extremely interesting (99 dollars), on the other hand, it is sold out within a fraction of second, and the second market is relentless. Now is the time to resell your cryptocurrency.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Jessta James - Hell's Coming With Me

Weller 12 yo The Original Wheated Bourbon

 

 

 

45°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace -Kentucky

New Charred American White Oak Barrels

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Launched in 2000

Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

In the 19th century, William Larue Weller was a whiskey maker who first came up with the idea of replacing rye with wheat in Bourbon mashbill. The cereal mainly used remains corn, otherwise it is not Bourbon, but wheat is the 2nd cereal, up to 15-20%. It is more or less this recipe that was used in the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, opened in 1935 and closed in 1992, led by the famous Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, who however never distilled a single Barrel by himself. The Weller name was acquired by the Sazerac company in 1999, and they immediately used it to launch the Weller 12 yo (or WL Weller 12 yo, the name changes on the label depending on the year), the first Batches of which contain juice distilled in Stitzel-Weller. Subsequently, the distillery used was Bernheim, then, from 2011, Buffalo Trace, one of the oldest on the continent. The Weller 12 yo remains an element of the distillery's Core Range, but the public's enthusiasm is such that each Batch is sold out in a blink of an eye.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is very interesting, so original that I can hardly describe it, vanilla and cloves, honey and dry earth, shovelfuls of hay, rye and wheat, a drop of molasses, syrupy at times, caramel coming out of the pan. It's very grainy, and both velvety and mellow, but you can also smell the bitterness of braised wood, resin, and perhaps chestnut cream. After that, the palate is a little weak, grilled corn, grains of rice, and still quite spicy. The finish is not bad, quite long, relatively solid, on elderberry and shortbread biscuit. White chocolate. Millet.

 

In Short, 

A captivating nose, really original, but then a bit flat and watery mouth. It's O.K. for an everyday dram, but the incredible hype around this thing made me expect better. The outlet price is very affordable actually, but it is sold out within minutes, and the secondary market prices are delusional, so if you can't find it at the outlet price, like 99,99% of the pupulation, I suggest you forget it.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Jackie Venson - Rollin'on

Blanton's Single Barrel La Maison du Whisky 2022 c.22

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - Kentucky

Charred American White Oak Barrel 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Barrel Bourbon 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Second cask of Blanton's selected by La Maison du Whisky in 2022 to have matured in the famous warehouse H, this metal-clad warehouse, the only one in the United States, where Colonel Blanton stored his personal reserve, and the first barrels of Blanton's Single Barrel in 1984. In this series of 4 barrels, two are cask strength, and two are reduced to 100 Proof, or 50°. This is the case with this one, having aged for an indefinite period of time, bottled the same day as the 3 others, it filled 240 bottles, sold exclusively by La Maison du Whisky under the aegis of the Antipodes label. They all left during the day. This series is nicknamed 'Tribute to Warehouse H'. I was told that each cask had evolved in a different location in the warehouse, an idea that I found appealing. However, I note that the two barrels that I tasted are both from Rick 56 of Warehouse H, the same area. I would have been lied to?

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Rather original profile for a Bourbon. thick caramel, cane sugar and amber, that's normal, vanilla, corn and roasted cereals, that's fine too, but also a light medicinal touch, bandages, turpentine. Moreover, it goes very well, with earthy hints that give breadth, a certain minerality, manganese, slate, all linked to white fruits and a few pastry touches. On the palate, very oily, velvety, brown sugar, touch of liquorice, fine spices, paprika, cumin, saffron. Chlorophyll, peppermint. Nice finish, long, vergeoise, pine forest, sandy earth. Quite powerful, but it calms down after a while. Chocolate chips.

 

In Short, 

I particularly enjoyed this one, for a debatable reason, this little medicinal touch, which many of us noticed. It's very surprising in a Bourbon, but I found it original and successful. That said, I'm not sure this combination will suit everyone, but don't criticize until you've tried it. The price is decent for such a famous bottling, for me it's too expensive, but if there are enthusiasts who accept to pay at this price, that's fine.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Kris Kristofferson - Sunday Mornong Coming Down

Blanton's Single Barrel La Maison du Whisky 2022 c. 1

 

 

 

63,35°

Distillery : Buffalo Trace - Kentucky

Charred American White Oak Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Barrel Bourbon

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

La Maison du Whisky has taken exclusivity on a selection of 4 barrels of Blanton's, all aged for a number of years which remains mysterious in the famous warehouse H of the distillery, where Colonel Blanton stored the barrels for his personal reserve, where the first Blanton's Single Barrels were laid out in 1984. It's also the only part-metal warehouse in the United States, I don't know what that means, but it looks impressive. The idea that I find attractive is that each cask has aged in a different place in the warehouse, in order to see if this influences the nature of the distillate. These four casks were bottled on the same day, July 28, 2022, two were reduced to 50°, two others remained cask strength. La Maison du Whisky sees this as a tribute to this famous warehouse, this series is therefore nicknamed 'Tribute to Warehouse H'. Cask n°1 is the rarest of the four, only 210 bottles were produced, sold by La Maison du Whisky, with the blessing of the Antipodes label.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Right away, very well-balanced nose, brown sugar and caramel come together with vanilla, and it's perfect. A few discreet meaty notes, fried bacon bits. Fine and dusty earth. Cinnamon, saffron and curry. White fruits in the background, amber, sweet potatoes. Pepper mint. Conifers. Syrupy on the palate, thick. Genoise, vergeoise. Caramel coming out of the pan, still hot. Charcoal, creosote. I feel the humid and heavy air, like those days of great heat, under the mangroves. Expressive spices, paprika, parsley, cloves, As it comes into contact with saliva, it becomes more friendly, with notes of praline chocolate. Finish not as long as I would have liked, powerful and rich, still on brown sugar, nutmeg, a touch of salt. Mocha cake.

 

In Short, 

So it's excellent, superb, what can I say ? It's very good. It's not too sweet like most Bourbons, the corn and caramel blend together beautifully. The sale price by La Maison du Whisky is relatively honest, well it's still very expensive for an ageless product, but given the current Blanton's rating, I expected far worse. On the other hand, the price explodes as soon as you leave France.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The Highwaymen - Me and Bobby Mc Gee