jeff Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Because this release was abundant enough to reach just about everyone who wanted a bottle, and because the brand has been a board favorite for several years now, and just because it tastes so damn good, the Bourbon of the Month for February 2006 is:George T Stagg, Fall 2005What better way to celebrate the month of love than with a shiny new bottle of GTS! This month's thread focuses on the fall '05 release, but discussion of previous bottlings and how they compare is encouraged (and expected.) :893drillsergeant-thSound Off:893drillsergeant-th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jburlowski Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 As I noted when this release first came out, I consider this a very good but not a great bourbon. Certainly not up to the standards of some of the earlier Staggs. But make no mistake about it, I enjoy it very much. I prefer to dilute it to the vacinity of 100 proof. At 141, its way to hot to allow the taste buds to appreciate the complexity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBOmarc Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 This is a first for me. Whenever the BOTM is announced I wait a bit to read the opinions and then go out and find it. I have a bottle of the Fall '05 and had hoped to open it after SB XL. I was not a real fan of either team, but that game was lackluster, boring, poorly officiated and not worthy of cracking the seal. Now I have another reason to open it. I have not had the chance to taste any of the other releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Well, darn it, Jeff! I only bought a single 3-pack, and it's still sealed. And I don't feel like breaking it open yet since I have a dozen or more bottles of previous editions loose, and I just reached bottom on bottles of the '04 and Spring '05.Think I'll sit this one out. Enjoy, y'all:toast: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barturtle Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 And all of mines back in KY. Hmm, haven't seen any 'round here...might have to sit out as well, looks like I'll be reading everyone else's posts:coffeedrinker: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virus_Of_Life Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 I have a bottle of the Fall '05 and had hoped to open it after SB XL. I was not a real fan of either team, but that game was lackluster, boring, poorly officiated and not worthy of cracking the seal. Boy is that an understatement, I have never seen a worst officiated NFL game, much less a playoff game! The NFL carried out their agenda and got the Steelers that 5th SB and the Bus his first.But enough about that, I had been waiting anxiously and now have another great excuse to drink what is one of my favorites. I was not fortunate enough to find this bourbon prior to last Spring's release which I thought was great, but I think I like the fall release even better.A three pack? You can buy this stuff in 3 packs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T47 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Argh! It took me just over a month to finally get a bottle of ETL! And now I am faced with another BOTM they dont sell in WA :smil41df29a15fb35:Well...they don't sell it yet that is! I'm working on my Liquor Store to carry both the Stagg and AAA, they carry almost all the other BT products. Well my Bourbon drinking brother's and sister's, enjoy another month of Bourbon bliss and I like barturtle will just have to enjoy reading your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrinkyBanjo Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Well I've had this and like it just fine. Right now I have the 129, 131.8, and now 141. Maybe I'll try them side by side this weekend and see which I like best. I will have to do this one in very small samples! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbuzbee Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Well, darn it, Jeff! I only bought a single 3-pack, and it's still sealed. And I don't feel like breaking it open yet since I have a dozen or more bottles of previous editions loose, and I just reached bottom on bottles of the '04 and Spring '05.Think I'll sit this one out. Enjoy, y'all:toast: That's a shame, Tim. You always seem to capture my impressions of a Bourbon that my words fail to express.... But, I understand. I try to keep my opens to 8 Bourbons.... But as it happens, fall '05 is one of them I just love this release. Contrary to some here, I find it expresses itself best straight up. It satisfies with only one 4 oz pour in the Schott Zweisel nosing glass. The aroma seems to go beyond mere scent. It fills the entire nasal cavity with an explosion of sweet, oaky wonder. I enjoy it very slowly, of course, but just letting it roll around in my mouth combines all the wonderful sensations of the proof with the deep complexities of vanilla and tobacco. The finish lingers forever. I find a sip every 10 minutes or so seems to recharge the experience. Those 4 oz last me maybe an hour! A wonderful choice and a wonderful Bourbon! Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobA Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Sadly, it is not abundant enough. I have a bottle of spring '05, so maybe I'll try some extrapolation.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cas Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 I prefer the fall 05 to the spring 05. I've had all versions except the first, and of those, this may be my favorite. I like to sip it full proof - but that does constrain the way I drink it. If I think I'm going to have a few glasses I usually go for something else that's lighter.Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8erdane Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I had to mail order mine when it came out to make sure I got some and it was delivered on a cold and blustery day after sitting in a cold UPS truck half the day. I opened the box as soon as the door closed and just couldn't wait to sample. I opened the still chilled bottle and poured the smallest wee bit in a Riedel O Spirits glass and was floored by the lack of burn I experienced at this proof! All the other Staggs start off with a sting to me (which I actually consider quite pleasant) but this one didn't. However, upon revisiting the bottle later after it had warmed up it was Stagg as usual for me. This makes me wonder if a stay in the fridge might take some sting out of the brute? Guess I'll just have to experiment to find out. I normally like my bourbon room temperature but prior experiences with a single small cube of ice were almost breathtaking. I wonder why I don't repeat them? Habit I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 As an owner of the 04 bottling, and being someone who is definately not likely to pick up a current variant (I can't afford the $150+ cost to import one to Australia)....Can anyone offer a brief comparison of the two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonJoe Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Dane,The Germans keep their Schnapps in the freezer to take the sting out of it. If you drank it at room temperature it would tear your throat out. The colder the booze, the smoother it is.Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesH007 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 The colder, the smoother...........but also a more closed flavor ( which the stagg does have flavor to spare, but will probobly miss out on the subtle flavors). May have to experiment w/ diffrent temps for the ulimate balance in flavor and smoothness ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward_call_me_Ed Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I find a sip every 10 minutes or so seems to recharge the experience. Those 4 oz last me maybe an hour!KenI just did the math, those are mighty big sips you are taking!Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbuzbee Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I just did the math, those are mighty big sips you are taking!EdWell, Yeah, they are.... My wife says I have a big mouth!!!!:slappin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virus_Of_Life Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 As I noted when this release first came out, I consider this a very good but not a great bourbon. Certainly not up to the standards of some of the earlier Staggs. But make no mistake about it, I enjoy it very much. I prefer to dilute it to the vacinity of 100 proof. At 141, its way to hot to allow the taste buds to appreciate the complexity.I read somewhere here, and have spent about 2 hours trying to find it again (enough already!), how everyone ranks the releases of Staggs. Does anyone have that handy by chance? If I recall correctly the 2003 was the consensus favorite... Of course I don't know what I ask since I've only had spring 2005 (outside Kentucky of course) and fall 2005, and will most likely never find the others...Anyway of the two I have had I do think this (Fall '05) is the better of the two. And strangely enough, I like it with no pollution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrinkyBanjo Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Binny's in Chicago had a taste test of the full line of Stagg prior to the latest release. I believe Brett said that most picked the 129 proof as the favorite with the initial release being second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I think you'll find the most common ranking among contributors here who've tried them all prior to the current one would be:2002Spring 200520042003The current Fall 2005 seems to be heading toward the top half of that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virus_Of_Life Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I think you'll find the most common ranking among contributors here who've tried them all prior to the current one would be:2002Spring 200520042003The current Fall 2005 seems to be heading toward the top half of that list.Thanks Tim! I am not very good at remembering where I read something and finding it again later, I need mark things in my favorites more.I guess I won't worry too much about never tasting the earlier versions since Spring 05 ranked so high and I personally think Fall is even better. Sorry to hear you're not joining in the fun and opening one of those bottles, always enjoy hearing your thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Okay, lassoed a stray '05/141.2 Stagg, so didn't have to crack the 3-pack. (By the way, I left 8 more on the shelf @ $51.99 -- add 9.25% sales tax. PM me if you're attending the Sampler and can't find one. Sorry, no legal shipping from Tennessee.)I'll try to post a note in the 'Tasting' section, but first impressions:Lot of wet corn on the nose, not as much of the usual leather and tobacco (different mashbill? Ken? Guess maybe I ought to open that 3-pack and compare info sheets, huh?). Plenty of heat, corn follows onto the palate, with some orange/citrus. Heat dissipates slightly to a medium-long finish.Ya wanna know my absolute first thought when it hit my tongue? ETL (on a good night) on steroids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Sorry to hear you're not joining in the fun and opening one of those bottles, always enjoy hearing your thoughts... Ah one of my little rituals as it pertains to Stagg is to pop the top on my first one once it is in my little hands, it helps me to decide how many more to look for, but then my general rule of not buying any other bourbon or leaving a bottle in the store , if possible, should take care of that.....Interesting that Tim questions that this may be of another mashbill, he may be on to something............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrinkyBanjo Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 My wife and I were watching TV on Friday night and I was drinking a small glass of Stagg from Spring 05. She took and sniff and thought it smelt really good, she is not a whiskey drinker but I usually make her take a sniff of what I'm sampling. She couldn't believe how nice the nose was so I told her to take a small sip and she hated it! I knew she would but I found it funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeluka Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 My wife and I were watching TV on Friday night and I was drinking a small glass of Stagg from Spring 05. She took and sniff and thought it smelt really good, she is not a whiskey drinker but I usually make her take a sniff of what I'm sampling. She couldn't believe how nice the nose was so I told her to take a small sip and she hated it! I knew she would but I found it funny!I do the same thing with my wife. She loves to sniff all my pours, and hates to drink any of them. She loves the smell of a nice heavy ryed bourbon the most ( Buffalo Trace, Old Forester.... ) Any Staggs though smell to strong for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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