George T. Stagg 2013

This took significant effort to acquire and has been the whisky by which all other cask strength bourbons have been judged ever since I first tried it at the whisky show.  I haven’t tried the Stagg Jnr yet.
Here are the stats:

• Distilled spring 1997
• Bottled autumn 2013 (15 years, 11 months)
• ABV 64.1% (lower than normal - highest was 2007 at 72.4%, lowest previously was 2004 at 64.5%)
• Recipe: Large grain; Kentucky Corn – distillers grade #1 and #2, Small grain; Minnesota Rye, Finish grain; North Dakota Malted Barley
• Cook temperature 240F
• Double distilled, beer still and doubler
• Strength off the still was 67.5%
• 157 hand selected barrels
• New white oak barrel, #4 char (55s), 55 gallons each
• Warehouses I, K and Q, floors 1, 2, 4 and 8
• 73.34% angels share (whisky lost due to evaporation)
• Unfiltered

Its a beast.
George T. Stagg 2013, 64.1% A⊕+

Nose – Deep, old, furniture polish, layers of floral honey, glazed kumquats, pineapple, deep beeswax, raisin, polished wood.  Almond cake, rich tropical fruit, plastic cement 
Body – More furniture polish, a high note of fresh honey and herbs, oily, spicy dark fruit, a little bit of cardamom.  Deeply, richly sweet, yet with total balance.  An immense amount of hard, seasoned oak.
Finish – Extreme wood, spice, very long, moves into citrus wood.  Just massive with no let up in quality or balance.  Very oily.  Toasty BBQ edge (perhaps just by association).   After a couple of minutes you’re left with intense candy – like the cinnamon jawbreakers from the Amrut Kadhambam.  A few minutes later you’re still a bit numb but still getting balance.  Deep and wonderful.