Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Many of the George T. Stagg bottlings exceed 70% alcohol, which earns them the nickname "Hazmat" -- most notably, you can't take stuff like this on commercial airliners. This one is the most alcoholic so far.
The nose is so inviting, with rich vanilla, spice, and some sort of toffee-cake. The palate -- well first of all, you can't seriously drink this neat. A couple cubes of ice transforms this into a true gem. I rarely add ice to whiskey, but here it works magic. Sweet, rich, rich, bourbony goodness. Absolutely delicious. Nirvana.
Nearly undrinkable at it's bottled proof, this opens up wonderfully with a big glug of water added. Nose is immensely rich, French toast with maple syrup, chocolate chips and powdered sugar comes to mind. Once diluted it acquires a nice oily mouth feel, nice balance of wheat and spicy rye, finishes with bitter chocolate. Excellent, but not being able to drink it straight is a flaw in my book, and so I knock it down a notch.
Update: Either through a numbing of my palatte due to old age or just an increase in my whiskey depravity, I can now drink this straight with great joy. Hence I have upgraded it to an A.
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