Getty Image / Erika Goldring
Bourbon lovers were ecstatic to receive the news that George T. Stagg was coming back in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The 2022 George T. Stagg will pack a punch at 138.7 proof, the highest-proof George T. Stagg since 2016.
It is a very welcome return after 2021 marked the first-ever year this highly sought-after bourbon wasn’t released by Buffalo Trace. The reason Buffalo Trace chose not to release George T. Stagg in their 2021 Antique Collection was simple, it didn’t meet their incredibly high standards and they didn’t want to release anything that was sub par.
George T. Stagg returns in 2022 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
The 2022 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s George T. Stagg comes from barrels that were set aside in 2007 and aged up until they exuded the classic Stagg profile. That profile includes a very distinct flavor profile, aroma, and color including smooth notes of “dark chocolate, leather and dark cherries” and if those aren’t met then they scrap the release as they did in 2021.
Every year, unless something isn’t up to their standard, the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (or BTAC for short) includes George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy, Eagle Rare 17 and Sazerac 18. Those five BTAC staples utilize three distinct mashbills (rye mash bill #1, wheat mash bill and straight rye mash bill). It is pretty easy to reverse engineer the years from the Eagle 17, Sazerac 18, and George T. Stagg (15 years) based on their release. You just subtract the annual age statement from the year and voila.
This year’s BTAC includes the William Larue Weller distilled in Spring 2010 and it is 124.7 proof. It also includes A Spring 2016 Thomas H. Handy that is 130.9 proof.
Bourbon Lovers Were Ecstatic Over This News
A quick perusal of Twitter shows that just about every media outlet in the Bourbon world pounced on this news. Everyone is over the moon that George T. Stagg is back after nearly 700 days since it was last released.
Robert Simonson of the New York Times shared a quote from Buffalo Trace master blender Drew Mayville about why this year made the cut. Mayville said “I really liked it this year” and called the 2007/2022 “really rich.”
The Bar Belle described the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection as “near the top as far as bourbon unicorns go” and stated the BTAC is “near perfect most years.” Adding that while the bottles ‘retail for $99’ it’s not unheard of for some to sell up to $3,000 in the past.
Whiskey Raiders notes the George T. Stagg release was sourced entirely from Warehouse K and the exact age statement is 15 years and 5 months. And The Whiskey Wash adds that this year’s George T. Stagg’s tasting notes include “toasted pecan and chocolate sauce on the nose, a rich blend of baking spice, vanilla and cherry pie on the palate, and a robust finish of black coffee, molasses and oak.”
How to find the 2022 release 2007 George T. Stagg and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles
Bottles will begin shipping in November and as is the case with every Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release, they will be very difficult to find. The suggested retail price is $99. Some people will be lucky enough to be able to purchase these at retail after winning lotteries or thanks to loyalty programs.
However, these rare Buffalo Trace Antique Collection releases sell for exponentially more on the secondary market than their suggested retail price. And George T. Stagg hasn’t been released since 2020 as the Bourbon industry has continued to explode. This has resulted in an unknown number of ‘bottle hunters’ out there who will stop at nothing to track down the BTAC bottles.
As I wrote last year, Buffalo Trace said they would monitor the 2006 George T. Stagg barrels that weren’t ready for the 2021 BTAC release. So it is possible that scrapped bourbon from last year could still be part of a special standalone release at some point in the future.
For more on the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, scheduled release you can probably check out the distillery’s website. Also reach out to your local liquor store for information on when they’ll be receiving shipments, if any.