Fred Minnick's #1 Bourbon 2025
This extremely hearty whiskey ages in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years. Straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the taste is powerful, flavorful and intense. Open it up with a few drops of water, sit back and ponder the wonders of the universe.
Lush toffee sweetness and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla, fudge, nougat and molasses. Underlying notes of dates, tobacco, dark berries, spearmint and a hint of coffee round out the palate.
Age: 15 years 4 months old at bottling.
Proof: 142.8 proof (71.4% ABV)
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Commanding aroma of deep oak rounded by a touch of vanilla.
Palate: Bold, rich vanilla layered with dark tobacco and ripe cherry.
Finish: Long and earthy, lingers with tobacco, vanilla, and enduring oak.
Batch Specific Reviews:
"High aged, high proof, and full of flavor, this year’s George T. Stagg is downright incredibly delicious." - Jordan Moskal, Breaking Bourbon (Exceptional)
"After having a taste of this, my desire to hunt down a bottle was multiplied tenfold. I am grateful to have done so since then, and this enabled a deeper understanding of the inherent quality of this incredible bourbon. Comparing this pour to the 2024 George T. Stagg tells me everything I need to know. The 2025 release is better in every way, unless you are looking for a bit of that punchiness. If you like a whiskey that smacks you around a little bit, the 2024 is going to do that a bit better. As far as depth of flavor, evolution through complexity, and refined elegance, the 2025 bottling of George T. Stagg is a perfect whiskey in every way. This just might be the bourbon of the year." - Nick Anderson, Amongst The Whiskey (5/5)
Here are some of the notes Fred finds in the 2025 George T. Stagg: Dried apricot, brown sugar, molasses, peach, fried dough and powdered sugar, jalapeno and pepper spice. The finish is long, so he adds a drop of water. That brightens the sweeter notes, making the brown sugar more prominent on the nose.
"The nose is like Dr. Pepper spilled on saddle leather near a pile of firewood. There is quite a bit of viscosity on the palate (read: it's a heavy one!), with flavors of dark cherry preserves, cocoa, clove, black pepper, cola spices, roasted walnut, and nutmeg. The spice is especially prevalent in the finish, with a heat that is certainly felt from the high proof, but not as much as expected — it's well tempered by the richness and balance of cocoa-caramel, spice, and fruit." - Amanda Schuster, Distiller (91 Points)
"Warmth and intensity from the offset and then the alcohol hits you hard. Very dry and woody with the tobacco smoke coming through from the nose. We can't state enough what an intense and beautiful flavour this thing presents. The coffee from the nose makes another appearance and mingles with hints of dark chocolate. George T. Stagg is the complete American Whiskey experience and has achieved the highest score on our website and (spoiler alert) has also been awarded our first ever 10. If this bourbon could be purchased for its recommended retail price ($90), it would be the finest daily sipper known to mankind. Unfortunately, due to the insane resale prices, for most of us this is more likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime bottle." - Bourbon Gents (10/10)
"George T. Stagg is the pinnacle of American bourbon—a spirit that pushes every parameter to its limit while maintaining improbable harmony. The greatest recurring release in whiskey, period. Just please don't pay secondary prices." - Boozemakers (97 Points)
