George T. Stagg 2018, 124.9 Proof

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2018 Antique Collection)

Price

$999.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 15 Years Old (2018 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky | Proof: 124.9

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

124.9

Proof

62.45%

ABV

15yr 4mo

At Bottling

2003

Distilled

284

Barrels

51.15%

Evaporated

Dark chocolate, espresso and tobacco are the three flavors Buffalo Trace named for the fall 2018 George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: spring 2003 bourbon from 284 hand-selected barrels, bottled uncut and unfiltered at 124.9 proof (62.45% ABV), 15 years and 4 months after it was distilled.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Hand-selected. Each of the 284 barrels was picked by hand, per the fact sheet; Buffalo Trace’s September announcement put that yield a little under 2017’s and well above the years before.

Half a dozen warehouses. Barrels for this batch sat in Warehouses C, H, I, K, P and Q, on floors 1 to 5.

51.15% to the air. A shade over half the whiskey put into these barrels evaporated before bottling; the 2019 release, Buffalo Trace said a year later, lost a little more.

A spring 2003 sour mash. Its large grain was Kentucky corn, distillers grades #1 and #2; Minnesota supplied the rye and North Dakota the malted barley for the sour mash, cooked at 240°F before fermentation.

Uncut, unfiltered. No water went in after the barrel and the sheet’s filtration line reads none.

Nº 02

The Letter of July 11, 2018

Mark Brown for Buffalo Trace

Mark Brown, president and CEO of Buffalo Trace, signed the letter that went out with this release on July 11, 2018. It counts the barrels at more than 15 years and 4 months old and gives the bourbon’s strength as 124.9 proof, says each case was bottled and labeled by hand and that each finished package was wrapped in tissue paper for protection, and has the barrel fact sheet printed on the back.

Nº 03

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Chocolate, espresso, tobacco

Sensory Profile

The September 2018 announcement and the barrel fact sheet agree on what this Stagg tastes of; the sheet’s single comment reads “Dark chocolate, espresso, and tobacco.” The 2019 sheet, a year on, set out nose, palate and finish separately.

Strategic Position

Stagg’s proof dropped in each of these years: from the spring 2002 whiskey released as Stagg in 2017, at 129.2, to 124.9 here, then to the 116.9-proof Stagg that followed in 2019. The same 2018 collection brought that year’s Eagle Rare 17, raised from 90 to 101 proof, a change the September 18 announcement singled out.

Nº 04

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

135, Then 125

Off the doubler at 135 proof, the spring 2003 distillate was barreled at 125; by the 2020 sheet the still’s output is listed at 140.

→

Due in Late September

The five whiskeys of the 2018 collection were due in stores in late September or early October, Buffalo Trace said when it announced them on September 18, 2018.

Collector IndexGTS · Fall 2018

Release: Fall 2018
Distilled: Spring 2003
Age at bottling: 15 years, 4 months
Proof: 124.9 (62.45% ABV)
Barrels: 284, selected by hand
Warehouses: C, H, I, K, P and Q, floors 1 to 5
Evaporation: 51.15%

Other years of Stagg, where we stock them, are among the Antique Collection bottlings at Midnight Whiskey.

Nº 05

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Whiskey	George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Release	Fall 2018
Distiller	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Franklin County, Kentucky
Distilled	Spring 2003
Age	15 years and 4 months old at bottling
Proof / ABV	124.9 proof (62.45% ABV)
Mash bill	Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye and North Dakota malted barley
Barrel	New white oak, #4 char (55 seconds), filled at 125 proof
Proof off the still	135 proof
Warehouses	C, H, I, K, P and Q, floors 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Barrel selection	284 barrels, hand selected
Evaporation loss	51.15% of the original whiskey
Filtration	None (uncut and unfiltered)
Format	750 mL

Nº 06

Records & Assurance

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is the 2018 George T. Stagg?

Spring 2003 bourbon bottled without added water or filtration, the 2018 George T. Stagg is 124.9 proof, or 62.45% alcohol by volume. Its barrels came from six of Buffalo Trace’s Franklin County, Kentucky warehouses: C, H, I, K, P and Q.

How old is the 2018 George T. Stagg?

The 2018 George T. Stagg’s barrels were more than 15 years and 4 months old, by Buffalo Trace’s July 11, 2018 release letter. The release’s fact sheet gives the exact age at bottling, 15 years and 4 months, for whiskey distilled in spring 2003.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault George T. Stagg · Fall 2018

Curated For You

Michter's US★1 Barrel Strength Sour Mash Whiskey 112.6 (2026 Limited Release) Michter's Distillery

$169.95

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask 20 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2026 Release) The Macallan

$1,699.95

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Mastery 200 Year Anniversary Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky — 2024 Bicentenary Release The Macallan

$1,599.95

3 in stock

The Yamazaki Smoky Batch The Third Single Malt Japanese Whisky Suntory

$449.95

1 in stock

George T. Stagg

The Elemental Distinction

The Letter of July 11, 2018