George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)

Name: George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
Brand: Buffalo Trace
SKU: 088004027841-16
Price: 2399.95 USD
Availability: InStock

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$2,399.95

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Age: 15 Years, 4 Months (2016 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky | Proof: 144.1

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George T. Stagg from the 2016 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is the hazmat year: 144.1 proof, high enough that the label crosses the threshold where whiskey can no longer travel by air. Fifteen years and four months old, uncut and unfiltered, distilled spring 2001 — and three-quarters of the original fill went to the angels before a drop was bottled.

The Elemental Distinction

144.1 proof — the label's high-water mark of its era, and above 140, the point at which whiskey is legally hazardous cargo and cannot be shipped by air. Collectors call these hazmats.
Nothing about that number was chosen. Stagg is dumped uncut and unfiltered, so the proof reports what the barrels measured.
Fifteen years and four months, from a spring 2001 fill, pulled across five warehouses — M, N, H, L and K — on the low floors.
One hundred and forty-two hand-selected barrels, and 75.99% of the original whiskey lost to evaporation. Three-quarters. That is the arithmetic behind a difficult autumn for anyone hunting a bottle.
Buffalo Trace's own note: dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla.
Released at a $90 suggested retail across the whole 2016 collection.

Sensory Profile

The distillery's note on this release: dark chocolate, coffee and vanilla.

Reviewers that autumn found the nose more tolerable than 144.1 suggests — ethanol first, then burnt caramel, toasted oak and a hint of toasted marshmallow — and a palate that arrives as heat before the age shows through as heavily charred oak, aged leather and caramel. Breaking Bourbon rated the 2016 a letdown against recent years while allowing that air in the bottle should improve it. Presented as readings, not producer notes.

Strategic Position

This is the bottle that gives the hazmat shelf at Midnight Whiskey its name — 144.1 proof, past the line where whiskey stops being freight and starts being cargo nobody will fly. Its counterpart that autumn is the 135.4-proof Weller that year, itself one of the stronger Wellers on record. Forward, the 129.2-proof 2017 Stagg is fifteen proof points gentler and drawn from more than twice the barrels — the two years together are the clearest illustration of what "barrel proof" actually means.

Technical Specifications

Distillery	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (uncut, unfiltered, barrel proof)
Collection	Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, 2016 release
Proof / ABV	144.1 proof (72.05% ABV)
Age statement	15 years 4 months at bottling
Distilled	Spring 2001
Maturation	Warehouses M, N, H, L and K; floors 1, 2 and 3
Filtration	None
Format	750 mL (US release)
Region	Kentucky, USA

Collector Note

Hazmat vintages are their own collecting category, and this is the modern era's. Above 140 proof a whiskey cannot legally fly, which shapes how it moves and what it costs long after release. The 2016 is one of only a handful of Staggs to clear that bar, and the run since has gone the other way: 129.2 in 2017, 124.9 in 2018, 116.9 in 2019. The proof is printed on the label and is the only reliable vintage identifier. Two structural notes for a set: 75.99% evaporation loss made this a genuinely small release despite the barrel count, and no Stagg was released at all in 2021 — a complete shelf has a real gap in it, not a missing bottle.

Recommended Serving

Neat, tulip, and respect the number — at 144.1 the first sip is heat and the whiskey arrives behind it. This is the one Stagg where water is not optional for most people: a few drops at a time, and the dark chocolate and coffee the distillery names will come up out of the burn. Beside the 2017 it makes the most instructive flight in the vertical: same age, same recipe, fifteen proof points apart, and only the barrels to explain it.

Production Methodology

George T. Stagg is distilled at Buffalo Trace from Kentucky corn in distillers grades one and two, Minnesota rye and North Dakota malted barley — a sour mash cooked at 240°F on Kentucky limestone water, double distilled off the still at 135 proof, and entered into new #4-char white oak at 125 proof. The 2016 filled in spring 2001 and matured fifteen years and four months on the first three floors of warehouses M, N, H, L and K. It is bottled uncut and unfiltered, which is why the 144.1 proof is a measurement rather than a decision. One hundred and forty-two barrels were selected, and 75.99% of the original whiskey had already gone to the angels.

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 2016 George T. Stagg?

144.1 proof, or 72.05% ABV. George T. Stagg is dumped uncut and unfiltered, so the figure reports what the barrels measured rather than a house target — which is why it moves every vintage and why the printed number identifies the year. The 2016 is among the highest the label has reached; the three years that followed came in progressively lower.

How old is the 2016 George T. Stagg?

Fifteen years and four months at bottling. The whiskey was distilled in spring 2001 and matured on the first three floors of five Buffalo Trace warehouses — M, N, H, L and K. Over those fifteen years, 75.99% of the original fill was lost to evaporation, which is why the release was small even though a relatively large number of barrels went into it.

Why is the 2016 George T. Stagg called a hazmat?

Because it clears 140 proof. Above that strength, spirits are classified as hazardous materials and cannot be shipped by air — so a bottle at 144.1 travels by ground or not at all. Collectors use hazmat as shorthand for those vintages, and it is a durable identifier: it shapes how the bottle moves and what it costs long after release, and only a handful of Staggs have ever reached it.

Shipping information

Adult Signature Required: Federal law requires an adult (21+) with a valid government ID to sign for all deliveries. Carriers cannot leave alcohol unattended.

Processing Time: Most orders process within 1–8 business days. You will receive a tracking number via email as soon as your bottle ships.

Insured Shipping: We strongly recommend electing Shipping Protection at checkout. Midnight Whiskey is not liable for loss or damage once in the carrier's possession unless insurance is purchased.

Restrictions: We ship only within the permitted U.S. states and cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or U.S. Territories.

All Sales Final: Due to alcohol regulations, we cannot accept returns for change of mind.

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