Blind taste results are very satisfying but also very surprising!

Just did a blind taste and was very pleased but also very surprised by the results.

I had my wife pour me three glasses blind. I knew what the three were, but didn’t know the order.

Penelope Toasted Barrel Strength 2024 Bomberger’s 2019 George T. Stagg

I chose these three for their relatively close proof points but widely varying ages/recipes/finishes. They’re all great bourbons, but there were two that stood out for me. My final ranking was:

1) 2024 Bomberger’s 2) Penelope Toasted Barrel Strength 3) 2019 George T. Stagg

I recognize that my preferences tend to lie in whiskeys below 10 years, as the oak/tannin profile is something I don’t enjoy. Still though, for a pour like GTS to come in last against a shelfer and a far less allocated bottle was a surprise. Fortunately, I have the Bomberger’s and Penelope on my shelf and the GTS was a sample pour. Further confirmation that GTS isn’t worth over MSRP to me, and that there are tons of bottles out there that I can thoroughly enjoy without breaking the bank. Cheers!