Stagg Jr. Bourbon (Batch 17)

Stagg Jr. Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the younger sibling of George T. Stagg Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.  Unfortunately, older brother George took a sabbatical in 2021.  Luckily, Stagg Jr., which is rumored to be aged 8-9 years, had 2 releases (as usual) in 2021.  The one I will be reviewing is Batch 17, which was the last release in 2021 and is said to be the last that will carry the “Jr.” in the label.  

ABV: 64.35%

How it smells….bold.  Like a punch in the nose (expected at near 130 proof).  Hard to tell given the intensity of the alcohol, but you get some vanilla, oak and floral scents….with some water you get maple, sweetness and the vanilla is much easier to pick up.

How it tastes….starts off with rip-roaring spice up front followed by vanilla and ending in some sweet chocolate.  The finish is like having hand warmers in my lungs but oddly, my mouth isn’t on fire…..with some water it is much sweeter up front with the spiciness toned down a bit.  Cherry comes next and the chocolate finish is creamer that before.  The finish ramps up the spice again, but more baking spices with cinnamon and allspice rather than lung lava.

Price..$55

Rating….🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Final thoughts….With a 5x 🥃 rating, it’s hard for me to say anything but that I liked it quite a bit.  I prefer it with a few drops of water as it doesn’t lose any of its character and you can appreciate each of the flavors a bit more sincerely.  Overall, tempering it down a smidge brings out more nuanced versions of each flavor rather than the punch-in-the-face that the undiluted version provides.  And by punch-in-the-face, I mean more like a Fight Club “I’m going to get my face punched and I’m going to enjoy it”.  That said, it was still pretty damn good at full blast and if you are more masochistic with a flair for the high heat, you’ll enjoy it quite a bit in its natural state.

But even more than the taste, the $55 price tag helps immensely.  If I had paid up to $130, I still would have rated it a 4x 🥃.  Anything above that and it would drop to a 2x 🥃, but that’s more based on stubborn principle than an indictment on the quality of the bottle.  My general philosophy is to never pay secondary market prices, particularly when buying them in primary markets (read: liquor stores).  These retailers that want you to be loyal customers and then want to make 4x+ for the MSRP can go shove it.  I’m not participating in that self-defeating game.

Case in paint, one of my local retailers sells the allocated bottles at or around the MSRP to good, loyal customers.  Therefore, I spend a lot of money there for the other 364 days a year.  This year the store manager, Wayne, gave me this Stagg Jr. at their sticker price of $55 (tax already included).  When I asked him how it was, he sheepishly commented that he didn’t know because he never gets to try them.  I’m going to remedy that by giving him a dram of both the Stagg Jr. I got this year, but also the 2020 Thomas Handy BTAC release which he sold me last year for $99.  

Treat your good customers right and they will reciprocate….but that goes both ways Whiskey Hunters.  Get to know the folks at your favorite stores and understand that while you may desperately want to get a hold of a rare bottle, these folks would also love to get a taste of one.

Gifts for Wayne at the liquor store