Company: Buffalo Trace
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky
Aging: 8 Years
ABV: 65.1% ABV
Proof: 130.2 Proof
Mash Bill: Undisclosed
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Batch No: 13
MSRP Price: $60
Secondary Price: $250+
Stagg Jr Batch 14 Tasting Notes
Appearance: Very Dark Amber
Nose: Rich caramel, bold oak, vanilla, dark fruits, black cherry, plum, clove, anise seed, tobacco, leather, baking spice, black pepper
Palate: Heavy caramel, bold oak, vanilla, dark fruits, black cherry, citrus, black pepper, leather, meaty, light smoke
Finish: Long heavy oily finish that coats your entire mouth for over 60 seconds – leaves you with rich caramel, oak, and dark fruits but also a lovely and bold spice and pepper
My History with Stagg Jr
This bottle was purchased by the other founder of this website and one of my best friends, Chuck.
I’ve known him since I was in 6th grade when he first moved to my neighborhood and we’ve been good friends since.
I’ve always been a fan of whiskey, but he’s the guy who really took us both to the next level tasting and critiquing whiskey.
As a gift in 2020, he bought me this bottle as a housewarming gift along with a nice cigar which is why I’m doing this review on the same date that I closed on my house.
He managed to find this bottle at MSRP price as he was in our local liquor store and he knows I love big, bold heavy-hitters of whiskey and this bottle is certainly that.
So with that being said and a thank you to my good friend Chuck, let’s get into this review.
Is Stagg Jr Batch 14 an Approachable Whiskey?
Stagg Jr is a big and bold heavy hitter.
This is not a whiskey for beginners.
Is Stagg Jr Batch 14 Complex?
Stagg Jr is incredibly complex and offers extremely deep layers of flavor.
The nose is full of almost every flavor you could want in a bourbon.
You get all of the sweet caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak but also rich and heavy dark fruits, black cherry, plum, and anise seed layered on top of rich spices and black pepper.
On the palate, the flavors come in blasting and waking up every taste bud your mouth has to offer.
The first sip will throw many off in the amount of heat and power it has.
But come the second sip, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most complex layerings of flavors you can get from a $60 MSRP bottle of bourbon.
What are Stagg Jr Batch 14’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Stagg Jr is a whiskey that will knock your socks off.
It’s a whiskey that you have to warn people before they drink it because they’re about to experience something so strong and powerful (but also packed full of flavor) that it warrants the warning.
Is Stagg Jr Batch 14 a go-to whiskey?
Stagg Jr is a special occasion whiskey.
If you drink this as your go-to whiskey, you will be face-down in bed after 3 solid pours for sure.
Is Stagg Jr Batch 14 priced accurately to its quality?
Stagg Jr absolutely delivers on its price if you can find it at MSRP.
The amount of flavor packed into this bottle is impressive despite the high-proof, the flavors in the finish outweigh the bold heat.
Conclusion for Stagg Jr Batch 14
Stagg Jr is not only an excellent gift from my friend Chuck as a housewarming gift, but it really does live up to its name.
It is so packed full of flavor that I’d recommend everyone buy this bottle if they ever see it on the shelf at MSRP price.
Some may need to add a little water to it to help mellow it out though and can release more of the flavors.
That being said, this bottle is very difficult to find at MSRP and most of you would have to purchase this bottle on the secondary market.
Even on the secondary market, I would probably pay upwards of $100-125 for this bottle and still feel like I got a good deal on it.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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