![]() Thank you again, amazing person, you know who you are. Glass 2: Batch 14 Winner: Stagg Jr.This entry is going to be mostly short (edit… it wasn’t) and sweet, while I wax poetic about finishing off my “must try this bourbon” list. Score: 7.9/10įinal Thoughts: Great Stagg Jr profile that’s on the hotter side, but has more oak and finishes like a younger high-rye mashbill bourbon would with clove, anise and menthol. There’s a nice orange oil combined with toasted orange peel, but then I start getting a lot of rye traits that I normally don’t associate with anything Buffalo Trace puts out… cloves and red licorice followed by a menthol cooling sensation are welcome here, but seem slightly out of place. It’s not enough to ruin the drink, but is peculiar.įinish: Cacao nibs, oak and caramel sweetness start off the finish, but the finish is much more nuanced than I have typically experienced in a Stagg Jr product. I start to get some orange zest notes but I’m also noticing there is a small amount of lemon zest as well which adds a little bit of bitterness into the palate as well. Then the classic Buffalo Trace cherries (black, this time) come alongside the brown sugar that I tasted on the nose to form the perfect cherry pie scent. It takes me a few moments to acclimate, but I am able to pick up on some oak spice. ![]() The toasted oak and baking spices (with cinnamon being the most dominant) are perfectly integrated. Nose: A nice, heavy wave of fruit scents is the first scent I’m recognizing, but not far behind it is some really nice toasted brown sugar notes that almost remind me of an MGP product. Perfect balance of sweetness, fruits and tannins. Score: 8.1/10įinal Thoughts: Great depth and very robust, this is a classic Stagg Jr. There’s orange peel and tobacco leaf that give an extra burst of sweetness and some lovely tannic notes at the same time. Speaking of cinnamon, it’s all still here, but it’s a little softer and plays nicely with the oak spice and caramel sweetness that coats your mouth with a richness that’s very pleasant.įinish: The finish has a fun amount of barrel char that integrates well with the cherry pie filling and baking spices that stick around on your tongue and throat. When there is heat, it does lean more towards black and white peppercorns than cinnamon heat, but it’s still pleasant and well integrated. This makes the cherries and orange zest easy to detect. Palate: Surprisingly, I’m not fighting through a lot of heat on this one. Some softer baking spice can also be made out, which adds additional complexity. There’s also a bit of honey graham crackers and a small amount of oak. A heavy aroma of stewed cherries is hard to miss. Nose: Impressive sweetness on the nose which leans more towards raw honey. I sampled these both blind and from a Glencairn. So I’ve waited a month now since I first received and opened up my Batch 14. In a contest like this, Stagg Jr typically needs about a month of “air time” to open up and cool off (a method where you drink about 2-3oz from the bottle and then put the cork back on and let the oxidation do its thing). I enlisted the help of my friend and fellow reviewer, Adam, and we determined that Batch 9 is still the best. ![]() ![]() After confirming my preference to Batch 13, it sparked an idea to compare it with my perennial favorite, Batch 9. In a previous comparison review, I found Stagg Jr. Batch 12 as their “whiskey of the year” and now it is no longer a realistic bottle to find on the shelves as secondary prices have doubled to the tune of about $150. However in 2019, the website Breaking Bourbon voted Stagg Jr. is one of the least expensive, barrel proof offerings that is put out by Buffalo Trace. A large part of that may be attributed to the word “Jr.” that follows the iconic Stagg name, which may convey the message that it’s somehow substandard or not good enough to make the cut. has hid behind the scenes just enough that it was still able to be found if you knew where and when to look. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.įor a few years now, Stagg Jr. ![]()
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