Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 12

Apparently this is Batch 12. As far as I can tell, Buffalo Trace did nothing to indicate the Batch No. Luckily, distiller lists the ABV, so I was able to match them up myself. This is the little brother of the highly-touted George T. Stagg. Should be interesting. Nose: Classic BT. Camarel, cola, cherry, Gala apple, leather, toffee, and vanilla. Some peach and honey sweetness as well. Even some carrot cake as well, which, though I've been finding this a bit more often, is still a rare note. Just a touch of brown sugar. I said cola earlier. I'm going to specify that as root beer here. There's some steak sauce and wood char. Extremely heavy on the oak. There is plenty of allspice, clove, and nutmeg behind the sweetness, but not a hint of ABV--impressive since this clocks in at 66.15%. Strong start. Palate: Loads of caramel. By far the prevailing note. Also quite a bit of brown sugar. Milk chocolate as well, which is unique for a bourbon. There's some cocoa and leather. Plenty of oak. As brown a bourbon as I've ever had, if that makes any sense. Beyond that, there's some more Gala apple, carrot cake, vanilla. A touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove on the back end. Doesn't add much to what I got from the nose, but the quality is consistent. Finish: Until this point, this was very good, but not quite great. Chocolate, graham cracker, caramel, and vanilla. Tons of oak. Drying black tea note. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg. Blistering heat on the first sip. As time passes, it becomes tempered, and very refined. Interestingly, the chocolate is initially a mint chocolate; yet, it transforms to milk chocolate when given time to breathe. It's among the longest finishes I've had. It's rare that a finish could add so much to whiskey, but in the case of high ABV whiskies like this, it is always worth factoring into the score. Phenomenal. When I purchased this, it boasted the highest ABV of any whiskey I'd ever had. Since then, it's dropped to number 2. At any rate, that's a lofty accomplishment. What impresses me about this one is that it retains the core attributes of the Buffalo Trace profile while living up to its status as an overpowering behemoth. I choose the Col. Taylor SB over this. The Weller 12 as well. Two of the finest whiskies I've ever had. This one is on par with Elmer T. Lee--for completely different reasons. The latter is a refined and eloquent expression of the BT profile. This one is a bold, brash, and bombastic embodiment of Buffalo Trace's potential. I've enjoyed this one very much. It's a monster of a whiskey, but offers enough complexity where the ridiculous ABV cannot detract from the quality. BT does a poor job of distinguishing these expressions with their labeling. But they do a stellar job with everything else. Compare the ABV with the information online. If you can match it up, I highly recommend this beast. Superb stuff.

The now famous, Batch 12. 132.3 proof. Nose is powerful and infinitely complex; molasses, maple, brown sugar, black cherry, plum, barrel char, chocolate, cinnamon, leather, pipe tobacco, and dark oak almost mahogany. Yes, all that is really in there and in equal strengths. On the palate, just literally look at the components listed above in the aroma because they are all present on the tongue as well. This bourbon encompasses all that is "dark"; dark fruits, dark sugars, and dark wood. Flavors are rich and blend seamlessly. A splash of water to take it down a few proof points and this one positively sings. Finish literally goes on forever. Longest I have ever had by far. I hate to sound like a broken record, but everything in the nose/palate is also there in the finish before it finally subsides leaving you with some tingly menthol and chili pepper. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy. Kentucky hug is real even after the addition of water. Overall just a transcendent bourbon. And when you figure in the price? If there's anything out there that beats this for $60, I'd love to taste it. Will always attempt to have this on the shelf. If you find it and you have never had it, buy it. Case closed.

Been holding on to this bottle way too long. Tonight's the night. Batch 12, 2019, 66.15 ABV, 132.3 proof, tasted neat. Dark brown copper in the glass, with strong coating legs. Nose is sweet corn and cereal, brown sugar, vanilla, and toasted oak. That follows in the mouth--sugar sweet, vanilla oak, leather and tannic, and dry rye spice. A little char smoke and ethanol, but not that hot given the proof. Full oily mouthfeel. Here's what I love--a lip tingling (even numbing) finish. Dry mint and nettles, with a smoky grain sweetness that takes you through a looong finish. An ice cube tames the ethanol and tannins to a degree, but leaves that lip tingling feeling intact. Yeow! Just gets softer and more savory as the ice cools and melts. Love that time-lapse transformation. Big and brawny, full of flavor, just like the other Stagg Jrs. Perfect on a cold fall evening--I can feel snow in the air. Breakingbourbon.com rated this their #1 bourbon of 2019. That's awfully high praise. I'm not going to argue with them--seems deserved.

Down to my last three pours of this guy... man it’s been one hell of a ride. One of the first “oh shit! Scramble down to the liquor store the moment it becomes available bottle” and that was about 2 years ago. Very small pours here and there, appreciating every succulent drop. Big heavy nut, steroid induced corn, and scorched oak are my notes. This is, always has been, and always will be, a bourbon that hits at such a high weight class that it’s basically your free agent next in line to join the BTAC big leagues. There’s a reason it’s called junior because GTS is a monster that can never be caught (easily up there as one of the greatest bourbons to ever exist, second only to William Larue Weller in my palates opinion), but this guy hits way above his msrp. I paid $45, and that’s the greatest investment I have ever made in my bourbon journey. I’d pay stupid amounts for this bottle because what they do aging wise, proof wise, flavor wise, it checks all the boxes and will always be worth it.

Nose: Cherry Cola and Milk Chocolate Covered Almonds. Vanilla Extract pops as if you were pouring fresh Cream into Sugar as it Toasts in the pot for Caramel Palate: Thin Chocolate covering strong Maraschino Cherries rolled in a Caramelized Creamy Mouth Coating of Sweet Butter. Oak Spice warms from the THICK, Hot Oily mouthfeel. Finish: Oak Spice lingers and reveals a Cherry Pipe Tobacco dryness. Mild Clove I can't say I've tasted more drams than the next guy has, but ffs Baby Stagg (Batch#12) is a miracle bottle. I'm halfway through this bottle and it makes me sad to think it will be gone some day. (SUGGESTION): Acclimate your palate well, then add 2 drops water to a dram. Letting it sit and open is what suddenly allowed this whiskey to coat my palate in the strongest mouthcoat of hot butter and zero burn. Totally insane.

Nose- Almond croissants, fruit punch, cherry, vanilla custard, ethanol, cooked fruits, icing sugar Palate- Ripe fruit initially (raspberries, rainier cherries) wave of dry oak, spice, almonds, tropical fruits Finish- Long, drying finish with notes of dry oak, tropical fruits and a light leather note Wow. Not only does this live up to the hype, it blows it out of the water. If you poured this blind into a glass and told me it was a $400+ bourbon, I would absolutely believe you. The nose is fantastic, full of ripe fruits and sweet sugary notes. The palate drinks way lower than the proof and is equally as enjoyable as the nose. The finish is, as expected, long and full of tropical fruits, oak and leather. Hell of a pour.