Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 14

Chasing the elusive staggs.... I have yet to secure a bottle of George T so let's settle down with Jr batch 14. It seems they should have just called this Stagg and left off the Jr as it makes the bottle seem the lesser or a copy of Sr. In any case this one is quite hard to find in my area and I was happy to score one. Nose is quite nice here. Some vanilla and brown sugar notes. Maybe a hint of nuttiness in the background. There is a bit of alchol as well given the sky high proof of this dram. First sip is a bomb of caramel and heat. This one lives up to it's 65% without question. It comes on pretty quick and heavy, but overall stays in the manageable range. I don't see myself rushing for an ice cube here. Interestingly as the heat rolls off I get some cocoa and almost toasted marshmallow on the backend. Almost an adult smores going on with this pour. The finish is a mild cinnamon tail that fades nicely away. Well I have to say I am enjoying this one. It is a bit hot and I might yet give it a few drops of water in future pours. Overall at the regular price this is a great bottle. Unfortunately like many great bottles it is harder and harder to find at suggested retail. I am not dropping $150 on this, but would definitely pay up into the $80s. Hopefully I can get lucky again and score some future batches.

This stuff is so hard to find these days and after Stagg Jr was my first incredible bourbon, I really want to collect every new batch. Was lucky to get my hands on two of these. I tasted the neck pour a month or so ago and was disappointed, but am hoping this has opened up a bit. Nose: rubbing alcohol, peanuts, brown sugar, red liquorice. Getting sweeter and spicier notes after the first sip, but can't really determine what they are. Getting more of the cola vibe I love, almost vanilla buttercream frosting, cherry coke Palate: woody, nutty goodness, some oak tanin bitterness, spicy - where is anything I'm getting on the nose? Finish: nutty and more tanins, third sip finally had some cola to it, light tingle on the back of my upper lip, cinnamon Overall this isn't the quality I expect from stagg jr. There isn't a whole lot going on here for me and I'm disappointed. If you gave me this in a blind test I definitely wouldn't choose it and previous batches of stagg jr rank at the top of all my tastings. Where's the cherry cola bomb? I'm mostly getting tanins and peanuts. The heat is there, but aside from that, I'd expect this to be a much cheaper and easier to find bourbon. 70/100 - Sure I'll take some

Sweet and fruity nose like all the batches I’ve tried (9-14). Maple syrup, caramel, dark cherry up front with slightly buttery popcorn and a hint of nuttiness in the back ground. Thick and oily mouthfeel with great coating on the tongue. Tobacco and oak notes in the center of the tongue and cherry coming through on the back end. Long, pleasant finish. All in I think this is one of the best bourbons I’ve tried. I think it’s slightly edged out (from memory) by the B13, B10 and B12 but we’re splitting hairs. I think SJR in general would be one of the only bourbons I’d pay secondary for. This is great. Interestingly I get a strong tangy “peach-o” candy note and apricot on the nose after the bottle’s been open a few months. I use the rating scale below. Distiller uses a scale of 5 and I use a scale of 10, but I’m sure you’re not too drunk to do the math! 1. Disgusting - So bad I poured it out. 2. Poor - I wouldn't consume by choice. 3. Bad - Multiple flaws. 4. Below average - Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. 5. Good - Just average. 6. Very Good - Better than average. 7. Great - Well above average. 8. Excellent - In a league of its own. 9. Incredible - An all-time favorite. 10. Perfect

Very hot, but that's to be expected. Drinks about what you'd think, given the proof. Could see this as being aggressive for those that aren't accustomed to high proof. Heat so far a few sips into the glass seems to stay localized in the mouth, leaving a persistent numbing. Nose: Fresh Cinnamon roll, Iced Gingerbread cookie. Maybe something like a coffee cake with a hint of clove. Taste: Tends to follow the nose quite a lot on the forefront, morphing to something like a sweetened black tea note in the mid palate, and leaving a relatively heavy oak finish with a sweet tobacco note. Excellent and full of flavor. Definitely a worthy Jr. to the big boy George T. Stagg. Wish it was more readily available.

(Let sit for about 5 minutes.) 👀: Deep, dark mahogany wood with heather tones (whatever all that means), at this high of an ABV there is hardly any surface tension; 👃: Extremely corn forward with sweet popcorn, alcohol burns my nose hairs, can smell the spiciness and peppery notes; 👅: Alcohol hits you immediately but subtly gives way to more pleasant kettle corn, very sweet is the theme; 🏁: Spiciness hits you first but doesn't linger, instead it lets you down slowly and comfortably, this is the happy ending that high proof whiskies should aspire to. Bravo! End note: I'm shocked that something this high proof didn't require me to put in a drop of water. Wow.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 19 March 2021). Nose: Strong alcohol. Acetone, sweet, summer berries Palate: Very sweet. Earthy/muddy, burned caramel, vanilla, oak/wood, dark chocolate. Oh god - alcohol! Finish: Earthy/muddy, liquorice, tobacco, aniseed, Fisherman's Friend lozenges This is a chewy whiskey! Concentrated and intense. Very tasty - but you feel the burn! Came second out of the six drams, with 28% (10 votes) of the final vote for favourite of the night. 86% (31 votes) of those present said they enjoyed the whiskey. This got my vote for favourite of the tasting.