Stagg Jr. Bourbon

I've reviewed Batch 8 of Stagg Jr before, but batch variation (and bottle variation) being what it is, I think it's worth reviewing this bottle of Batch 9.

Tasting Notes

• Nose (undiluted): lots of juicy dark cherries, some fresh tobacco, oak, brown sugar, pepper, a little wood varnish coming through after about a 10 minute rest in the glass. A longer rest in the glass reveals more rich toasted oak aromas and some leather.
• Palate (undiluted): rich arrival, a bit waxy, brown sugar, dark cherries, barrel char, toasted oak, and some vanilla
• Finish: long, warming, vanilla frosting, black tea, a bit of nutmeg, black pepper and cinnamon, dark cherries lingering,

With water the cherries are toned down a little and some of the barrel notes take over. There's more waxiness and more of the black tea notes present. It's less fruity and also a bit less sweet, drier with water added. I prefered it neat. Despite the high abv, it's quite sippable without any water.

This is a fantastic bourbon. There's no other way to put it. It hits all the right notes and there is absolutely nothing "off" in my glass. The high proof allows all the flavours to come through without being overwhelming. Despite some reported early misses (full disclosure, I haven't tried any batches before Batch 8), Stagg Jr. seems to be like the great Beatles albums: each one different yet possessing an obvious commonality, and all are fantastic. This one doesn't have the cacao/dark chocolate I got from Batch 8, but seems a bit more balanced overall.

Stagg Jr is, according to the interweb machine, made from the Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (less than 10% rye) and is reportedly between 7-9 years old whereas George T Stagg is reportedly over 15 Years Old.

The sample was graciously provided by @Nozinan

Batch 8, 64.75% ABV, opened Oct 17/2017, gassed after each use, 4/5 full when sample poured on Nov 8, 2017.

Tasting Notes

• Nose (undiluted): lots of brown sugar, sour cherries, oak, vanilla, dark toffee, classic bourbon on steroids
• Palate (undiluted): rich arrival, waxy feel, more cherries, deep barrel char, rye, cloves, a bit of caramel corn
• Finish: long, oaky, and warming, with some tannins making an appearance near the end, like over-steeped black tea, ending on cacao beans and more dark cherries.

With water, the fruitiness is pushed back. Caramel pops out of the glass on the nose alongside a freshly-shucked corn note. With a bit of time, the nose becomes much oakier and an aroma of fresh pipe tobacco emerges. On the palate and finish, there is far less fruitiness with water added. It’s replaced by rich, sticky toffee and floral vanilla, while the chocolate on the finish becomes more like milk chocolate.This is terrific both ways. I like it so much that I asked my local KGBO to bring one in for me. I’d love to meet its daddy.

Stagg Jr. Fall 2017 Release Bottle: L1727 I was lucky enough to grab a bottle of this. The store was allocated four bottles this year and Sal the manager was kind enough to offer me one. Bottle is 90% full and has been opened since January 3rd.

Nose undiluted: Grapey. Red grapes. Baked apples with cinnamon and butter. Banana bread. German chocolate cake. Not really any caramel or nutty notes that I find typical in bourbon.

Palate undiluted: Red apples. And more red apples. Lots of red apple. A bit one dimensional with the red apple bit it packs tons of sweet red apple flavour with each sip. Its a good thing I like apples.

Finish: Cinnamon, brown sugar. And this darn baby vomit at the very end that I've had twice now. With this and the barrel strength FRSB. Its like the wood got wet and started rotting during the aging process. Arg.

Nose w/water: Lots of red fruits and berries and baked apple bread. The banana is gone.

Palate w/water: Mmmmm... vanilla pudding, chocolate cream pie, vanilla really becomes prominent with some water. Honey too.

Finish w/water: The red apples have now moved to the finish. Thankfully not as much baby vomit at the end.

Overall: This is a pack-a-punch big bourbon. Big flavours, lots of baked red fruit and vanilla. Not really much spice. Its a gooey, creamy syrup with plenty of alcohol to go around. The nose is better neat, everything else benefits from a drop of water. So smell it and then add your water. Good stuff. Glad I lucked out this year.

Score neat: 86 Score with water: 87

Thanks to @Nozinan for this sample!

The colour is a medium copper. Thick on the nose with dark cherries, very dark chocolate, musty leather, green apple skins (?) and seriously charred oak. You know that black soap people used to put on their faces? That's kinda there too. Dark, dried up ketchup (weird, I know, but I got that!). Water adds complexity, with banana skins and crayon wax (from where in my brain are these notes coming from??) Extremely rich, as you could imagine.

On the palate I get more alcohol than on the nose, with more cherries, a lighter dark chocolate, cinnamon, Demerara and tannins. A lot punchier with water. A real knockout!

The finish is chalky with more oak, cloves and some woodsmoke. Although I always like Stagg Jr., I can't help but compare it in my head to George T. Stagg (which few bourbons can compare with), when I should really be examining it on its own terms. So this one probably deserves better than I'm giving it. Well, I never said I was objective...

I’m desperately trying to close out 2016 on a positive note. Personally as well as from a whisky review perspective. Of late it seems all I’ve been doing is getting angry at whiskies and their masters for letting me down. Some have in mildly irritating ways and others in much more spectacular fashion.

But the general aim this year has been to upset me and, along with fattening the books, they seem to have met their target. But I won’t let them drag me down to their level. No, thank you.

So while I do have some scathing reviews tucked away they’ll be better suited to the dawn of a new year. My objective now is to comment only on whiskies that make me happy until this dreaded year is finally over. I look forward to an interesting ten days.

And that brings me to the Stagg Jr.

For those who know me know that I am in love with the senior. It changed my perspective on how I perceived bourbons especially ones that came close to spontaneously combusting thanks to inhuman levels of alcohol strength. I’m talking 70%+ here ladies and gentlemen. To achieve a bouquet of flavours and balance in a beast that strong is almost an unfathomable work of art.

And that’s precisely what the Antique Collection is. A work of art.

The Stagg Jr comes from the same pedigree as the senior. Introduced back in 2013 as a younger alternative to the George T Stagg it uses a blend of whiskies 8 or 9 years old and the same mash bill – Mashbill #1. The recipe is pretty much a secret and all we know is that #1 uses less than 10% rye in the overall mix. As for the remaining grains I’m sure there’s a large percentage of corn and then some wheat. There could be some barley too. But I’m not certain.

Panned by critics when it first came out it was considered an unworthy alternative to the George. However, later batches saw the same set of non-believers warm up to this rather tasty barrel proof bourbon. I have sat in my glass Batch 5, recognisable by the proof hastily scribbled on the label. Mine sits at a wonderful 129.7 which, in layman’s terms, is around 64.85% ABV. My sample is from a half empty bottle opened just a week ago.

Nose: That familiar sweetness. Instantly took me to the George. Peppers. Black berries. Milk chocolate. Dark chocolate. Chocolate milkshake. Did I mention chocolate? Touch of black liquorice. Brown curry powder. In a good way! Burnt caramel marchiato. Breakfast toast. Ripe watermelon. Watermelon? Seriously? Quite drying with a ton of cooking spices on a dry forest fire. What’s not to like?

Palate: As you would expect. A nuclear explosion of pinpricks brought under control by a dark chocolate. Like a Lindt red chilly. Cherries. That smoke from that fire. Milk chocolate. Quite tannic. Dries mid-palate. The oak is quite pronounced. As are the spices. Not as sweet as I expected it to be. A hint of maple syrup. Feels youngish for some reason. But I love the strength.

Finish: Long. Long. Long. Oaky. And oily at the same time. Barbecue rub.

Overall Comments: First up let’s consider what is on offer here. A solid whisky made from the same recipe as the George. A touch younger, yes, but when you compare the price point it’s a no brainer. Pick this up for no more than US$60-70 (the later batches, of course) instead of mortgaging your children for the George T Stagg – that is, IF YOU CAN FIND IT! Sure, it’s a little rough around the edges but aren’t we all? In fact that’s what makes us so endearing, doesn’t it?

I recently saw this available at the LCBO, then it wasn't again. Looking to see if I had missed the BTAC lottery I typed in STAGG and this came up. In one store in Toronto. I was not far from them yesterday so I called and of the 26 listed (in the 30s the day before) there were 22 left. I picked up 2 for me and one for a friend. This morning the store had only 11 listed, and 2 other stores had a handful.

I was not in the mood to drink yesterday (work-related stress), but today I felt a bit better and I decided to try something new in the way of reviews. I will review this first pour, and revisit the smell and taste as the bottle evolves, reporting back. I've revisited reviews before, but never from the first opening.

Unlike most bourbon reviews, I did add water, and will comment after my review of the neat product.

I have to make note of this beautiful dark amber colour. I know that colour has no bearing on taste directly, but given that bourbon cannot be coloured if bottled in the US, this natural colour invites me, and suggests, correctly or not, that there is a lot of wood influence to come

Nose

Immediately on pouring I get brown sugar and vanilla. Alcohol. Aromatic wood (like a cedar plank on the BBQ or maybe pine resin), warm apple sauce with a little cinnamon, maybe grilled corn,. With time, I get increased fruitiness and can identify pear and maybe pineapple or banana. A little perfume (not in a bad way). 23/25

Taste

HOT! - powerful blast of vanilla and brown sugar. Lots of tannins. Not an expert on what you call this but is it OAK? Cinnamon toast (with butter)? Not a wide range of flavours, but big, bold, and powerful. Especially after 1/2 hour or so, I like it! 22/25

Finish

Medium short, astringent, sour near the end. I got a hint of butter, not really rancid, but as though it was melted then congealed and was left out in the kitchen for 2 days. 21/25

Balance

Not sure what to say. The nose is very nice and the palate is power on steroids. Not prednisone steroids, Dexamethasone. 22/25

Total Score: 88/100

Adjusted Score based on Enjoyment: Too Soon To Tell

After adding a half capful of water to a 20 cc pour, the alcohol recedes in the nose and on the palate, and it's a little less hot. Another half capful lowers the flames a bit more. Still nippy, and still full of flavour, but a little easier to drink. I'm stopping at 2 capfuls.

It will be interesting to see how this develops. I'm also hoping to share it with some Connosrs next week and see both what they think of it and how the taste changes when I drink it with good company.

I found the first released batch of Stagg Jr to be unacceptably bitter, despite its having an excellent nose. The sample for this review is compliments of @Nock, and represents a later batch, probably the second batch, but I have no documentation for that

Nose: huge in intensity but medium in width of flavours; a ton of wood flavours of vanilla and natural caramel; lots of sweetness from the oak. The pitches are almost all high and medium in range. Spice is light here, reflecting the low (approx. 8%) rye content of Buffalo Trace Mash Bill # 1. With this second release of "Buffalo Trace Sr." the strength of the wood flavours makes it hard to taste corn flavours in the whiskey. This differentiates Stagg Jr. from standard Buffalo Trace Bourbon, one of the very few bourbons in my book in which you can actually taste corn. In Stagg Jr. there is enough oak influence to make that very difficult

Taste: as Jim Murray occasionally likes to say: "That's more like it!" The nose flavours translate well to the palate and do NOT go strongly to the bitter, as did those of the first batch of Stagg Jr. The only real shortcoming here is the absence of bass notes from wood to give this more balance

Finish: strong, long, and consistent

Balance: good but not great balance here. This batch of Stagg Jr. is still not in the same league with George T. Stagg, but I don't think that this batch would elicit groans from some of my Connosr friends (in Toronto), as did the first batch of Stagg Jr., when I served it to them. In my review of the first batch of Stagg Jr. I said that I saw no reason why Stagg Jr. couldn't and shouldn't be much better whiskey in later batches. The process of improvement is already underway. I place a high value on intensity of flavours. If I did not, this batch of Stagg Jr. would probably rate 84-86 from me, rather than 88.(and the first batch would have rated 81 from me) Thanks again, @Nock, for giving me this sample which restores my faith in Stagg Jr.

So I snagged a bottle of this when it barely came out only to watch it take a battering by the critics. Defiant as I am, I though, "What do those old hacks know anyways." Well those old hacks seems to make much sense now that I've tried this Bourbon.

Nose: There is nothing more annoying on a whisky than too much alcohol wafting up from the glass and there is too much here. So instead of waiting I cut it down with some water. I got hints of cotton candy, rum raisins, rum wood, pepper mint, and vanilla.

Taste: I get the cotton candy, pepper mint, and the vanilla. Wow....the spice is ridiculous and insufferable!! Even with water this is really hot!!!! Like scalding hot water. Very harsh. I can't get much flavor out of it with this kind of brute force power on display.

Finish: Harsh alcohol, dry, cotton candy.

I'm all for power in controlled measures but this Bourbon is out of control. I let my gf have a sip of this and she was left teary eyed and gasping for air. I myself needed a touch of courage and some water to finish this one. Try this and attempt to keep a straight face.

I was lucky enough to pick this up on my last trip to Myrtle Beach on August 9th. I opened it almost immediately. It has taken a beating by critics. And yet getting your hands on a bottle is just as difficult as getting your hands on George T. Stagg. Now, I am unashamedly a fan of big barrel proof whisky. George T. Stagg is without question my favorite bourbon (that I have had the pleasure to own – I have tasted a Willett that makes me wonder . . .). So I come to this biased. I want to like it. Here are my thoughts after three “official” tasting session with pen in hand.

Nose: Leather, tobacco and alcohol! Candy canes and red hots. I love this nose. Rich wood flavors mix with sweet brown sugar. More alcohol and simply more “bourbony” then the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and it goes without saying it is more muscled and austere. This is way more about power: raw bourbon power. It certainly reminds me of Stagg. Less sour then ECBP, but then it is also less sweet. This is a deep one: it is like approaching the earth’s core. After a little time I am finally dialing into the right frequency: bourbon hell fire, volcano lava, and charcoal. There is brown sugar here, but it is far in the background. With time the brown sugar moves to the fore. It is a nose that grows on you. There is something new and intense every time I nose this. My only complaint is that it doesn’t have the utter depth and richness that the big Stagg Sr. (and to an extent the EC) has. Water only brings out the intensity.

Taste: More balanced then ECBP. Nice balance of sweet and wood oak. Feels great in the mouth as it destroys your mouth.

Finish: Huge wash of bourbon . . . leather, brown sugar, charred wood, charcoal, out door BBQ, smoked meat . . . this is a huge finish. It is lasting for an age . . . and the salt pulls out every bit of moisture from your mouth. This is decimating! This is way more power then the EC has. And it lasts much longer.

Balance, Complexity: While it misses the depth of complexity that the ECBP has it is still extremely complex in a way I like. The balance is also wonderful: the sweet and the sour really balance out nicely. And the power . . . my goodness. This is Thor to the George T. Stagg’s Odin.

Aesthetic experience: It is a smaller more squat version of the tall slender Stagg bottle. I don’t love the “hand written” label because it is much more fake then the standard Stagg. And I don’t like that they are tying to make it look darker with the back label. Still, a 9yo at 67.2% . . . I love the idea of a younger Stagg.

Conclusion: I really, really like this bourbon. I do think that @Victor is correct – they should have called it Buffalo Trace Barrel Proof. But they wanted to capitalize on the Stagg name. I get it. I have a hard time faulting them when Stagg Sr. is the same juice just older and more carefully selected. Will I buy another bottle? Absolutely. Is it worth it at $49.99 a bottle? Absolutely. Is it as good as Stagg Sr.? No. But I find it does what only Stagg Sr. can do – it blows my socks off with power.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery rarely messes up a whiskey, but they did blow this first batch of Stagg Jr...unless you really like bitter oak, which I do not. Bitterness is NEVER natural to bourbon. Bitterness in a bourbon means bad wood. It is just that simple. The reviewed bottle has been open for 16 days. In that time I have had 250 ml of the Stagg Jr over about 10 separate drams

Stagg Jr is a logical product for the Buffalo Trace Distillery to produce...barrel proof fully matured intermediate age bourbon, parallel to, and in competition with, Jim Beam's Booker's Small Batch Bourbon, and the new Heaven Hill product, Elijah Craig 12 YO Barrel Proof

Stagg Jr is from Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, the grain recipe for both standard Buffalo Trace bourbon, and also for the 15+ years aged George T Stagg. Stagg Jr is a bit of a misnomer for Buffalo Trace Sr. Stagg Jr is nothing like George T Stagg and very much like a more concentrated form of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Buffalo Trace Mash Bill # 1 is very high in corn and contains only about 8% rye grain, which is about the lowest rye content of any bourbon on the market. George T Stagg features as its most outstanding feature multiple layers of very complex wood flavours, which are all the more easily tasted because there isn't much rye present to seize the attention. Standard Buffalo Trace Bourbon is one of the VERY few bourbons I have tasted (and I've tasted maybe 150)in which corn is actually tastable. Usually rye and new wood obliterate the ability to taste corn in a standard, i.e. rye-containing, bourbon. At least to my palate they do. The Stagg Jr is 8 to 9 years aged, and the glorious wood flavours of George T Stagg are not present. Stagg Jr is really just uncut (undiluted) Buffalo Trace Bourbon aged 2 or 3 more years.

So how is it?

The colour? Very dark, as 67.2% ABV bourbons ALWAYS are

Nose: the nose of Stagg Jr is fantastic, very intense corn, a little rye, and lots of wood which smells better than it tastes. The alcohol greeting for the first 7 days open was probably the most intense I have ever encountered from any whisk(e)y, and very off-put-ing. Happily that has significantly diminished at 16 days bottle open. Vanilla and confectioner's sugar abound, maple,...AFTER 16 DAYS it is a balance of sweet, dry, and a bit of bitter. It is quite an excellent bourbon nose. My bottle did not develop much sweetness until open 16 days

Taste: Very intense. Extremely strong alcohol greeting, which has ameliourated somewhat after 16 days. The alcohol greeting from Stagg Jr is much stronger than that from George T Stagg releases at 71+% ABV. The early palate, for 3-5 seconds, is an outstanding translation of the excellent nose, but then, mid-palate, bitterness from the wood arrives...and takes charge

Finish: this first batch of Stagg Jr has bad wood, which bitters out and stays bitter. The sweetness developed with giving the bottle some air time is not sufficient to balance out the bitter wood. In the first week of this bottle open there was no sweetness at all by the finish

Balance: Such a pity. There is no reason whatsoever why Buffalo Trace should have released a batch of Stagg Jr which bitters out. I expect better from this whiskey in future releases

If you really like bitter, you will like this better than I do. This first batch is not what Stagg Jr should be. With good oak, this is easily a 90 to 93 whiskey. I notice that those in Connosr who have rated this highly are malt drinkers, who don't drink much bourbon. Bourbon is NEVER supposed to be bitter

Water, you ask? A couple of drops made arguably slight improvements to the nose and palate

This bottle would have rated no more than 83 from me for the first week it was open. The additional air has actually improved my enjoyment of this whiskey a very great deal

Here’s the new Stagg offspring, as reviewed by someone who’s not yet acquainted with the family patriarch. I’ve had a few chances to pick up a bottle of George T. Stagg, but I refuse to pay the mercenary prices (about $250) at the local store when they receive their supply of one or two bottles per year. The waiting list for a Stagg at Binny’s is such that I’ll probably be on a diet of Ensure and creamed corn by the time my name comes up. But I continue to be patient, with the confidence that the right price and moment will come along some day.

Word is that Stagg, Jr. will be released in small batches on a regular basis, and that each batch will be aged eight or nine years. No batch information on my bottle (unless it’s on the inside of the back label, in which case I’ll have to wait until the level goes down before I can read it.) Unlike the promotional pictures you’ll see, in which the whiskey appears to be almost orange in color, the real-life article is a deep mahogany brown.

So with no basis for comparing Sonny Boy to the Old Man, I’m rather impressed with Stagg Jr. It’s not perfect, and it’s more fiery than complex, but I’ll be buying another bottle once I’ve drained this one. Some early reviews have emphasized junior’s heat and urge adding water. I suggest the same, although I don’t mind starting a dram with a neat sip or two. But if you want more flavors beyond corn, vanilla, and fire, add some water. For me, it’s been a bit of a challenge to get the amount of water just right. With such a powerful heat punch, it’s surprisingly easy to drown. Experiment with a drop at a time.

Nose: Sampled neat, it’s rather mild for such strong stuff. Pretty one-dimensional as well: mostly wood and sticky dark fruits. With just a few drops of water, I get vanilla, cinnamon, loads of wood, and a touch of corn-on-the-cob boiling in the pot. Radical changes with just a little water, in other words.

Palate: I tried my first sip neat and it was like a corn roast at the flaming gates of hell (but I enjoyed it!). Then I made the mistake of adding a full teaspoon of water—and with such heat, that amount seemed a reasonable guesstimate—but the result was just watery sweetness with a hint of wood. For my second dram, I added one drop at a time and determined that three drops results in maximum flavor with just the right touch of sting. Cherry hard candy, cinnamon, maple, rye, corn, cloves, and, again, plenty of sweet wood. The same flavors carry on in the finish as more wood and a little mint emerge. I just wish it were a little stronger at the fadeout.

In all, Stagg Jr. is a tricky one to pin down. Again, the water issue adds to the confusion. It seems to tame some things that need taming as well as some things that don’t. But it’s as good as or better than any other $50 bourbon in my cabinet, and for that I’m not complaining. I've got a few minor gripes, but I think it's quite delicious nonetheless.