Stagg Jr is the younger brother to the legendary George T Stagg and become increasingly hard to find. Batch 12 is particular got a lot of hype as potentially being better than the low proof GTs release that year. Personally I preferred the ‘19 GTS but Jr is no slouch so let’s get to the review.
Review #269: Stagg Jr Batch 12
Age: NAS
Abv: 132.3 proof
Price: $55
Neat - rested ~5 minutes
Nose: Bold with cherries and heat with baking spice and cola notes under the heat.
Taste: Big rye spice and caramel with cherries, vanilla, oak and a hint of citrus coming in as it goes. Excellent mouthfeel.
Finish: Long slightly dry finish with cherry syrup, holiday spice and lightly tannic oak notes.
Conclusion
The flavors are great here even it’s a little hot especially on the nose. I usually add a few drops of water to Stagg JR and honestly might prefer this out of a rocks glass to mellow the nose out a bit. Stagg Jr is still a got to for me on barrel proof bourbon and this batch was no exception. I am not in a hurry to grab another bottle of this specific batch but I’ll be keeping an eye out for a new one.
Also I am uncertain on the citrus note but there was something a little tart or maybe acidic toward the end and that was the closest thing I could come up with.
TL;DR: I love Stagg Jr and this was a great batch!
8 - an excellent bottle I’d like to have at home
Great - A great deal, I’d buy it again
I also blinded this with ‘19 GTS and ‘19 EHT BP on Instagram.
Scale
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