Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 12

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.

Stagg Jr batch 12 132.3 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Cherry cola, vanilla, some maple. Palate: Cinnamon and clove. Spicy! Finish: Long and warm, but not hot. Splash: Cherry cola returns sith some oak dryness. Overall: 9/10 - This drinks well below its proof. Absolutely sublime, just a touch hot on the palate.

Definitely hot on the first sip. Mellows out after

Hot hot hot