Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 13

Extremely strong, outside of my range. Quality pour for more experienced bourbon drinkers, had to ice down to enjoy.

Heat, spice, everything nice

Medium heat, a little tangy, some brown sugar but less than batch 12. Almost like batch 11 and 12 mixed.

Re-visiting this one after 2 months. Initial whiff is banana cream, vanilla, custard, citrus zest. Taste- heat from the get go, this thing wants to own your soul. Cinnamon, thick honey, tangy, spices, candied fruits, oak for days.

The nose is vanilla, caramel, chocolate, oak and cherry - Bourbon Disneyland jr. (Sorry Florida.) Right away, I realize the 64.2% ABV isn't detected on the nose. I exhale through my nostrils into the glass, but there is no major stinging of the eyes from the blowback. Down the hatch: sour cherry with pepper upfront, followed by big oak and warm caramels. My palate is so blown away, I don't remember much of the finish. Second sip is orange and vanilla, with a zing of cinnamon. The mouthfeel remains viscous and oily: drying as I chew. The ABV hits me in the face this time like a bat boy trying to impress a female rookie cop. That's when I head back to the kitchen to add a couple of drops of water. The third sip is sour [again!], oak, and chocolate. Although adding water produces a bone dry finish (and render the legs runny), by the same token, it's far from useless: orange oil and some kind of dark spice - like cloves or star anise - blooms, without coming across as synthetic, or unnatural. That's unique! But the tongue is on fire. This is a fighting man's whiskey, to be sure, but the man here is not exactly fighting the burn. This is a whiskey that I won't be drinking for pleasure or self-indulgence. Drinking this is for those times when you feel like you're Jacob wrestling with God's angel - times when you're locking horns with the other f***er. It's galvanizing, without being seductive, and clarifying without being illuminating. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."