Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 14

Vanilla caramel chews, stroopwafel, custard, burnt brown sugar, maraschino cherry, char. The predominantly sweet profile is tempered by a moderate oak backdrop and a hell of a hit of spice and booze on the initial sip. Dies down moderately quickly and then slowly culminates with the aforementioned sweet flavors towards a prolonged burn. Delicious! This is a big, bold bourbon that is simultaneously very well balanced. Amongst the best I’ve had.

I pop the cork and from the neck I get a whiff of caramel and milk chocolate. It reminds me of a Milky Way bar on a hot summer day. I’m admittedly a big Stag Jr fan. It’s honestly what turned me on to the Buffalo Trace distillery and BTAC. Sort of like a gateway drug. So here we are - batch 14. An unassuming amber color with whispy legs. Humid summer KY evening on the porch. Glencarin. The nose is big oak and big caramel. Marzipan, cherries, cloves and pepper. The heat is tame... oddly tame. Pepper, oak, leather and steady heat with more cherries, some milk chocolate and maybe a bit of sun dried tobacco and black licorice on a long finish. It reminds me a lot of batch 12. Maybe more oak and less buttery vanilla? It’s recognizable by its heat but the bite doesn’t come unless you sip and sip again too fast. I’d say they’re equal. Still in love. It’s not it’s more tannic, stone fruit big brother but it wins me over for sure. This was a $65 find but I’d easily give up to $80. Honestly, I’d go to $125-150 where some of the craft bottles check in for sale of balance and big flavor with a long finish. It’s hotter than some but rewarding I’d you sip slowly.

This is what I want in a high proof whiskey. So complex and delicious. Notes of toffee, caramel, vanilla, barrel char, and oak tannins. So delicious!

You know, I like to put prices....I didn't even ask or look. I have no idea what this cost. Nose - there will be a running theme here but this is a CLASSIC buffalo trace product. Nose is cherry and hence fourth (scotch test dummy shout out) Boofalo Trace oak profile. Alcohol is kinda playing a blocker on me here, it's not bad but I can't get all in there. Some sweet vanilla and lightly toasted caramelized oak. Non offensive, very middle of the road and I think this will go over well with hipsters who want their boofalo trace. Taste - and more of the classic boofalo trace cherry, but now that this has had a bit of time to open up, there's a rich creamy caramel now coming through. Again that classic boofalo trace oak ,which is sweeter and more mellow. It's more a toast vs char effect. I get some walnut nutty notes. The finish is actually where its the sweetest with more werther's caramels on the end. There is even with water and even a good amount of water still an oak bitter finish as well I should note. Overall I've always been a Stagg JR over ECBP in terms of my profile and I'm still there. That said the recent ECBP batches have been so far and away more complex that I don't want this score to confuse what I like with what is better in my mind in terms of grading whisky. So I'm at a 2.75 here. So hear me out. I LOVE boofalo trace's oak and cherry profile. Which is odd as I hate cherry in makers. But there's not a lot of nuance here. It's that oak that cherry and some other classic bourbon notes. I'm not getting a big transition, there is one on the finish. So while I'm a fan of the profile and if you are then this is going to be your jam, I don' think this drinks as old or as complex or as nuanced. I think the batch 12 is a step above and the batch 13 is a hair better too.