Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 15

Stagg always brings some heat, smooth through the first part of the palate then caramel oak and heat coming in to linger

Immediate bouquet is vanilla. Nice pleasant bite that doesn’t overwhelm as i diluted with water on a 2:1 ratio (no ice.). Hint of toffee/caramel followed by cinnamon with the finish. I always seem to taste a bit of black licorice / anise with whiskeys and taste a bit of it hear near the finish. Incredible pour!

Stagg Jr, Batch 15, 131.1 proof, uncut, unfiltered, aged over eight years. This has been hiding (from me!) in my cellar since 2021. Since I scored a Stagg (no longer "Jr") Batch 24C last week, it's time to air this "Jr" Batch 15. Tasting neat. Brown copper color and strong coating legs in the glass. Nose is full of sweet grain, creamed corn, cherries, and vanilla oak. Not getting any ethanol. In the mouth, sweet salted caramel, cherry, baking spice, cinnamon, and vanilla oak. In the back, the ethanol bloom shows up, but it's NOT overpowering for 131 proof--just nicely warming. Mouthfeel is viscous, lightly oily yet clean, not cloyingly sweet. Finish shows the tannic oak, pepper, and dried sweet grass. Mint tingle holds the sweet (and it is burnt sugar sweet) in check. Long finish, hint of cherry, but not sour. An ice cube tames that finish to a degree, maybe improving it? Maybe not. Maybe yes? which is my predilection with many barrel proof whiskies. I recognize and appreciate all types of bourbon profiles. I'm drawn to rye and high rye whiskies. But there's something about the depth of these Stagg barrel proofs that really sings to me, time and again, even separated by years between tastings. They have forceful flavors, and while strong, I've never found them ruined by an overwhelming ethanol or sweetness, or vanilla oak for that matter. Ok, ok, I hate the bottle shape, and even the name "Stagg." There! Wish it was like the G.T. Stagg bottle--tall and thin neck, better for pouring (which, apparently, I need no help doing 😄). But... there is something about the Stagg bourbons (beyond their scarcity) that makes them great, consistantly. They are, as a whole, underrated rather than overhyped. At least on my pallet.