Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 15

Color: Deep cherry amber. Nose: Hot! I don't typically give the nose a, "hot" classification, but this one deserves it. At 131 proof, it's no surprise... Plus, what I'm going to designate as "charred oak". Palate: First pour (drank with large ice ball)... Viscous mouthfeel; spicy(!). Comes in hot, but in a somewhat controlled manner, if that at all makes any sense. The chest hug is there, but not overpoweringly so. Burnt cherries and more oak. As the large ice ball begins to dilute it a bit, the sweeter notes start to come through. Second pour (also drank with large ice ball)... Definitely cherries plus vanilla — which I did not get on the first pour. Think "cherry vanilla ice cream". Nice! Finish: Long spicy finish with lots of the palate carrying over. Something like Werther's butterscotch candies make a surprise appearance in this juice's most diluted state... and, as with most Bourbon I've had, I get some "holiday baking spices" on the absolute tail-end of the glass. I've not been able to locate any Stagg bottles of any sort over the past few years. I assumed Stagg would prove one of those bottles I would never see. So when I quite unexpectedly found this bottle — which turned out to be Batch 15 from late 2020 — at SRP(!)? Well, I felt pretty lucky, indeed. This is superlative Bourbon. It's always tricky for me, giving star ratings... what, exactly, deserves more than 4.5 stars? What is the benchmark? Well... after over three years, and over 150 different bottles/expressions, I know what I like. I know what I look for in a Bourbon. This pretty much is the definition of, "Bourbon" to me. And so... I'm bestowing upon Stagg Jr. Batch 15, one of my highest ratings yet. I'm going to try to grab another bottle before it's gone, because I don't know when I will be met with such good fortune again.

I mean its stagg! Incredible nose of rich caramel. Amazing palette with long finish. Hard to beat.

Batch 18