The allure of barrel-proof bourbon is its purity and authenticity. No dilution. No secrets. Unadulterated. It's not for the faint of heart. As a celebrity-concocted olfactory meal, Stagg Jr. explodes in a full-on assault: think Gordon Ramsey meets Arnold Schwarzenegger. The clear, dark mahogany in the glass hides a pervasive nose exuding apple pie, dried apricot, orange oil, creme brûlée, char, and freshly hewn oak. These are amped up even further on the palate, bathed in vanilla extract and some woody tannins whose sweet bitterness masquerades as cafe cubano, finishing long. The overall experience is sweet with a some tannic bitterness, which caps some of the bourbon's more hedonistic attributes. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. There is no age statement, but Stagg Jr is believed to be around eight years old. It's hard to believe that other barrels of this bourbon wait another seven to eight years to mature into George T. Stagg. Unfiltered. 126.4 proof. N.B.: All spirts tested neat in a Glencairn glass.