This tastes like a slightly harsher Buffalo Trace, with a slight wood-sour funk on the nose that doesn't translate to the palate. Honestly, it's easier to see the relationship between Stagg (Jr) and this bourbon than with Stagg and Buffalo Trace - the apple on the tip of the tongue in Stagg is prevalent and welcome here. This is a surprisingly good bottle, and in a lot of ways, more enjoyable than Buffalo Trace Small Batch.