BACKGROUND: Initially released in 2013, Stagg Jr. was intended to be the more readily available offspring of George T. Stagg, the highly-sought and much-coveted bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Its own immense popularity, however, has rendered Stagg Jr. almost as difficult to find as its predecessor. Though it carries no age statement, internet resources indicate the uncut, non-chill filtered Stagg Jr. is between 7-to-9 years old while George T. Stagg spends about 15 years in the barrel. Both are made from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1, which is the same low rye mash bill used for the popular Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare 10-year bourbons, and both are known for having unusually high, cask strength proofs. The two expressions are named for George T. Stagg, a Union Army officer in the War Between The States who entered the distilling business after meeting Col. E.H. Taylor around 1877. When Taylor suffered financial hardships, Stagg paid off his debts and became a partner in his distillery. The two men’s relationship deteriorated over the next few years and Stagg eventually took complete ownership of the distillery. He kept Taylor’s name on both the facility and the bourbon it produced, which resulted in a contentious and fractious lawsuit. After a court ruled against Stagg in a landmark decision over trademarks and naming rights, he rebranded the operation as the George T. Stagg Distillery, but today is is better known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Two separate batches of Stagg Jr., each with varying proofs, are released per year. The Batch 12 that I sampled was released in the summer of 2019 and carries a proof of 132.3, or 66.15% alcohol by volume. NOSE: The nose offers strong notes of pipe tobacco, cherries, maple syrup, oak, and leather, and it evokes thoughts of rich, decadent sweetness and rustic age. PALATE: An explosion of flavors occurs with the first sip. Chocolate covered cherries and toasted caramel marry with the pipe tobacco, oak, and leather noted above. It is a complex and sophisticated palate, and despite the high alcohol content, there is little initial burn. An oily and coating mouthfeel makes an already excellent experience even better. FINISH: A strong kick of menthol reminiscent of a blast of Binaca breath spray joins all of the palate flavors in the finish. Alcohol burn finally kicks in and results in a warming Kentucky hug. The finish, as one would assume, is a long one. FINAL ASSESSMENT: This batch of Stagg Jr. is completely pleasing on all levels, and its retail price of roughly $60 makes it one of the best values in bourbon. Though I have not had the chance to taste it yet, online reviews indicate that Batch 13 may be equal to or better than the batch I was able to acquire. I hope to have the opportunity to soon judge for myself.