Brian’s Stagg Jr Batch 15 Bourbon Review:
07-September-2021
STAGG JR BATCH 15 BOURBON REVIEW:
Stagg Jr Batch 15 is a solid bourbon, even though it is a bit disjointed. It’s aromas don’t pass through to the palate and seem to be missing from the finish as well, yet it is still a pleasing pour. While certainly mouth-warming, Batch 15 doesn’t drink like a 131 proof whiskey and for me, there was never the threat of a Kentucky Hug. I look forward to the next glass.
STAGG JR BATCH 15 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Barrel Proof Bourbon
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Buffalo Trace
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (low rye <10% rye)
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Age: nas (~8 years)
Released: Winter 2020
ABV: 65.55% (131.1 Proof)
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered
Price: $49.95 (Idaho, Apr-2021)
Other than ABV and proof numbers, bottles of Stagg Jr have no batch or other identifiers on the label. It is they which identify the batch.
Learn more at Buffalo Trace Brands
and BoubonEx – Stagg Jr Releases.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
A new bottle was opened and the first 1.4 ounces were put into our Infinity Project. Then alternate pours were added to Glencairns providing evaluation portions. The bourbon was assessed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah. Several days later Stagg Jr Batch 15 was reviewed again, this time with the addition of water as noted below.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
STAGG JR BATCH 15 BOURBON NOSE:
Stagg Jr Batch 15 has an amazing aroma. I get no bite or burn as fruit tree blossoms in a light breeze blend with fresh shucked sweet corn. There are also aromas fresh cut apples dipped in caramel, sweet Rainier cherries, fresh sliced ripe plums and notes of single fresh picked lemon. The spices I get are faint and come as a dusting of cinnamon, powdered ginger, and white pepper. But then yellow cake with light vanilla backs simple syrup, brown and maple sugar drizzled over chopped almonds and pine nuts. The aroma is gentle and light with only a little light oak coming through.
STAGG JR BATCH 15 BOURBON PALATE:
Stagg Jr Batch 15 warms the mouth with notes of dry roasted corn and dark dried figs. None of the fruits sensed on the nose can be tasted. However spices of cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and rye blend well with sweets of burnt sugar, burnt caramel, and dark molasses over roasted nuts. There is much more wood on the palate as dry old oak and hazy toasted barrel char come through as does an interesting note of dry leather. Batch 15 drinks warm but not like one would expect from a 131 proof bourbon.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Stagg Jr Batch 15 is well balanced, viscous and oily once the mouth acclimates. When the first sip is held, this bourbon is rough and gritty on the tongue but the sensation fades after a few moments. In the Glencairn thin and tiny long clinging legs return the dregs to the terracotta pot colored pool leaving behind a perfectly formed but thin crown.
STAGG JR BATCH 15 BOURBON FINISH:
Stagg Jr Batch 15 has a medium long finish with most of its fleeting sensations felt on the back of the tongue and in the throat. The whiskey is hot, rough and gritty and I feel the suggestion of cherry juice in each swallow. Most flavors do not linger but I get spices of black pepper and rye and sweets of lightly burnt sugar and dark molasses. The old oak and toasted barrel char I sensed on the palate dominate. Yet most unusual was the appearance of an unexpected film left by the drawn down liquid inside the glass. And almost hidden in the finish is the remembrance of drowned campfire ashes and old saddle leather, both of which can be wafted from the empty Glencairn.
THE ADDITION OF WATER
Water can often tame big, bold whiskeys and the addition of 2-4 drops will not radically drop the proof of the pour. Rather, water may help open the spirit allowing the aromas and flavors to bloom. So, four evenings after the initial tasting, distilled water was added to controlled pours of Batch 15 to learn its effect.
Two drops were added to 1.5 ounces, lowering the proof to 130.72 (down from 131.1). The drops do little to calm the heat and the roasted corn and dark fruit remain. The cinnamon, black pepper and rye are strong as ever although the sweets of dark brown and burnt sugar seem slightly diminished. But still present is the woodiness and barrel char. To me, two drops have a negligible effect on Stagg Jr Batch 15.
After downing the two drop sample, four drops were added to another 1.5 ounces lowering the proof to 130.34. Four drops dampen the heat ever so slightly and for me, the big flavors begin to wash together. Any individual dark fruits are gone. And while I like wood, it now dominates the sweet, leaving black pepper and bitterness to stand alone.
While everyone is different, for me there is no reason for water in future pours of Batch 15.
MY STAGG JR BATCH 15 RATING: 88/100; with Water 87/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
I will always seek bottles of Stagg Jr. regardless of how any of the previous bottles are rated. They are consistently good to great and at MSRP are a fantastic value.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Stagg.
WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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