Hannah’s Stagg Jr Batch #14 Bourbon Review
Original review written on February 10, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Stagg Jr Batch #14 Bourbon Review: If you like heat and proof, this bourbon will definitely provide. It has strong, seasoned, sweet flavors and some spicy fruits to enjoy, but be sure to sip with caution. This one is mischievous and is looking to burn. 92/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: nas (believed to be approximately 8 yrs.)
– Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (low rye; <10% rye)
– Casks: Char #4
– Non-Chill Filtered
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 65.1% (130.2 proof) – ABV’s are Batch signifiers for Stagg Jr.
– Price:$49.95 USD in Idaho
For more information, visit buffalotracedistillery.com
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review of this bourbon here!
SETTING:
Enjoy this one poolside at night with the stars bright and the water comfortably cool. Batch #14 is the perfect company whether you are on your own or with a group of people, looking up at the stars and hearing soothing music. You simply feel at home, no matter where you are.
Photo by Ihor Saveliev on Unsplash
NOSE:
This smells heavy of brown sugar and crystalized caramel on the first inhale with plenty of warmth accompanying. The alcohol burn isn’t intense at all, despite being so high in proof. When I do take deep draws, the alcohol seems reminiscent of nail polish remover, but again, this is quite faint.
I also find a lot of sweet, aged oak here in the nose that comes with a slight haze of barrel char. I wouldn’t say this is particularly fruity or spicy either, though there are still traces of maybe some allspice and apples (though I could be looking for a fruit to pair nicely with the aforementioned caramel). Other fruits could potentially include fruit leather or raisin that has an earthy essence or cinnamon sprinkling over top. Overall, this is very warm and inviting, and I am excited to give it a try.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: It has a bit of a gritty texture to it, as though I can feel it catch on each of my taste buds.
– Balance: This is definitely complex, with each sip bringing out different qualities in the bourbon. It’s sometimes sweet like dark fruit, and sometimes it’s harsh with a burning sweetness.
– Visual: Carrot in color, there is no crown, but plenty of fast-dropping, thin legs.
– Taste: No distinct flavors jump out at me on the first sip, but bourbon warmth is immediately present. Some careful digging brings more of the fruit leather and raisin from the nose, along with stronger notes of allspice, and now also ginger that has a certain sharpness.
Hints of brown sugar and apple are also distinguishable, though they are a bit more buried behind the initial warmth and dark fruit. The caramel is also here, but it has lost its grainy, crystalized structure and seems a lot more smooth in flavor. I can also find a bit of pine nuts that carry a touch of bitterness and plenty of seasoned oak.
The alcohol doesn’t sting much at the tip of the tongue, but the heat kicks in surely at the back of the palate. (I can already tell, this will give me a Kentucky hug eventually, and I feel like I have to constantly be on my guard.) A Kentucky chew dials up the alcohol heat dramatically, and leaves a chlorine, grainy, perhaps clove-y flavor in my mouth. It definitely has heat.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Very long. The heat of this one refuses to go away and sits at the back of my palate in particular, waiting for me to let my guard down and give me a Kentucky Hug.
– Between Sips: Apple wood is the predominant flavor between sips and it sits at the sides of palate a great deal. I almost feel as though I could chew it.
– No More: This stays really consistent throughout the pour, with the heat only continuing to build and build. The brininess of the chlorine has escalated a little, but all of the other flavors remain the same.
The empty Glencairn is a warm, stinging oak that is a lot like the nail polish remover from the nose. Nevertheless, aged oak is still present, and the empty glass smells playful and rich.
WORTH THE PRICE?
I think whenever you find a bottle of high proof bourbon at less than $50 USD, it’s a steal, and I’ll continue to maintain that position with this Stagg Jr. offering. This one has plenty of complexity and harshness from a respectable distillery that always will have my attention when new releases are made.
RATING: 92/100
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