Stagg Jr. Batch 17 Bourbon
That’s right, you heard it elsewhere first - this will be the last Stagg Jr. that will have the Jr. on it. From now on, it will simply be called Stagg - not George T. Stagg, which will remain the flagship of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but simply Stagg.
Yep, that won’t get confusing at all.
Back in September, when Buffalo Trace announced that the annual George T. Stagg release would be skipped for 2021, it dominated the whiskey world for days. Hell, people who barely knew me but knew I liked whiskey sent me NY Times articles and any other publication you can imagine would carry the story.
Two months later, second week of November, Buffalo Trace announced that Stagg Jr. Batch 17 would be the last with the Jr. on its label. This news was greeted by much less fanfare, generally seen as a cash grab that would ultimately just be Buffalo Trace recognizing consumer trends and making another already allocated product more allocated.
Seriously….when you say “I’m looking for Stagg” now you’ll have to specify what you mean. Disregard that it won’t see a shelf but still!
Ugh. Anyway…
This has a WEIRD nose to it. I’ve tried it twice now and the nose can only be described as soapy. Not floral or perfumy - soapy. Never had that on any Stagg ever. Thankfully the rest is more in-line.
The palate is a cherry-chocolate proof bomb. So classic Stagg. There is, however, a distinctively older edge here. It’s not oaky to the point of a GTS necessarily, but it is clearly older than other batches. I found this in Batch 16, too, hence my guess that the two products will shortly be merged. The Stagg Jr. is getting older and the George T. Stagg isn’t good enough to release.
Just my guess…but there it is.
Oh and that massive haul in the picture above? Courtesy of my friend Chris, who has a rare bourbon magnet in his car that is so insanely powerful he should have a license for it.
Stagg Jr. Batch 17 Bourbon Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1
Proof: 128.7 (64.35% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Kentucky
Stagg Jr. Batch 17 Bourbon Whiskey Price: $69.99
Stagg Jr. Batch 17 Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Maple syrup. No rims, beady droplets.
Nose: Odd, almost soapy nose, oaky too. Barrel-aged soap? Very tight otherwise….hints of cherry popping through but only just.
Palate: Cherry and oak bomb explodes - this is definitely older, like the Batch 16. The oak is astringent but also creamy. A coating of dark chocolate followed by tannic maple candies and cola syrup. Mouthfeel is spicy and coating, opening more of the same flavors. Not overly complex, but more forward like an older Stagg (i.e. GTS) would be.
Finish: Luden’s candies, oaky proof heat, and a punch of spicy rye on a fairly long finish. Might be the best part of the pour after that odd nose.
Overall: The finish is fantastic and the palate is very good, but that nose is borderline awful. Maybe it just needs air?
Final Rating: 6.5
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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