750mL bottle- $79.99
- Purchased from Richland Wine & Spirits
Background
I went back to the liquor store looking for something special. The previous visit I had seen a bottle of Blanton’s, something I’ve tried but never purchased…it was gone. Talking with one of the guys there, he told me they had some other “allocated” stuff behind the counter, so I asked what would be in the same price range…I didn’t want to go completely crazy, apocalypse or not. After a few names, he came across one I was actually eager to try…Stagg Jr., a product of the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Stagg Jr has been produced in fairly regular batches since 2013. All batches have an 8-year-old age statement and vary in proof because they are all “barrel proof” and “unfiltered.” This 13th release is 64.2% ABV, for a proof of 128.4. While the list price is about $60 a bottle, the $80 I paid appears to be about average in my area.
The back of the bottle tells this story:
George T. Stagg was born in Kentucky on December 19, 1835. Stagg built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century on the banks of the Kentucky River, during a time known as the Gilded Age of Bourbon. The Distillery survived floods, fires, droughts and even Prohibition—when it made whiskey for medicinal purposes. Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery strives to carry on the tradition of its famous forefather. Uncut and unfiltered, this robust bourbon whiskey ages for nearly a decade and boasts the bold character that is reminiscent of the man himself.
Modern Thirst has a chart that shows the mash bill for Stagg Jr as “Buffalo Trace Bourbon Mash Bill #1,” which is 75% corn, 10% rye, and 15% barley, entering the barrel at 125 proof. It is also used for Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Col. E.H. Taylor, and Benchmark 8. I have tried all those and it’s really interesting to see what age and barrel management can produce.
Some background provided by The Bourbon Review and Modern Thirst.
Notes
The first very impressive thing about Stagg Jr is just how dark the bourbon is in the bottle. It was a deep amber shade that made even more impressive by the black label on the back of the bottle, making the whiskey look even darker from certain angles. Poured into the glass, it’s not quite as dark, but it is a dark orange-red color that still speaks of lots of time spent aging in a barrel.
Nosing it, the first thing I got was an overwhelming amount of alcohol vapors. Hey, this stuff really is high in alcohol content! Probably best not to stick your nose way down into a glass that funnels everything into one spot, like a snifter or Glencairn. Backing off a bit, I got outrageous notes of vanilla and caramel overlaying lesser notes of charred oak, dark fruit, and honey.
The first sip—with the full 128.4 proof liquor—was hot, spicy, and amazing. Before the alcohol vapors took over, I got a fantastic caramel sweetness with vanilla and fruit notes. I did sip a full two ounces of this just like that the first time I had it; while it was enjoyable I couldn’t help but thinking I was missing something in all the spicy heat.
It’s usually against my religion, but I elected to add a decent amount of water, which would bring down the proof, extend the amount of time I could be sipping on this dram, and—hopefully—allow more flavor to come through. My first attempt at free form water addition yielded something still fairly spicy, but with a more intense fruitiness that had distinct cherry notes, added to the caramel and fruit, which did not diminish at all. Really, this is one of those whiskies that will really benefit from adding some water.
The first pairing I made with Stagg Jr was with a Davidoff Series 702 and it went very well, being typical-of-Davidoff very complex, while also maintaining a medium-plus body. The day I wrote this, I paired it with a Tabernacle No. 142, a complex and full-bodied Nicaraguan-based blend. The bourbon brought a special sweetness that the cigar doesn’t really have on its own, and even with the addition of water, it outpaced the cigar in terms of spiciness.
This is truly a fantastic bourbon that I am very glad I tried, especially if we are indeed at the end of the world (we’re not). Get a bottle if you can find it and if you can afford it. Just don’t get used to it…it’s at least a little different every year and you’ll have a hard time finding a steady supply.
