Rare and selected Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is named after George T. Stagg, an important figure in the history of American whiskey in the 19th century. He was a business partner of E.H. Taylor Jr. and was instrumental in building the distillery that is now known as the Buffalo Trace distillery. This distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, is one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in the USA and survived Prohibition thanks to its licence to produce medicinal whiskey.
Stagg Jr / Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is produced at the renowned Buffalo Trace Distillery. This distillery is also known for many other well-known bourbon whiskeys such as Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Blantons, E.H. Taylor, Weller, Sazerac etc. The distillery s portfolio includes the extremely sought-after and highly priced George T. Stagg (GTS) Bourbon, which is part of the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). GTS is usually over 15 years old and is also cask strength and unfiltered. To offer a similar flavour experience - cask strength, unfiltered, intense - to a wider range of buyers, Buffalo Trace introduced Stagg Jr. around 2013. It was designed as the younger, more accessible little brother of the exquisite and coveted George T Stagg.
The Stagg Jr / Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is made from the Buffalo Trace mash bill #1, which has a relatively low rye content (exact percentages are not official, but it is the same mash as for Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and others). It is bottled without an age statement (NAS - no age statement), although the age of the new white oak casks used is typically around 8-9 years. Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is bottled undiluted, straight from the barrel at barrel strength and not chill-filtered - this retains more oils and esters in the whiskey, which contributes to a fuller mouthfeel and more intense flavour. The alcohol content therefore varies considerably from batch to batch, but is usually very high, often ranging from 60% to over 67% by volume.
Since 2013, Stagg Jr / Stagg has generally been released twice a year in batches. Each batch has a unique batch number (often coded or identifiable by exact alcohol content) and can differ slightly in flavour and alcohol strength from other batches. This makes collecting and comparing different batches of this exceptional and wonderful bourbon whisky particularly interesting for enthusiasts and collectors.
At the end of 2021 / beginning of 2022, Buffalo Trace began to remove the Jr. from the bottle label and the newer bottlings are now simply called Stagg. However, nothing has changed in terms of content, it remains the same bourbon whiskey - younger than the George T. Stagg, but cask strength, unfiltered and bottled in batches. The name change sometimes causes confusion, but the new Stagg is the direct successor to the well-known Stagg Jr.
The Stagg Whiskey is a very intense and flavourful uncut and unfiltered bourbon with a very high alcohol volume, which is very strong and complex on the nose with intense sweetness of caramel, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and notes of dark fruits (especially black cherry, plum), often also some apple or orange with clear oak notes and strong baking spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg). On the palate, Stagg offers an explosive flavour experience with strong and sweet caramel, vanilla and dark chocolate, intense fruit notes (often dominated by cherry), strong spices of cinnamon, black pepper and a robust oak note. The high alcohol content provides a distinct warmth that can be overwhelming for newcomers to cask strength whiskies.
A few drops of water can help to soften the spiciness and release further flavours. The finish is very long, warming and intense. The sweet notes (caramel, chocolate), the oak spice and the baking spices linger for a long time. The Stagg Jr / Stagg Kentucky Straigth Bourbon Whiskey is a bold, powerful and intensely flavoured bourbon for lovers of high-proof whiskeys. It offers much of the character that also characterises the George T. Stagg from the iconic Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but is younger and somewhat more accessible. The variations between the batches make each new release exciting.
