Stagg Junior Bourbon Whiskey, 75 cl

Product Information

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11 Best Whiskeys We Tasted In October 2023, Ranked

Those 18 years of maturation have left this rye with a lot of tannin, and that’s accentuated by the rye’s relatively low proof of 90. Be sure to subscribe to the Whiskey Raiders YouTube channel to stay up to date with plenty of future whiskey content, including Jay’s first-taste reviews of the rest of the 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Stagg is a limited-production bourbon whiskey distributed by Buffalo Trace Distillery, as part of the distillery's " Antique Collection" series.

With an impressively long finish, this rye is oaky without bitterness, complete with toffee and more cherry cola. Maker’s Mark claimed the whiskey cellar aging process lowers the amount of tannin in the final spirit due to the whiskey being exposed to cooler temperatures.

George T. Stagg - Buffalo Trace Distillery George T. Stagg - Buffalo Trace Distillery

Yes, this is a high proof bourbon that reminds you of this fact throughout the sip, however, it never pushes its proof so hard that it makes you want to not go back for more. Many barrel proof bourbons share similar flavor notes of oak, vanilla, caramel, maple, molasses, and brown sugar. There’s nothing inherently flawed with Batch 18, and there's still a lot to enjoy about this batch, but it won’t hit with the same widespread acclaim as previous batches. With a 7-year age statement and a 50% ABV, this rye was distilled from a mashbill with 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley.

Cynthia is a lover of all things related to wine, spirits and story and holds a BA from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television. In the latest video on the Whiskey Raiders YouTube channel, spirits critic Jay West, aka t8ke, tastes and gives his initial reactions to the first expression in the 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: George T. David has worked in journalism since 2015 and has had bylines at Sports Illustrated, Def Pen, the Des Moines Register and the Quad City Times. For Stagg Batch 18, its value takes a slight hit with this batch being more of a miss than a hit compared to recent releases. Be sure to follow our Instagram and ‘Like’ our Facebook page to get all of the latest Bourbon T-shirt releases, new gear and other fun stuff.

Stagg Bourbon Review | Whiskey Raiders 2023 BTAC: George T. Stagg Bourbon Review | Whiskey Raiders

The best whiskey we tasted in October is what West describes as a “killer release” that earned a rare 9/10 rating.It leads to a rich finish that lingers on and on, carrying on those baking spice and brown sugar aromas, with a subtle dash of cherry. With fruity nose loaded with vanilla bean, caramel and butterscotch coupled with a rich palate that West describes as “a win for Eagle Rare at this age,” 2023’s Eagle Rare is a special bourbon indeed. Stagg bourbon, while others now think of the former Stagg Jr line, which has now been shortened to just Stagg.

George T. Stagg Bourbon (2020 Release) Whiskey - Master of Malt

It is the younger statesmen of the iconic bourbon George T Stagg, which is part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

It can be hard to completely capture with words what makes Stagg, Stagg, but all it takes is one sip and you know it. With that said, this Stagg Jr review covers batch 10, the most recent batch as of this posting, released in spring 2018. Whether you’ll be passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, having a scary movie marathon or hosting a Halloween party of your own, whiskey is always a great potion of choice this time of year.