3. Stagg Jr.
George T. Stagg built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century, during a time known as the Gilded Age of Bourbon. Uncut and unfiltered, this robust bourbon whiskey ages for nearly a decade and boasts the bold character that is reminiscent of the man himself.
Although the barrel proof options are growing, there are still a limited number of options out there. Consumers are demanding higher proof offerings and we’re seeing those move fairly quickly off the shelves. This is a limited batch release, meaning that Buffalo Trace has been releasing this in fairly small batches 3-4 times annually at varying proofs as enough bourbon meets the desired flavor profile. It’s deliberately inferior to George T. Stagg, as this is necessary to maintain the status of that annually released product as a top notch and sought after bourbon, with Stagg Jr being a prelude to what is to come only once a year. Elijah Craig is also doing this with their barrel proof offering, and we have seen that move very quickly from the liquor store shelves as well. The flavor profile of Stagg Jr may not be to my liking, but it is unique none-the-less. From other opinions I’ve read that the releases vary in quality and they seem to be getting better as time progresses. Bourbon enthusiasts will need to try this themselves in order to make their own determination. For me, it’s uniqueness of flavor is the best thing Stagg Jr has going for it.
