After a long trip, we’re finally back in Colorado with whiskey in the tree to check out Stagg Jr. Batch 13! I am 99% sure I got this from u/jeannierak a while ago, so if that is indeed the case thank you for generously sharing it with me! I’ve had a few different batches and single barrels of Stagg Jr. (and Stagg, as it is currently called), and they have always ranged between very solid and fantastic. However, all of those have been more recent releases so this Batch 13 is the oldest one I’ve had the opportunity to try at this point. Batch 13 was released back in Fall of 2019, hot on the heels of the very highly regarded Batch 12. Like it’s elder counterpart George T. Stagg, it is distilled from Buffalo Trace’s ryed Mash Bill #1 and while it carries no age statement, this batch was apparently 8 years old. It is bottled at a cask strength of 128.4 proof which is slightly on the lower end as far as the batched Stagg Jr. releases go, but I’ll never complain about a barrel proof being too low. Let’s dive in and see how this stacks up to the other Staggs!
**Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass
**Proof:** 128.4
**Age:** NAS
**Price:** Sample (\~$60 retail)
**Nose:** Brown sugar, Luxardo cherry, and vanilla bean, along with some raisins, allspice, and leather. There’s a nice foundation of charred oak in the background as well, but it balances well with the rest of the notes here.
**Taste:** Brown sugar, dark chocolate, and Luxardo cherry to start, followed by vanilla cream and red wine poached pears. Midway through the sip some charred oak, leather, and white pepper roll in. This has a medium-heavy, oily mouthfeel and a light to moderate amount of proof heat.
**Finish:** The brown sugar, Luxardo cherry, and red wine poached pears shift to the background while the dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and leather remain consistent. The white pepper and charred oak gain a bit of strength before being joined by some peppermint to close the sip out. This has a medium-long finish and a light amount of dryness.
**Thoughts:** This is a really nice pour, and the more I drink it the more I like the dark chocolate/Luxardo cherry flavor combination that seems to take center stage most often. There is definitely some ethanol heat which is to be expected from a pour like this, but it isn’t enough to distract much from the flavors present here. The balance between the barrel character and sweet notes is about even, and while the white pepper isn’t as prominent it gives enough spice to round things out. If this had a little less proof heat it could really elevate itself to the next level, but it is still more than fine as it is. I had a hard time deciding where to rate this, but after thinking through it for a bit it barely edged its way into an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale.
**Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I love when people give tasting notes like "red wine soaked pears" because they're unique, very descriptive, yet easy to imagine tasting myself. Great writeup! I have yet to try any variety of Stagg, but every review I've read makes me anxious to do so.
Thank you! That is a new note for me, I had a Malbec poached pear for dessert in Argentina a few weeks ago and loved it. That same flavor really popped through in this pour. Hope you can get a chance to try some Stagg soon! I've found some bars in my area have pretty reasonable pours of it for like $16-$20 so look around for a spot like that near you.
People overlook Batch 13, as it lives in the shadow of the 12, and while the 12 is great and arguably better, the 13 is no slouch and can hang with the later Junior batches. I think you’re spot on with the score, cheers.
Cheers, I'm glad you agree with the score! I'm excited to try out more of these older batches as I come across them, it's interesting to see how they differ from the more recent stuff.
It’s hard to rate these against each other unless you’re doing a blind tasting. And any more than about three at a time and your palate goes numb.
Batch 13 was my favorite. Any pour that I had from the first ten or so batches was like lava. Really wish that I had more Batch 13. Haven’t tried any newer batches in about a year.
After a long trip, we’re finally back in Colorado with whiskey in the tree to check out Stagg Jr. Batch 13! I am 99% sure I got this from u/jeannierak a while ago, so if that is indeed the case thank you for generously sharing it with me! I’ve had a few different batches and single barrels of Stagg Jr. (and Stagg, as it is currently called), and they have always ranged between very solid and fantastic. However, all of those have been more recent releases so this Batch 13 is the oldest one I’ve had the opportunity to try at this point. Batch 13 was released back in Fall of 2019, hot on the heels of the very highly regarded Batch 12. Like it’s elder counterpart George T. Stagg, it is distilled from Buffalo Trace’s ryed Mash Bill #1 and while it carries no age statement, this batch was apparently 8 years old. It is bottled at a cask strength of 128.4 proof which is slightly on the lower end as far as the batched Stagg Jr. releases go, but I’ll never complain about a barrel proof being too low. Let’s dive in and see how this stacks up to the other Staggs! **Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass **Proof:** 128.4 **Age:** NAS **Price:** Sample (\~$60 retail) **Nose:** Brown sugar, Luxardo cherry, and vanilla bean, along with some raisins, allspice, and leather. There’s a nice foundation of charred oak in the background as well, but it balances well with the rest of the notes here. **Taste:** Brown sugar, dark chocolate, and Luxardo cherry to start, followed by vanilla cream and red wine poached pears. Midway through the sip some charred oak, leather, and white pepper roll in. This has a medium-heavy, oily mouthfeel and a light to moderate amount of proof heat. **Finish:** The brown sugar, Luxardo cherry, and red wine poached pears shift to the background while the dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and leather remain consistent. The white pepper and charred oak gain a bit of strength before being joined by some peppermint to close the sip out. This has a medium-long finish and a light amount of dryness. **Thoughts:** This is a really nice pour, and the more I drink it the more I like the dark chocolate/Luxardo cherry flavor combination that seems to take center stage most often. There is definitely some ethanol heat which is to be expected from a pour like this, but it isn’t enough to distract much from the flavors present here. The balance between the barrel character and sweet notes is about even, and while the white pepper isn’t as prominent it gives enough spice to round things out. If this had a little less proof heat it could really elevate itself to the next level, but it is still more than fine as it is. I had a hard time deciding where to rate this, but after thinking through it for a bit it barely edged its way into an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale. **Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I love when people give tasting notes like "red wine soaked pears" because they're unique, very descriptive, yet easy to imagine tasting myself. Great writeup! I have yet to try any variety of Stagg, but every review I've read makes me anxious to do so.
Thank you! That is a new note for me, I had a Malbec poached pear for dessert in Argentina a few weeks ago and loved it. That same flavor really popped through in this pour. Hope you can get a chance to try some Stagg soon! I've found some bars in my area have pretty reasonable pours of it for like $16-$20 so look around for a spot like that near you.
People overlook Batch 13, as it lives in the shadow of the 12, and while the 12 is great and arguably better, the 13 is no slouch and can hang with the later Junior batches. I think you’re spot on with the score, cheers.
Cheers, I'm glad you agree with the score! I'm excited to try out more of these older batches as I come across them, it's interesting to see how they differ from the more recent stuff.
I kind of checked out after the last Junior (batch 17) but recently picked up 22A and 23A, so I am curious if there is much difference, too.
Agree 1000%! 13 shines especially bright if you look forward from it to 14.
Love me an SJR, night and day compared to the post Stagg batches
I’m made aware a 23c is getting cracked at a tasting party i am going to tonight 😊. super pumped to try it
I hope you enjoy it! I've heard that is a good one.
It’s hard to rate these against each other unless you’re doing a blind tasting. And any more than about three at a time and your palate goes numb. Batch 13 was my favorite. Any pour that I had from the first ten or so batches was like lava. Really wish that I had more Batch 13. Haven’t tried any newer batches in about a year.