The Stagg bottlings out of Buffalo Trace require next to no introduction at this point. Although Stagg is commonly associated with the barrel strength bourbon line, the name is taken from George T. Stagg, who worked as a shoe salesman and enlisted in the U.S. Civil War prior to becoming involved with spirits. In time, Stagg would come to work with the now-renowned Colonel E.H. Taylor. The story and dynamic between these two giants is well publicized but not necessarily common knowledge. To say they had a trickly relationship would be putting it mildly.

Be that as it may, Stagg as a brand quickly turned from opinion-splitting to obsessively coveted. More recent developments included the omission of a 2021 George T. Stagg release for the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, as well as the Stagg (formerly Jr.) line (George T. Stagg bottlings at roughly half the age and released bi-annually). Today we’ll be taking a step back in time to Stagg Jr. Batch 13, the second batch of 2019. This was my first time trying a Stagg product and is also the only Stagg bottle I’ve owned. It set me back $90 at the time. I recently polished said bottle off, so now’s as good a time as any to revisit it.

Nose: Cherry candy, warm caramel, maple syrup, and a presence of mulled grapes. Vanilla with an underlying essence of pipe tobacco and a touch of chocolate to complement the big cherry aroma.

Palate: Toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, and grapes enhanced by a richening texture. Strong cherry pie and cordial flavor in a positively decadent way. Bit of varnish develops, too.

Finish: Moderately lengthy. Lighter brown sugars and cherry candy. Leather, berries, and caramel. Fruity, herbal tea, and more vanilla.

It’s not hard to understand why the Stagg line as a whole is so celebrated. Even the lesser releases provide a rich experience that, for the properly acquainted drinker, should be easy to appreciate. And if you get one of the better bottlings? Well, let’s just say a small part of you might feel compelled to chase the ever-elusive antlers. Stagg Jr. Batch 13 fits snuggly in the middle for my palate. Put another way, it’s notably stronger than many other bottlings with similar specs, including the suggested retail price.

These days the idea of paying less than triple digits for a Stagg release feels like catching lightning in a bottle. The initial Jr. releases sat on shelves for around $50 with “hot mess” being among the descriptions many drinkers assigned to them. I felt guilty about paying $90 for my bottle at the time, but now? That kind of price range is hardly unheard of (just look at Nashville Barrel Company and Old Elk). This is on top of bottles from more established names going up (see: Booker’s and Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel). Of course, recent non-Antique Collection Stagg bottles can easily fetch close to or over $300 on secondary, and I’ve yet to have a whiskey that justifies that kind of money.

Stagg Jr. Batch 13 in and of itself is a solid bourbon, one that high-proof fans would handily enjoy. It’s a proofy, fruity candy-forward experience with little to spare in terms of subtlety. I’m happy to have owned a bottle and revisited it time and again, but I’d be remiss if I said it justifies the hype and prices people handily shell out for it. Is it so easy to find an available bottle that delivers an identical experience? No. Yet I don’t think the average consumer will be able to tell that much of a difference without doing semi-blind tastings. At that point, the effort might be better served by exploring other, more affordable options at a bar.