Review #532 - Stagg Jr Batch 16 (2021)
Back when the Stagg bourbon still carried the name of 'Stagg Jr,' batches were released roughly twice per year; this bourbon first arrived in 2013, and we've seen at least 26 batches at this point. Today, we're winding the clock back to the summer of 2021, when Batch 16 was released.
This barrel proof bourbon - uncut and not chill filtered - uses Buffalo Trace's lower rye mashbill, mashbill #1. The age of these batches is generally rumored to be 7 to 9 years, though Stagg doesn't carry an official age statement; with this version, we get a powerful barrel proof of 65.45% ABV (130.9 proof).
Stagg Jr Batch 16
USA - Bourbon
MSRP: USD 65 (2021)
Available Price: USD 200 (2025, based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 65.45% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2021
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Surprisingly mellow considering the strength; caramel and brown sugar bring sweet scents, and a little bit of heat eventually creeps out. Smoky oak, like hickory, and some maple arrive; while the oak is stronger, it doesn't smell too old.
Palate: Pleasant heat at first, and the sugary notes are dominant: cane sugar, caramel, a bit of syrup and molasses. The oak is strong again, bringing some tannins; a milk chocolate note develops later on the palate, and it grows stronger with time.
Finish: A long finish, still leaning sweet, but balanced by those ever-present oak tannins. Brown sugar and vanilla bean combine in the aftertaste, and the heat that built up through the palate stays strong - a cozy finish.
Final Note: There is some heat on the palate of this bourbon, but it really drinks under its proof; nicely put together, though not overly complex, and it doesn't show too much age. For us, this batch leaned into the sugary baking notes, not showing as much of a dominant fruit note that Buffalo Trace products can be known for.
Value at MSRP is great - an instant buy, in our book. We might go up toward $100 for this bottle, but in our minds, the secondary pricing around $200 is definitely too expensive for what this bourbon offers.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating (MSRP): 7.46
Value Rating (Available Price): 5.13
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out other Stagg reviews:
Review #531 - George T. Stagg (2023)
Review #370 - Stagg Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Extinct'
