Review #855 - Stagg Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Missing in Action'
For most Stagg bourbons, we don't get an age statement; for this single barrel, though, the bar that picked it (The Wiseguy Lounge) tells us when it was barreled and bottled, so we know that it's 8 years and 8 months old. That's a decent amount of age for a bourbon, but not quite into the double-digit ages that bring lots of complexity and maturity; this could be a nice balanced bourbon, then, with a combination of oak and distillate character.
This Stagg single barrel also comes with a punchy proof point of 131.2 proof (65.6% ABV), so flavor should be in no short supply.
Stagg Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Missing in Action'
USA - Bourbon
MSRP: USD 60 (2026)
Available Price: USD 150 (2026, based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: 8 Years
Strength: 65.6% ABV
Details: Warehouse P, barrel #008; barreled March 15, 2016; bottled December 6, 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Rich with somewhat strong oak, but lots of dark sweet and spicy notes: molasses, licorice, dark medicinal cherries, and grapes. There's some vanilla which mixes with a Cognac-like scent, and notes of coffee build.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thick, full of rich notes like molasses, strong oak, chocolate, and dark cherry juice. Candied strawberries bring sweetness, while anise and some tobacco bring a spicy side. It's quite intense overall.
Finish: Soft tobacco smoke lingers, showing more age than we expected. Welches grape juice and some tannic oak combine later in the finish, which has a medium length.
Final Note: Very, very good bourbon - this is probably the best 'Stagg' bourbon that we've tried outside of the George T. Stagg BTAC release. The oak is strong but measured, and there's a fantastic red fruit note in this single barrel - we see that a lot with Buffalo Trace bourbons, but it was particularly strong here. A very dark, intense, sweet and spicy whisky, this was a real treat.
At MSRP, this is amazing value, one of the highest we've ever rated. Even at the currently secondary rate for Stagg, which seems to be around $150 or so, the value is still decent - this single barrel packs great flavor.
Our Rating: 8.8 / 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): 8.99
Value Rating (Available Price): 6.62
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.
