Stagg 26A Review
“Stagg Jr Batch 26A”
Stagg Jr 26A arrived earlier than last year’s batch 25A and I was lucky enough to find it at MSRP! I’m hoping that this batch will be as good as 25D, which was my favorite of last year’s releases. Personally, I’m not really liking have 4 batches of Stagg Jr a year. I feel compelled to hunt and purchase all of them to add to my collection. But with so many releases I am vacillating between buying every batch and waiting to see what reviews are like so I can only purchase the ones that fit my palate profile. Never thought I’d be complaining about too many Stagg Jrs! Is anyone else having experiencing this struggle? Anyway, it is always a pleasure to “work” through a tasting of any Stagg, so I’ll pour a Glen and get to work on this Stagg 26A review.
Series: Formerly Stagg Jr, now simply Stagg 26A is #32.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS (aged at least 4 years per regulations, but rumored to be 7-9 years old)
Proof: 129.3
Proof Designation: Barrel Proof
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Buffalo Trace Mash #1, undisclosed but speculated to be 82% Corn, 8% Rye, 10% Barley
Still Type: Column Still then Pot Still
Char Level: 4
Entry Proof: 125
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Company: Sazerac Company
Distilled/Aging Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Harlen Wheatley
Release Date: Spring, 2026
MSRP: $70 (2026)
Secondary Market: $150 – $200
Availability: Low/Rare – Some Hunting Required
Stagg 26A Review
July 1, 2026
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads formed on the crown at about 5 seconds, the first legs began falling at about 23 seconds, and the first legs reached the bowl at about 43 seconds. The legs fell in tight streams, very close to each other.
Nose
Grape, dark caramel, brown sugar, graham cracker, sweet oak, vanilla.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: On first lifting the glass, I find barrel funk coming across on an even keel. Boozy vanilla follows on a longer inhale. Typical oak wood spice develops with a little time in the glass, bringing along allspice and black pepper. Hints of strawberry milk can be found on intensely long inhales. Barrel funk and vanilla continue to be the dominant tones, reminding me of the simplicity of Batch 16. After a long rest, much of the experience is consistently the same with a bit more caramel coming through now. After a sip, some darker molasses tones swing in alongside the breadiness of the palate.
Whiskey Weather: I am a big fan of this. Dark and sweet. Some nice burnt caramel, toffee, rich vanilla, to along with some dark cherries, mature yet sweet oak, and then it rounds out with the classic Buffalo Trace grapiness.
Old Fashioned Ways: On the nose it smells below its proof. A good old Stagg nose on this. Light vanilla, there’s more citrus in this. A very pleasant aroma.
Palate
The palate is light and fruity-sweet, not dark. Light caramel, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mild baking spices, sweet cherry, very mild grape, new leather, mild barrel char. There is also a blackberry note. The ethanol heat is definitely present.
Once the bottle was about 25% empty I finally picked up a chocolate note that others had mentioned but was not evident to me. Perhaps getting past the “neck pour” helped open it up more.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: My first sip is approachable and round with globs of caramel and chewy chocolate chip granola bar vibes. Another sip reveals a distinctly bready whiskey, something like wheat toast mixed with plain waffle. Chewing on this further reveals dark cola tones with a tingling linger that doesn’t want to leave my gums. Hints of cherry and butter give this an approachable mouthfeel but a rather forgettable complexity for the long-term whiskey enthusiast. It’s approachable as can be, but not something that feels all that Staggy to me. es swing in alongside the breadiness of the palate. Score: 3 out of 5.
Whiskey Weather: It is really good but it is also quite hot. The caramels and cherries from the nose are right there on the palate. Through the mid-palate a get a little bready note and some molasses. Score: 8.0 out of 10.
Old Fashioned Ways: A little bit spicy, sweet, citrusy. You do taste the proof. You do feel it. Staggish, spicy up front. I’m getting a nice hug. It has more baking spices, pepper up front than most Staggs do. Then goes into a little bit of caramel notes, some citrus notes. The mouthfeel is good, especially on the roof of the mouth.
Finish
Medium finish with brown sugar, vanila extract, cherry, and grape.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: My last sip is gone with little fanfare, leaving me with the consistent chewy granola bar, caramel, and wood spice on a medium finish.
Whiskey Weather: On the finish there is a whole lot of heat & spice that take over. The spice is in the form of cinnamon as well as some pepper. I get a decent amount of barrel char as well as a whole lot of oak. There is a little bit of cherry and a hint of leather.
Old Fashioned Ways: A little bitter on the finish, like a little citrus orange peel. I still like it but it’s one of those notes that are a little off-putting to me.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel of Stagg 26A is Silken.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide:
Thin = Watery
Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating
Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does
Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
Average. This means that the burn from the alcohol is about what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 125 – 130 proof.
The Burn Rating Guide:
Very Low = it drinks like it is a much lower proof
Low = it drinks like it is a little lower proof
Average = the heat is about what I would expect
Hot = it is hotter than what I would expect
Scorching! = it drinks much hotter than what I would expect
Tasting Summary
Fruit and sweetness hit the palate first with sweet cherry, brown sugar and grape. Next, mild baking spices make their appearance along with some new leather, mild barrel char and vanilla extract (as opposed to the darker flavor of Madagascar vanilla which I love). Most of the flavors are more bright than dark. The proof is definintely present.
Overall Stagg 26A is pleasant and enjoyable, but is lacking the complexity and darker flavors of some other Stagg Jrs. For me, I liked Stagg 25D more than this one. But having said that, it is certainly worth the MSRP price and is better than many other bourbons that sport a similar price.
Here is a summary of other Stagg Jrs that I’ve reviewed along with release dates and batch numbers.
My Rating – 8.3
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.3 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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