Stagg Batch 25C Review
2025 brings us four batches of Stagg again! Is it too much? If you are a collector of Staggs, will you still buy all four, or will you wait to see which batches are best and just purchase those? I’ll grab a pour and begin working on the Stagg Batch 25C review. Leave your thoughts in the comment section. Stagg 25C clocks in at 125.6 proof, which is the lowest proof Stagg (Jr) ever.
I’ve been able to find and purchase Stagg 25A, 25B, and 25C but 25D hasn’t reached my area yet. I’ve been able to taste A, B, and C side by side and although they are good, none of them are particularly outstanding or worth a high secondary price for (in my opinion).
Series: Formerly Stagg Jr, now simply Stagg 25C is #30.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS (aged at least 4 years per regulations, but rumored to be 7-9 years old)
Proof: 125.6
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: Winter, 2025
MSRP: $70 (2025)
Secondary Market: $150 – $250
Availability: Low/Rare – Hard to Find
Stagg Batch 25C Review
January 9, 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 form on the crown at about 10 seconds, the legs begin to form and drop at about 49 seconds, and the first legs reach the bowl at about 82 seconds.
Nose
Caramel, vanilla, mild grape, orchard fruits, some cherry. The nose is pleasant, but not complex or potent. For a Stagg (Jr) it is a little underwhelming.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Whiskey Weather: Cherry, a cola note, some grape.
Amongst the Whiskey: I find a wave of traditional bourbon caramel that runs right down the middle. Black pepper and allspice swing in gentle spice before a wave of decaying fall leaves takes over the experience. Long inhales are a bit metallic but settle into small pops of vanilla and caramel. I can’t say I’m too excited yet nosing through, as the simple aromas come across a bit synthetic. After a long rest, things settle into a comfortable territory that is just simple, classic Buffalo Trace bourbon ramped up to a comfortable proof. Light toffee and candy wrapper aromas fill my nostrils late in the glass. The empty glass smells like graham crackers and vanilla Tootsie Rolls.
Cask in Point: Caramel and grape forward. A little bit of cherry, but I’m definitely getting more of that grape candy, a little bit of cola on this. I say it is a little bit hot.
Palate
Caramel, vanilla extract, brown sugar, black pepper, baking spices, a Dr. Pepper vibe, grape, cherry, a hint of fig and leather, toasted oak, mild barrel char.
For a Stagg, it is good, but not great. It is missing the dark notes that I personally prefer.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Whiskey Weather: Not as sweet as 25B and it has a little more spice on the finish but not overly spicy. The flavors on the nose are a little bit better than the flavors on the palate.
Amongst the Whiskey: I find the black pepper and allspice the nose was touting, as well as the big sploosh of caramel that falls over the entire tongue in a scrawny, thin mouthfeel. Sampling again is a carbon copy of the first, a rather one-note caramel experience. Dutifully plumbing the depths reveals a bit of anise and burnt pancake scraps before a metallic linger takes over. For a seasoned Stagg Man, this is pretty disappointing overall, but if this was your first-ever Stagg batch, I don’t think you would notice as much. Score: 3/5
Cask in Point: Very grape on this one. Then a nice oak structure to it, some vanillas on it. Definitely not a cherry batch. Definitely not an especially great batch, I think, from that first sip.
It does feel like more modern stags are getting a little bit younger, getting a little bit more towards that kind of like cheaper caramel, not as complex vanilla, a little bit younger of an oak structure to it, not as rich. I’m definitely getting a more classic caramel, vanilla. Score: 7.8
Finish
The finish is medium in length with caramel, grape, mild medicinal cherry, some drying sweet oak.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Whiskey Weather: Cinnamon, some oak, slight hint of tobacco, vanilla extract, not sweet vanilla but more towards a bitter baking vanilla. It has a pretty good mouthfeel, buttery but not viscous.
Amongst the Whiskey: Light raspberry tones start to ramp up late in the pour but fail to materialize in a meaningful way. My last sip is mundane yet enjoyable, with more vanilla tones proliferating on a medium-length finish.
Cask in Point: There is the grapiness in though that definitely makes me think it is Stagg, it’s a little bit drying. It’s definitely a medium finish. Honestly though, nothing too special. This is not a batch that I think you absolutely have to have. I think it’s a slightly below average stag for me.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is Creamy.
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
The alcohol burn gets a rating of Low burn. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 120 proof, not 125.6 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
Stagg 25C starts off sweet followed by spice and some pleasant tannic drying on the palate, then returns to sweet on the finish. It is more focused on “bright fruit” and light sweet flavors than on dark fruits and dark flavors (caramel rather than dark caramel, etc.) It’s good, but it lacks the complexity and dark notes that I prefer in a Stagg. It also seems to be a little younger than Staggs from previous years.
A good bourbon for the price, but a letdown compared to other Staggs. I actually prefer Elijah Craig B525 over the Stagg 25C. The ECBP has more flavor.
Of the 2025 Staggs that I’ve tried (I have tasted 25D yet), I like Stagg 25B the best (8.3), 25C second (8.2), and 25A the least (8.1). But of course, your palate may have a different preference, especially since they are so close in rating.
Fun note: I combined equal parts of all three and the blend of 25A, 25B, and 25C was noticeably better than each of them alone.
My Rating – 8.2
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 | 8.2 | 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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