Stagg Jr Batch 24A Review
It is September 2024 and the first batch of Stagg (Jr.) has finally showed up in my area…what took soooo long?! Other first batches of Stagg Jr’s (not letting go of the name!) usually show up much earlier in the year. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the first batch has been released later than August…or perhaps it just took this long to hit Washington State. Let’s pour a dram and see if the Stagg Jr Batch 24A review stacks up to it’s predecessors!
Series: Formerly Stagg Jr, now simply Stagg
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS (aged at least 4 years per regulations, but rumored to be 7-9 years old)
Proof: 127.6
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
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Company: Sazerac Company
Distilled/Aging Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Release Date: Autumn, 2024
MSRP: $70 (2024)
Secondary Market: $150 – $300
Availability: Low/Rare – Hard to Find
Stagg Jr Batch 24A Review
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: Open Bottle (24 hours), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes.
The Fresh Crack (Neck Pour) was tight and constrained with a mildly sour, astringent flavor which made first impressions not so great. But, going back to it 24 hours later made a big difference, and the pour was better.
Legs
The legs are pretty decent, with beads forming at about 12 seconds, the first legs forming at about 33 seconds, which then bleed together before finally starting to fall, reaching the bowl at about 79 seconds.
Nose
Cherry, light caramel, some raisin, sweet oak, ethanol, and mild tobacco.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: Big, earthy barrel funk leads the way. Dry pear, apricot, and peach can be found on deep pulls from the potent pool of liquid. Pound cake, boozy strawberry daiquiri, black pepper, and a strong wall of ethanol make this hard to get into right away. After a bit of rest, nutmeg, confectioners’ sugar, peach rings, brown sugar, and potent oak. As the glass finds its balance, notes of creamed corn bubble up.
Coming back after a few sips reveals pie crust. Black pepper and bright ethanol become prevalent on long inhales. Creamy vanilla tones hang on late in the glass. Flashes of men’s deodorant, a freshly lit match, and goldenrod. The empty glass smells of caramel chews and a rocky pathway through the woods.
Miner Stuff: These brothers are fun to listen to. Matt: I like the nose. Some fruitiness, vanilla, caramel, some peach. It’s a good, sweet nose.
Pat: Kind of a plain nose. I’m getting traditional hints of leather, vanilla, caramel. It’s ethanol forward.
EveryDay Drinker: Sweet sugar cookie, a little orange zest. It’s super light. I’m getting light fruits…strawberries, raspberries, light strawberry preserves. It’s nice. It’s not bringing dark, deep oak. It’s bringing a little bit of milk chocolate and a punch of espresso. It’s very light and inviting. Light chocolate fudge.
Palate
Caramel, sweet cherry, baking spices, a hint of cloves, cinnamon, toffee, a touch of molasses, mild vanilla, toasted oak, fig, leather, tobacco, a hint of cocoa. Sweetness hits first but is quickly over powered by spiciness and alcohol. All of the flavor notes (except for the spices) are lighter, more delicate and nuanced than the traditional Stagg dark, powerful notes. Rather boring compared to other Stagg Jr’s.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: Wow, this is a wickedly off-profile Stagg batch. It leads with this low, brooding, rumbling, dark profile of mustard seed, patchouli, and charcoal. Another sip and swish reveals more traditional tones of caramel, molasses, and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is on the thicker side with a tingly linger that doesn’t get too poppy or effervescent. Sipping further produces a distant, vague sweetness that lands somewhere in between an ice cream shop and a candy store. The tingly linger dances the most excitedly up in the gums as Arcor strawberry bon bons meet sour patch watermelon candy and coconut ice cream. The heat of this pour is quite apparent if you don’t sip it carefully. My last taste is buttery and bold with black tea, camphor, and coffee cake.
Score: 3.5/5
Miner Stuff: Matt: It’s good. It comes off a little warm, but I’m not getting as bad of a Kentucky hug as you are. There is a lot of pepper notes and there’s a lot of baking spice notes on the back side. It’s delicious. It has a long finish to it…It’s delicious but not what I would normally have guessed for the Stagg quality. You get pepper right on the very front, then leather, a little vanilla, some grape, and then the baking spice comes in like a freaking plow truck. I’m a huge Stagg fan, but I’m not really loving this bottle.
Pat: It has a huge Kentucky hug to it. This drinks hot. It has a long finish. I’m not liking this one. I’m thinking that they dropped the ball on this bottle. I’m getting vanilla, charred oak, and a ton of baking spice, and it’s drinking hot. I am not a fan.
EveryDay Drinker: I love barrel proof Buffalo Trace, but this is not your traditional, dark, deep cola, deep rich cherry with a little bit the of back bone of that barrel. Instead, this is a very light introduction to Stagg Jr. The nose aromas appear on the palate. It’s really, really good. It’s very viscous. Shaved orange zest on a graham cracker. Light espresso and fudge wafer cookie. The flavors are very light and subtle. It might be comparable to some of the better Stagg batches, but in a different way because of how unique this pour is.
Finish
The finish is medium in length, with baking spices and a longer one-note tone of light caramel.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Amongst the Whiskey: The finish is short to medium, but incredibly comfortable and enjoyable as a caramel drizzle layers over a crunchy salted pretzel rod.
Miner Stuff: Matt: Lots of baking spice.
Pat: The finish is really long with baking spice.
EveryDay Drinker: na
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is ok but it’s a bit over-powered by spice and alcohol. For me, a good mouthfeel will not only coat the palate, but will also mask the heat from the spiciness and alcohol components. I’ve had 130+ proof pours that have felt less “hot” than this one.
The Burn
4 out of 5. 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 127.6 proof.
Tasting Summary
This batch seems a little unbalanced. There are spikes of sweetness, spiciness, and oak, rather than a harmonious flow between flavors. Although Stagg 24A is good, it is a disappointment compared to other Staggs. Is it younger, or perhaps an off year, or simply just a new flavor profile they are playing with?? It is definitely “off profile”, different, lighter and spicier than other Stagg Jr’s. In my opinion, 23A, 23B (sorry Ryan!), and 23C were all a good deal better, with 22B & 23A (my recent favorites) significantly outshining 24A. In fact, out of the 13 batches that I have tried, batch 24A is my least favorite.
Having said that, Stagg 24A is certainly still good, and worth $80…but in my opinion, not worth bunkering a bottle and not worth secondary prices of over $100. Save your money and buy something you know you’ll enjoy…or pay more money for a better Stagg Jr. Sad to say, this one is a disappointment when stacked next to others.
My Rating
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 | 7.8 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
| Availability Score | 2 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
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.
Notes
Rumor has it that Stagg 24A was produced in more volume than other batches and therefore might be more available than previous batches. Let me know in the comments if you find this true in your region.
For detailed info on the history of George T. Stagg and Stagg Jr, check-out this blog post by Amongst the Whiskey.
If you found this Stagg Jr Batch 24A review helpful, forward it to a friend!
