Stagg Jr Batch 24D Review
Yes, I know that it is now simply called Stagg, not Stagg Jr. But it’s a habit that I’m not willing to let go. I prefer to refer to the two different Staggs as GTS and Stagg Jr, just to help clarify which Stagg I’m discussing. Soooo…, batch 24D!!? I thought that 3 batches a year in 2023 was a lot, but now, in 2024, Buffalo Trace released four Stagg Jrs in one year, rather than the traditional two. I’m doing this review in July 2025, and so far there has not been a Stagg Jr 25A. Was 24D supposed to be 25A and they just decided to drop it early? Did they just have too much product and needed to move some whiskey? Or will we now get 4 batches per year? (I hope not!!) I’ll ponder these questions while I work on the Stagg Jr batch 24D review. If you have any of the answers, leave a comment below. What is your favorite batch of 2024?
Series: Formerly Stagg Jr, now simply Stagg. 24D is #27.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS (aged at least 4 years per regulations, but rumored to be 7-9 years old)
Proof: 127.4
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, 2024
MSRP: $70 (2024)
Secondary Market: $150 – $300
Availability: Low/Rare – Hard to Find
Stagg Jr Batch 24D Review
July 29, 2025
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 2 weeks), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes.
Legs
Beads began to form on the crown at 10 seconds, the first legs began to fall at about 35 seconds, and the first legs reached the bowl at about 89 seconds. As tears began to form, they kept bleeding together, making the crown thicker, before finally falling.
Nose
Fig, dark caramel, nutmeg, oak, peach?, pears, sweet cherry.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
<Mash & Drum: Mild sweetness, oak, chocolate, like a milk chocolate not dark chocolate, jalapeno or chipotle pepper, some nice spice.
Amongst the Whiskey: A dry candy sweetness, something like a box of Mike and Ike. Another inhale offers sugary sweetness with a slight addition of dried pear and a bit of apple skin. It’s bright, eye-watering, and unbearably proofy in the nose as deep inhales lean into an odd lemon Pledge smell, transporting me to a recently cleaned bathroom. Further inhales produce a nice brown sugar aroma that pairs nicely with the smell of a warm cinnamon raisin bagel slathered with butter. Further deep dives smell like the warm air above a heavily chlorinated indoor pool..
A really distinct cinnamon characteristic that borders on the potency of an Amburana finish. Late in the glass is funky, like good old bourbon from deep in the rick house tends to be, but I can’t quite say I’m too thrilled with the overall nosing experience. The empty glass smells like sweet tarts and a warm baked cherry pie.
Bourbon Kingdom: A sweet note, granny smith apple, a little bit of a medicinal note, some ethanol.
Palate
Semi-sweet with caramel, mild vanilla, baking spices, cinnamon red hots, mild anise, white pepper, fig, maraschino cherry, mild leather, some sweet oak. It drinks hot.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: Mmmm. Dark and funky, and I’m here for it. An oak, funky, sweet profile. I like it. It’s viscous, it’s heavy on the palate. It’s syrupy sweet.
Amongst the Whiskey: My first sip is potent… comes across surprisingly savory. Another sip is more classically bourbon: vanilla hits the tongue first before spreading into cinnamon and nutmeg tones. Everything about this is surprisingly light in flavor, yet potent on the ethanol, which is contradictory to the quality of great old Stagg Junior batches I am used to. Normally these are massive on the flavor knob and quite easy to pick apart for notes, but this glass is being quite shy. Later in the experience, I find a simple cherry note that feels obvious to mention but is really the only reportable impression I can find.
Bourbon Kingdom: (sips and frowns…) Yeah, there it is. That is very strong on the front end. It’s all the worst parts of a cough syrup. It’s overdone. It’s like hot oak. It’s weird. It feels like a lazy batch. A heavy, medicinal cherry cough syrup. And the oak with the heat smacks you right in the palate. It doesn’t drink like a Stagg.
Finish
The finish has a mild drying effect, some astringency (not unpleasant) followed by mild sweetness. Mild caramel, coffee, maraschino cherry.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: An oak funk on the backend.
Amongst the Whiskey: The linger is quite smoldering at times, as classic flavors you can find in just about any Kentucky straight bourbon tumble across the tongue. Your vanilla, cherry, and caramel tones are here in descending order of intensity. My last sip offers clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The glass finishes with a sticky tingle in the gums of simple syrup, mint, and cherry hots.
Bourbon Kingdom: The finish isn’t long.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is silken and pleasant. I think that the heat of the pour (the oak tannins, alcohol and spiciness) detracts from its mouthfeel, puncturing through the mouthfeel with heat.
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
3 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is about what I would expect it to be for something 127.4 proof. In my opinion, this is a “fault” or “black mark” for Stagg 24D, because sooo many of their batches drink well below their proof. So this is an anomaly, and shows a lack of craftmanship in this particular batch when compared to the history of the Buffalo Trace Stagg Jr line.
Still worth the price at msrp! Just not to their usual standard.
Tasting Summary
Stagg (Jr) 24D is mediocre as far as Stagg Jrs go. It’s good, certainly worth MSRP, but not worth secondary prices. Stagg 24D hits the palate hot with alcohol, oak and spice, which lingers through to the finish. It does have a nice sweetness and a some other enjoyable flavors, but the heat and spiciness distracts from those flavors.
Pass, Bar, Buy, or Bunker?
Rating: BAR – Pretty much any Stagg Jr is a BUY in my opinion, but this one is a love/hate relationship. I suggest trying it at a bar if possible. Some reviewers love it, others don’t. I like 24D, I’m glad I got one bottle, but I wouldn’t buy a backup of it. It is definitely in the lower tier of Staggs for me, but perhaps not for you!
Rating Scale:
PASS – I wish that I had never put this in my mouth!
BAR – I don’t love it or hate it…I suggest trying this in a bar before purchasing it.
BUY – I would buy it once…maybe more.
BUNKER – Love this! I want a back-up bottle…or 3.
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
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