We are featuring this as Whiskey of the Month at the store I'm working at. I have to say, fantastic whiskey for the price. After about 3 sips, the heat faded for me. I did find similar notes. This video is an awesome resource for helping me help my customers! Thanks guys!
Currently sitting in a tent at full throttle saloon in Sturgis. Just drove up from Maryland. Best friend and I are celebrating with a bottle of stagg jr batch ten, have to say it's amazing. To me it's a barrel proof buffalo trace
I had a glass of Dad Stagg on my travels to KY and my God! It was the 2017 expression from the BTAC at 64% ABV. Such an explosion of flavor with literally none of the alcohol burn I was expecting. It drank like a 45% ABV bourbon which blew my mind. Never had anything like it. I just sampled the entire Pappy line a week ago too. Didn't find it nearly as good as that Dad Stagg. It may be the best bourbon I've ever had.
Youd be wrong.... I drink it neat and its my favorite!! I am mad that I have to allocate it to myself because its so hard to find. Eagle rare and EH Talyor are my daily drinkers
I also just saw you on the Modern Rogue show and I am a huge bourbon lover to the point I would like to become a connoisseur. So I am always wanting to learn more. Glad I found your show!
I had two bottles this past year and I loved it. It was my first barrel proof whiskey and I really enjoyed it. I’ve explored other barrel proof bottles since then and I’m thankful to Stagg Jr for starting that journey. I’m looking forward to getting another bottle this year and seeing how my tastes have changed.
I love your theory at the 3 min mark about people convincing themselves that they actually like it. Early in my whiskey journey, I had similar thoughts about Islays. Personally I love this one & struggle to find heavily peated things I like, so i use you two as my metric. If it is a high-proof bourbon that you dislike and describe as bitey or fractured or comment on the complexity of, it goes on my list of things to try; if you describe an islay as being medicinal, complex, overly smokey or challenging and you love it, i steer the other way.
Karl, you summed up my thoughts. I have started doing the same. I think I have convinced myself I like Ardbeg. I seriously dislike Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, etc. Maybe I wanted to enjoy those to be cool? I don't know. I have recently started back down the bourbon path as I quickly jumped to Scotch and have spent quite a bit of time there.
Just tried the stagg jr today! It was fantastic. Full of flavor and didn't taste like a high proof bourbon. I need to find myself a bottle now. It was love at first sip.
This is *TRULY* the first whiskey that I looked at the glass and said *HOLY SHIT* out loud after my first sip.......and I’ve been exploring bourbon, scotch and Irish whiskies for a couple of years. Hands down my absolute favorite spirit to date! 🥃🥃🤤🤤
Had this on Fri Memorial day weekend. Kicked my ass. If you can get thru the alcohol there is a lot of complexity. Had some Eagle Rare just after that and the ER was smooth as silk and incredible. Flavors just popped. The Stagg woke up the palate.
Last night I had stagg Jr for the first time. It reminded me of burned sugar and the dryness of A malbec wine. In short, I love it. And I must have many bottles of it.
I got onto your channel from the modern rouge and love the idea. I'd love if you guys could look at some of the Australia, and specifically Tasmanian whisky (one of the few good things to come out of Tasmania). I'd love to know what you think of the whisky from Australia and how it compares to some of the more established whisky's.
The only thing I have in the vault right now is Starward, but we'll do it! Starward is amazing. We also have "Big Black Cock" from Mt Uncle Distillery. Doubt I'll ever be able to do a video on that one, though ;-)
Wizard Academy I think there's a different site for those reviews :P I've heard very good things about Nant whisky as well, and Sullivan's Cove if you can somehow managed to get your hands on it. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on my native whisky's!
I picked up a Glenfiddich gift set yesterday so I could get my hands on the 12 and the 18 year old to test them out. Not a fan of the 12, it seems a little harsh. It did come with a copita style glass which I am looking forward to testing vs the glencairn glass. I am guessing you have a Norlan style glass lying around (honestly I think you have a spreadsheet of glass taste tests), how does it fare vs the glencairn?
I love the glass comparisons. I find the glencairn classic is great at focusing smells, but several other glasses are truly pleasant to use. The Norlan (the new one) is a beautiful glass, but I find it a bit too bulky and the lip of the glass too wide. One of my all time favorite glasses is the Bottega del Vino Whisky Tot. Freakishly expensive, but a true art piece of simplicity. But dollar for dollar, nothing beats the Glencairn.
I mean, I do love me some coffee, dark chocolate, and tobacco... I might have to give this a try. I'm a little confused because you guys talk about how it's very complex but then daniel says it's all wood and corn syrup...
Hey guys, I am currently going through all the episodes in order. Recently I bought George Dickel Rye. I am new to rye and wanted to try something that was affordable. It would be interesting to see your take on it. Cheers!
@@nolenlifts4661 Damn. I was just in Niagara and was looking for Stagg Jr. after having my first few glasses of it months ago. Now they had no Stagg Jr. but as a consolation prize I scored the 2019 George T Stagg :)
Dang for a beginner scotch drinker looking at compass box under $100 I'd recommend the Spaniard or one of the great king streets. Maybe Peat Monster. Spice tree and oak cross both have a heavy black pepper tone, at least for me, that can take work and time to get comfortable with. Just my two cents, love the Compass Box. Never had the Stagg jr
You're tired of my comments by now for sure, but... I swear, this one is different! It occurred to me, we all out here on the other side of the screen are watching free videos. UA-cam means interesting content, all for free. A couple of seconds of watching an 'Ad' sometimes... these Whisky Vault episodes aren't even causing 'Adds' to show up (Thank You!). Man, does this sound like Mooching to you? We are all Mooching the free videos. Game changer, eh? Cheers! (You guys just saved me the cost of a bottle of Stagg Jr. I had it as a next purchase. Nope, that one can wait. Thanks.)
the temperature thing is why you drink stuff like Bud Light very very cold ( becuse it tast like shit) but something like Guinness (very good for a "mass market" beer) you drink a little warmer
This one is heading down the super-nerdy rabbit hole, but it essentially comes down to the chemical compounds created during aging that are responsible for flavors in all kinds of foods. Get the book, "Taste Buds and Molecules" by Francois Chartier. It will blow your mind as he shows you how chemical compounds in beverages can be lined up with totally unexpected foods to mirror bring out things in each other that are common.
The first time I tried any Whiskey, it was Jack Daniels... And I hated it! I could not understand how anyone could enjoy drinking something that tasted that bad. Years later, I enjoyed drinking it straight. The first time I tried Laphroaig, I only tasted smoke. I appreciated that it was of quality, but it just wasn't for me. Now, I can't imagine not having it as part of my collection. It is one of my favorite drinks. Stagg Jr falls into a similar category. At first it is a slap in your face. You simply need a bit of time of slow sipping for it to warm up to you. It is one of the few drinks that I will let sit in the glass for 10-15 minutes before taking a drink. Give that a try. Let it sit in a glass for a while before sipping. It makes a big difference without sacrificing any flavor by adding water. Enjoy! :)
I did a little more research on the poor mans pappy recipe and to get it even closer they say to store it in a small barrel for a week so the blend has time to marry. Can't wait to see what u guys think of it. I believe you will like it better than the real pappy.
This is my favorite whiskey. The higher proof doesn't bother me. My wife thinks I'm nuts because I will sometimes just pop the cork to smell it, I love the smell.
Most burbouns are pretty bland or to sweet to me, but this one, despite the burn, tastes absolutely incredible. Smells like a dark salted caramel on the nose.
Guys! I have something you should try. My brother and I while drinking some bourbon, accidentally discovered something amazing. 60% old grandad 40% stag junior. May be sacrilege, but man this sin taste good!
I think this varies a lot from batch to batch. Just had it over the course of the last month, and while it definitely hits you with the wall of complex flavors, it is not so bitey or burney, and actually seems much less harsh to me than some other high proof bourbons I have had.
Buffalo Trace is amazing, and makes kickass whiskey. But we're the wrong ones to truly fall in love with a dramatic bourbon. We're both scotch lovers who are trying to learn to love Bourbon equally. Our friend, Tom Fischer (bourbonblog.com) is a better source for bourbon talk.
I enjoy both bourbon and scotch and yes stagg jr is hardcore high proof and overwhelms the palate completely. Bourbon is a lot more harsh for sure and has a predominate oaky finish. Scotch to me is a lot more lighter and easy to drink that's why I've started branching out.
One of my favourites. Let it sit in a glass for 20 min and you can sip it without adding water. And I agree, it is just wood and sugar. But in essence, this is what makes bourbon different from scotch - bourbon is all about fresh wood juices uncompromized by any other flavours, like sherry, smoke, or even ex-bourbon. It is fresh wood that creates the flavour, nothing else. Scotch, on the other hand, is all about “natural” flavouring using other spirits or smoke, wood is often mentioned as a by-product, something almost undesirable. In my view, scotch and bourbon are like apples and oranges. They cannot be compared because they cannot replicate each other’s taste. If I like the taste of orange, I would not be looking for an apple that taste like orange. It would be ridiculous. Same with bourbon. If I like the taste of bourbon, taste of fresh wood, there is no scotch on this planet, no matter how expensive or old it is, that can deliver this taste.
OK I worked in the industry for 40 yrs. This Brand is the best I have had. However you Need to cut it ! After 50 proof (Plus MINUS) the Alcohol will over run the Palate. Unless you have a CAST IRON COLON!! A dash of Clean water for the product,It still HAS LONG-LONG LEGS!! ANYWAYS let the Ridicule BEGIN!!!!! (I am having one while I type this!!!!!!!!) By the way SMELL the GLASS after you empty the glass. (Leave it for a minute or 2 the Finnish will come out even MORE!!
I love Stagg Jr. Once you past the burn the taste is just amazing.
Smoky Bear I totally agree 👍🏻
Sometimes you want a whiskey to sing you softly to sleep...and sometimes you want a whiskey to lovingly yank you around by the beanbag!
We are featuring this as Whiskey of the Month at the store I'm working at. I have to say, fantastic whiskey for the price. After about 3 sips, the heat faded for me. I did find similar notes. This video is an awesome resource for helping me help my customers! Thanks guys!
I love the jr, it is one of my favorite bourbons, it is super flavorful. I have a bottle right now!
Currently sitting in a tent at full throttle saloon in Sturgis. Just drove up from Maryland. Best friend and I are celebrating with a bottle of stagg jr batch ten, have to say it's amazing. To me it's a barrel proof buffalo trace
I was looking for a whiskey that would give me strong tobacco notes (much like coffee, it just smells SO GOOD)... this one delivers!
I had a glass of Dad Stagg on my travels to KY and my God! It was the 2017 expression from the BTAC at 64% ABV. Such an explosion of flavor with literally none of the alcohol burn I was expecting. It drank like a 45% ABV bourbon which blew my mind. Never had anything like it. I just sampled the entire Pappy line a week ago too. Didn't find it nearly as good as that Dad Stagg. It may be the best bourbon I've ever had.
Hell yeah. Stagg Jr. Is hard to find and of you find it it's about ~$100. But yes, I am confident that it is one of the best bourbons I've ever tasted
Caleb Roberts $50 here in Idaho! Bought one today 😎
I would love if you guys revisited this with the newer batches. Stagg "Jr" is absolutely top notch.
Youd be wrong.... I drink it neat and its my favorite!! I am mad that I have to allocate it to myself because its so hard to find. Eagle rare and EH Talyor are my daily drinkers
I also just saw you on the Modern Rogue show and I am a huge bourbon lover to the point I would like to become a connoisseur. So I am always wanting to learn more. Glad I found your show!
We are too!
@@WhiskeyVault I have a choice to trade my blantons for this or weller 107. What do you guys think ?
I had two bottles this past year and I loved it. It was my first barrel proof whiskey and I really enjoyed it. I’ve explored other barrel proof bottles since then and I’m thankful to Stagg Jr for starting that journey. I’m looking forward to getting another bottle this year and seeing how my tastes have changed.
I love your theory at the 3 min mark about people convincing themselves that they actually like it. Early in my whiskey journey, I had similar thoughts about Islays.
Personally I love this one & struggle to find heavily peated things I like, so i use you two as my metric. If it is a high-proof bourbon that you dislike and describe as bitey or fractured or comment on the complexity of, it goes on my list of things to try; if you describe an islay as being medicinal, complex, overly smokey or challenging and you love it, i steer the other way.
Karl, you summed up my thoughts. I have started doing the same. I think I have convinced myself I like Ardbeg. I seriously dislike Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, etc. Maybe I wanted to enjoy those to be cool? I don't know. I have recently started back down the bourbon path as I quickly jumped to Scotch and have spent quite a bit of time there.
Just tried the stagg jr today! It was fantastic. Full of flavor and didn't taste like a high proof bourbon. I need to find myself a bottle now. It was love at first sip.
This is *TRULY* the first whiskey that I looked at the glass and said *HOLY SHIT* out loud after my first sip.......and I’ve been exploring bourbon, scotch and Irish whiskies for a couple of years. Hands down my absolute favorite spirit to date! 🥃🥃🤤🤤
Had this on Fri Memorial day weekend. Kicked my ass. If you can get thru the alcohol there is a lot of complexity. Had some Eagle Rare just after that and the ER was smooth as silk and incredible. Flavors just popped. The Stagg woke up the palate.
Last night I had stagg Jr for the first time. It reminded me of burned sugar and the dryness of A malbec wine.
In short, I love it. And I must have many bottles of it.
OMG, did you eat bologna, gross!! LOL you guys are hilarious, and put out great information.
thank you!
You've got whiskey that you drink to go to bed, and you've got whiskey to kick you in the morning and wake you up. This is the wake you up kind😂
Just successfully acquired a Stagg Jr through an auction for the local food bank.
I personally love this whisky! It’s definitely a strong one, but has a fantastic flavor
Smaller sip, longer KY chew, Stagg is life changing.
One of my favorites
Daniel, Stagg Jr must be worth buying since you already reviewed it on episode 20... 🤪
I got onto your channel from the modern rouge and love the idea. I'd love if you guys could look at some of the Australia, and specifically Tasmanian whisky (one of the few good things to come out of Tasmania). I'd love to know what you think of the whisky from Australia and how it compares to some of the more established whisky's.
The only thing I have in the vault right now is Starward, but we'll do it! Starward is amazing. We also have "Big Black Cock" from Mt Uncle Distillery. Doubt I'll ever be able to do a video on that one, though ;-)
Wizard Academy I think there's a different site for those reviews :P I've heard very good things about Nant whisky as well, and Sullivan's Cove if you can somehow managed to get your hands on it. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on my native whisky's!
I picked up a Glenfiddich gift set yesterday so I could get my hands on the 12 and the 18 year old to test them out. Not a fan of the 12, it seems a little harsh.
It did come with a copita style glass which I am looking forward to testing vs the glencairn glass. I am guessing you have a Norlan style glass lying around (honestly I think you have a spreadsheet of glass taste tests), how does it fare vs the glencairn?
I love the glass comparisons. I find the glencairn classic is great at focusing smells, but several other glasses are truly pleasant to use. The Norlan (the new one) is a beautiful glass, but I find it a bit too bulky and the lip of the glass too wide. One of my all time favorite glasses is the Bottega del Vino Whisky Tot. Freakishly expensive, but a true art piece of simplicity. But dollar for dollar, nothing beats the Glencairn.
Just saw you guys on The Modern Rogue again. Awesome job Daniel.
David Rahn Thanks!
I mean, I do love me some coffee, dark chocolate, and tobacco... I might have to give this a try. I'm a little confused because you guys talk about how it's very complex but then daniel says it's all wood and corn syrup...
Hey guys, I am currently going through all the episodes in order. Recently I bought George Dickel Rye. I am new to rye and wanted to try something that was affordable. It would be interesting to see your take on it. Cheers!
This is personally my favorite and when I see it on the store shelf I buy every bottle.
Wendy O'Laughlin they had about 30 bottles when I bought mine
@@nolenlifts4661 Damn. I was just in Niagara and was looking for Stagg Jr. after having my first few glasses of it months ago. Now they had no Stagg Jr. but as a consolation prize I scored the 2019 George T Stagg :)
I don't know which batch it was (mooched at a buddy's house), but I got a big hit of buttered popcorn. I was really into it.
Whiskey extract LOL very funny
Dang for a beginner scotch drinker looking at compass box under $100 I'd recommend the Spaniard or one of the great king streets. Maybe Peat Monster. Spice tree and oak cross both have a heavy black pepper tone, at least for me, that can take work and time to get comfortable with. Just my two cents, love the Compass Box. Never had the Stagg jr
Curious your thoughts on this again because you guys always talk about higher proofs now.
You guys rule.
I find it funny someone that willingly drinks Laphroaig questions whether someone else is trying to convince themselves that they like Stagg Jr. :)
You're tired of my comments by now for sure, but... I swear, this one is different!
It occurred to me, we all out here on the other side of the screen are watching free videos.
UA-cam means interesting content, all for free. A couple of seconds of watching an 'Ad' sometimes... these Whisky Vault episodes aren't even causing 'Adds' to show up (Thank You!). Man, does this sound like Mooching to you?
We are all Mooching the free videos. Game changer, eh?
Cheers!
(You guys just saved me the cost of a bottle of Stagg Jr. I had it as a next purchase. Nope, that one can wait. Thanks.)
the temperature thing is why you drink stuff like Bud Light very very cold ( becuse it tast like shit) but something like Guinness (very good for a "mass market" beer) you drink a little warmer
Absolutely.
Modern Rogue led me here and I've just spent the last hour watching your vids! Subscribed
How does whisky get flavors that seem to be completely foreign to all ingredients? (Citrus, Apple, etc.)
This one is heading down the super-nerdy rabbit hole, but it essentially comes down to the chemical compounds created during aging that are responsible for flavors in all kinds of foods. Get the book, "Taste Buds and Molecules" by Francois Chartier. It will blow your mind as he shows you how chemical compounds in beverages can be lined up with totally unexpected foods to mirror bring out things in each other that are common.
The first time I tried any Whiskey, it was Jack Daniels... And I hated it! I could not understand how anyone could enjoy drinking something that tasted that bad. Years later, I enjoyed drinking it straight. The first time I tried Laphroaig, I only tasted smoke. I appreciated that it was of quality, but it just wasn't for me. Now, I can't imagine not having it as part of my collection. It is one of my favorite drinks. Stagg Jr falls into a similar category. At first it is a slap in your face. You simply need a bit of time of slow sipping for it to warm up to you. It is one of the few drinks that I will let sit in the glass for 10-15 minutes before taking a drink. Give that a try. Let it sit in a glass for a while before sipping. It makes a big difference without sacrificing any flavor by adding water. Enjoy! :)
A Sandwich walks into a bar, the bartender says “Sorry, we don’t serve food here”
I did a little more research on the poor mans pappy recipe and to get it even closer they say to store it in a small barrel for a week so the blend has time to marry. Can't wait to see what u guys think of it. I believe you will like it better than the real pappy.
If you guys do a blind taste my money's on poor man.
I always cut this with a little Noah's creek and water. It adds a little peanut butter to this chocolate fire.
The Devils Milk, I've considered doing that before. I'm going to have to try it now.
Ryan Finney I do about a spoonful amount of mills
How did u like it?
I am so going to try that.
And I'm trying this.
One of the best bottles I’ve ever owned.
Glad Rex got his shot at being ball tapped by this whiskey, since the last time it appeared he was out.
Judging based on the year of posting and 66%, we can assume they're drinking batch 6, 4 or 3?
Rex.....you look like "Jim" on Taxi
This is my favorite whiskey. The higher proof doesn't bother me. My wife thinks I'm nuts because I will sometimes just pop the cork to smell it, I love the smell.
From what you're saying, it would be a good whiskey on the rock!
Had to watch this after watching the non-hobbit bald guy not try to enjoy anything other than what he wanted.
Hey Rex, Bad hair day????
What did chad bleep out
Most burbouns are pretty bland or to sweet to me, but this one, despite the burn, tastes absolutely incredible. Smells like a dark salted caramel on the nose.
Oak Cross, another open in the back.
Add a little water to calm the burn. DO NOT drink it without!!!!!!!!!!!!
bill5074 Burn time whiskey 🥃. Is a 3.
Jack Daniels single barrel proof is good tasty
Guys! I have something you should try. My brother and I while drinking some bourbon, accidentally discovered something amazing. 60% old grandad 40% stag junior. May be sacrilege, but man this sin taste good!
Thomas Carney don’t google this
I think this varies a lot from batch to batch. Just had it over the course of the last month, and while it definitely hits you with the wall of complex flavors, it is not so bitey or burney, and actually seems much less harsh to me than some other high proof bourbons I have had.
Wow is it just me or did you guys really not like Stagg Jr? I've tried quite a few buffalo trace products and I might say all of them are phenomenal.
Buffalo Trace is amazing, and makes kickass whiskey. But we're the wrong ones to truly fall in love with a dramatic bourbon. We're both scotch lovers who are trying to learn to love Bourbon equally.
Our friend, Tom Fischer (bourbonblog.com) is a better source for bourbon talk.
I enjoy both bourbon and scotch and yes stagg jr is hardcore high proof and overwhelms the palate completely. Bourbon is a lot more harsh for sure and has a predominate oaky finish. Scotch to me is a lot more lighter and easy to drink that's why I've started branching out.
Not better than Glenfarclas 105???
Stopped watching when they poured water in it
One of my favourites. Let it sit in a glass for 20 min and you can sip it without adding water. And I agree, it is just wood and sugar. But in essence, this is what makes bourbon different from scotch - bourbon is all about fresh wood juices uncompromized by any other flavours, like sherry, smoke, or even ex-bourbon. It is fresh wood that creates the flavour, nothing else. Scotch, on the other hand, is all about “natural” flavouring using other spirits or smoke, wood is often mentioned as a by-product, something almost undesirable. In my view, scotch and bourbon are like apples and oranges. They cannot be compared because they cannot replicate each other’s taste. If I like the taste of orange, I would not be looking for an apple that taste like orange. It would be ridiculous. Same with bourbon. If I like the taste of bourbon, taste of fresh wood, there is no scotch on this planet, no matter how expensive or old it is, that can deliver this taste.
Dude look at your hair , I think you just woke up and start this review
OK I worked in the industry for 40 yrs. This Brand is the best I have had. However you Need to cut it ! After 50 proof (Plus MINUS) the Alcohol will over run the Palate. Unless you have a CAST IRON COLON!! A dash of Clean water for the product,It still HAS LONG-LONG LEGS!! ANYWAYS let the Ridicule BEGIN!!!!! (I am having one while I type this!!!!!!!!) By the way SMELL the GLASS after you empty the glass. (Leave it for a minute or 2 the Finnish will come out even MORE!!
Smelling the emptied glass in one of my favorite activities, right behind emptying the glass. ;)
Did this guy really just dump an ounce of water into a pour of Stagg? wtf My opinion of their opinion will forever be changed.