Background: This bourbon comes to us by way of Buffalo Trace. This 10th Batch of Stagg Jr is the same mashbill as Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace but bottled at Barrel Proof. Much hyped let’s see how it holds up.
ABV: 63.2%
Nose: The nose brings out alcohol at first, (at 63% alcohol that is expected). However, this nose greets you with a magnificent deep dark chocolate smell. I also am able to smell a little bit of oak in this, very strong on the cherry notes one you get past those. To sum it up on the nose we get deep dark choclate, traces of honey, vanilla, and caramel, along with a strong cherry note.
Palate: Up front, you are met with a warm slightly harsh taste. That gives way on the way back to that deep dark chocolate note that makes this so interesting. You can also taste the cherry and vanilla notes in here that come across. The chocolate is what stands out most to me.
Finish: The finish on this lasts awhile and begins with the notes above that turns into an oaky warm that lasts for a decent amount of time. This lingers and traverses between the chocolate, vanilla, oak, and a little bit of leather. Maybe some other notes that I am not familiar with.
Rating: 8/10
Conclusion: This is my favorite bourbon I have had so far. This is for a multitude of reasons. The choclate in this is something I have yet to taste yet and that is my favorite. I come from a background df starting on Irish Whiskey and my Girlfriend introduced me to good Scotland Whiskey. Her and I got into bourbon at the same time and I seem to enjoy more than her point being she is a scotch snob and she loves this. Says it reminds her of scotch. Overall the complexity and good taste of this dram makes this by far my favorite bourbon and I recommend as a must drink to those who can tolerate Barrel Proofs.