bayouredd Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 OK, I've tried to like this but I just don't!!! This is my 3rd Stag Jr./Stag ever & none have been even fair to me. The 1st, I ended up blending with an ER just to make tolerable. The 2nd, the S-I-L visited and took the rest off my hands. This one gets good reviews (A22) but WTH! I don't even think it's kind'a good!!! (it does , however make a pretty good old fashioned) It's not the mashbill, as I really dig the EHT's I've had and the GWS's I've tried. You can throw stones or give me an oh yeah. I don't really care. The real point of this post is to get opinions on what folks say you should like, but just don't even though you really tried to give it a fair shake... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueby Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 13 minutes ago, bayouredd said: OK, I've tried to like this but I just don't!!! This is my 3rd Stag Jr./Stag ever & none have been even fair to me. The 1st, I ended up blending with an ER just to make tolerable. The 2nd, the S-I-L visited and took the rest off my hands. This one gets good reviews (A22) but WTH! I don't even think it's kind'a good!!! (it does , however make a pretty good old fashioned) It's not the mashbill, as I really dig the EHT's I've had and the GWS's I've tried. You can throw stones or give me an oh yeah. I don't really care. The real point of this post is to get opinions on what folks say you should like, but just don't even though you really tried to give it a fair shake... We like what we like. . I'm not a big fan of MGP bourbon. I don't DISlike it per se but I don't get the hype over bottles other's go crazy for. The one and only time I ever tried Saz18 I didn't like it. For what it's worth I tend to really like Stagg/Jr. Back when it was plentiful I used to blend it with Charter 101. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 Love Stagg Jr better than most EHTBP. A few drops of water really brings it to life for me and it just always tastes complex/good. I even enjoyed the batch one that gets famously hated by everyone. Things people say I should like but don’t….. most dusties, old decanters, etc. I’ve been to so many gatherings where everyone is losing their ish over something something in a decanter and most of it just tastes oxidized and not very good to me. There have been some exceptions, but I tend to avoid more than a tiny skeptical sip of most of that stuff. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 (edited) I got an early batch of Stagg Jr. It was a hot mess - a big blast of ethanol, then sort of bitter on the finish, that's it. I was one and done on that brand, makes my life easier. I couldn't find it now even if I wanted (or wouldn't pay the price). ER is another pass. When it was easy to get, I tried multiples from different barrels. Some were ok, just ok. Others tasted off - reminded me of wet basement or rotting wood, river or pond water (musty and earthy and not in a good way). Edited April 8 by PaulO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 FWIW, I've owned 5-bottles of Stagg Jr. and found 2-of 'em hot (or very hot) and barely passable... mostly I watered 'em down and/or mixed 'em in an Old fashioned or highball. A third was quite good. Another was pretty good, and the last of those that were 'passable' was just passable: not great, not bad, and not as hot as the 2-that I mentioned first. (One of those was really hot ones was that batch 1, that seemed hot to many others, too.) After these experiences and the (inevitable) price increases and rarity of all-things-BT (especially the BP-ers), I stopped buying it. I never 'dumped' those hot ones. I used 'em in blends (mostly failures, so a message there, I guess) and/or cocktails/highballs. As far as hard-to-get or sought-after Bourbons, my experience with Stagg Jr. just didn't measure up. One other brand I found a bit underwhelming - but certainly good - has been the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve line. The only one of the bunch I found worthy of the hype was/is the 15-year. The Old Rip 10-year was better for me than the 20-or-23... maybe better than the 15-PVWFR. Of course I was pleased to have the opportunity to own and share at least one bottle of each (and a few of the Old Rip's and the 15-yr.) for the "pinnacle experience" they offered. But, to me the price (and difficulty in sourcing them any more) preclude me seeking 'em out. I've had better experiences with 'dusties' than 0895. I've had a few offered that weren't that special, and a few that were probably oxidized (bitter and/or a little 'skunky'). The others I've owned/shared/been-offered were absolutely worth the pour and the cheddar to acquire... especially ND Old Grand Dad BIB - even the 86 - and a few tastes of Wild Turkey 12-year from back in day. I also very much enjoyed some Eagle Rare; 101-if I recall, but I was pretty far into an evening of great tastes by then. It was offered by a very nice gentleman known by most of the 'regulars' at the Gazebo; but, whom I never formally met, and cannot unfortunately recall his name. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fosmith Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 To each their own. I love, love Stagg Jr. Batch 8 was my first and was able to get every batch through 17 except 15. They were all great (with some better than others of course). Sadly, it has become too hard to get (or too expensive) so I no longer even look for it. Fortunately, I have some left in the bunker. But, conversely, 4 Roses store picks are a bust for me. I've had four or five but never had one that I thought was better than just okay. And, I had one, an OESO that was almost a drain pour. Now that they're around $100, I'm not even tempted to give 'em another chance no matter how much hype they get. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 Big fan of Stagg Jr here but find a lot of variance from batch to batch and some don't do it for me unless I do the blend with BT or ER. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galileo Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 As one who has never tried Stagg, nor even seen a Stagg bottle in person, I can't give you much of an opinion. However, if you would kindly send all the Stagg bottles you don't like to me, I would be happy to weigh in on the topic! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 STJr, I tried batch one and found it so off-putting that I waited several batches to try it again. That later batch was MUCH better but still not something that lit it up for me. I enjoyed it best when I did a 50:50 blend with standard BT, that was far superior to either one stand alone. ER, first bottle I bought, actually the only one I ever bought, tasted like what I imagine licking an ashtray would taste like. I have had many subsequent pours, store picks and others….none compelling enough to warrant a purchase, in fact they confirmed that ER and I are not a match. MM std version, I have always found it harsh and aggressive, the opposite of what “wheaters” are advertised to be, even at its relatively low proof. MM46 first time I tried it ( and I fully expected to love it based on what I had heard, read), I was convinced the bottle was tainted or somehow wildly off profile, I poured it out. I had it again many months later from a different batch, bottle….EXACT same result. I also did the makers tour a couple years later and the only one at the tour tasting I enjoyed was the MMCS which also happens to be the only MM expression I have ever purchased 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 On 4/7/2024 at 8:37 PM, bayouredd said: OK, I've tried to like this but I just don't!!! This is my 3rd Stag Jr./Stag ever & none have been even fair to me. The 1st, I ended up blending with an ER just to make tolerable. The 2nd, the S-I-L visited and took the rest off my hands. This one gets good reviews (A22) but WTH! I don't even think it's kind'a good!!! (it does , however make a pretty good old fashioned) It's not the mashbill, as I really dig the EHT's I've had and the GWS's I've tried. You can throw stones or give me an oh yeah. I don't really care. The real point of this post is to get opinions on what folks say you should like, but just don't even though you really tried to give it a fair shake... I gave up on it after a couple of the earlier releases. Back then, they were ~ $50.00 and I bought a couple. They were a hot mess. I think I still have about half a 3rd release bottle. I use it to cut ER10, (which I also don't care for), and, surprisingly, the blend works. I've heard that the later releases are really good. That said, given the scarcity and silly pricing, I won't be buying any. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 Stagg Jr. has always run hot for me. Because each batch is different, it took me awhile to figure out how much water to add to make it "special". each time I opened one. That' a lot of work and sometimes took over half the bottle IF I was successful. I still have an unopened one from about Batch 12 - the last time I bought it. With the price jumps and scarcity, I started passing even when I saw it. ER 10 got mentions here. I'm down to my last unopened "10 Year" neckband bunkered 750. A few months ago when ER 10 got some discussion here, I did do a SBS. wth my second to last 10yr Neck band. The very latest releases to me are pretty close to those old 10 yr neckband releases. I passed on it for most of the intervening years - it tasted rough and cardboardy to me. All that said, I am a fan of the Saz/BT mash bills, and while I don't DISlike the Stagg Jr., I'll still pass in favor of cheaper or comparably MSRP priced HH and OF releases. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomLamb Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 Waaayyy too hot for my tastes, I didn’t care for it myself. Also same for ORVW 10yr. It can be fun doing taste tests like that blind, that way your mind doesn’t psych you out into thinking or not thinking you’ll like something. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 (edited) I just can’t get on to “toasted barrel” releases. Too gooey, marshmallowy, cloyingly sweet for me. perhaps, one day…. Whenever the early release Stagg Jr. hate train gets going, I think back to my thoughts on my first dive into Release #1 The recently departed Eric Carmen pretty much sums up where I am… Edited April 13 by smokinjoe 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 12 hours ago, smokinjoe said: I just can’t get on to “toasted barrel” releases. Too gooey, marshmallowy, cloyingly sweet for me. perhaps, one day…. Whenever the early release Stagg Jr. hate train gets going, I think back to my thoughts on my first dive into Release #1 The recently departed Eric Carmen pretty much sums up where I am… Ha! LOVE this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 Stagg drinks hot for me. Consistently. But had a SP that was Dy-No-Mite! SFTB drinks hot for me (especially over 130), but less so, and with way, way more flavor reward in exchange for the hot "you've been very, very bad". I'm not sure about ER. I'm with The Cheap Bastard, prefer the EHT. Just more flavor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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