Is Stagg getting worse? Another Blind Review!

[@Slygrin1]

Saturday I was at my favorite tavern. Their whiskey option are fairly light. I saw they have a bottle of Stagg in. It was 23C. I asked them how much. $7.00 for a pour, $11.00 for a double. Had a double. They are allowed to sell bottles, so I got one. I just hope they don't find out what everyone else is charging for it.

[@benjaminbritt4778]

i find them for 95 in tn

[@davebenson8547]

$200-300 in ny

[@Dafoodmaster]

i'd have bought three you're better than me

[@Whiskey_Trek]

I’m glad I have both 22s!! Also, my favorite fancy restaurant has Stagg jr for $18 a pour, but alas is closing after 40 years….now to find a new honey hole for pours.

[@miraclemartinez6782]

mine has it for $12

[@jeffreyfolker9483]

I had a pour of this in Lexington over the weekend, and my experience was exactly the same - oily, completely dried out mouth... I'd pay retail for it, but after tasting, i would not pay at a markup

[@ajbucher9440]

Maybe it’s cause I’ve never had another stagg but I thought my 23b was incredible. Tons of berry and cola notes for me which is right up my alley

[@genghis_quan]

Just tried Stagg for the first time, it was a Jr bottle so from a couple years ago I would guess. It reminded me heavily of ECBP C923. Fantastic stuff

[@scoobtoober2975]

He did guess the maker. Great tasting notes. Never pay secondary prices. I'm over it and haven't bought a bottle yet.

[@knickerbockerkhn]

I have Stagg 23b and first pour was off profile and I got that same off taste. After it was open for a bit, it is much better.

[@oregonoceanhome]

This is spot on. I’ve had all Stagg jrs from B15. 23B has a sharp unbalanced astringency, but once opened for a couple months, it has gone away. Not as good as previous batches for sure, but after time, it punches with the rest of them.

[@uwrossl]

Just got the 23C and had same experience. First crack and pour i was like WTH. Couldn't get anything on the nose. Flavor was just woody and unbalanced. Second pour few hours later was very different and more what I'd expect.

[@trentonfettig7265]

I just had a new bottle of Jack 12 and got that marker note on the nose, first time i've ever had that note.

[@ajkundrath9661]

I just had rabbit hole bourbon over the weekend. I didn't mind it. My go to is Maker's Mark or Woodford reserve. Evan Williams is the cheapest I'll go

[@andymercado6192]

I got my bottle at my local Costco. Stagg 23b for $59.99. There were 6 bottles 1 per membership allowed.

[@whiskeybidness]

Got the 23c at a VA ABC drop and happily paid $61. Love having it on my shelf but in the sip I just couldn’t justify triple digit $

[@Dafoodmaster]

Now that's a good price

[@whiskeybidness]

The downside in Virginia is always limited availability for sought after bottles … the upside is when you get your hands on it … it’s always MSRP

[@TheBourbonBeat]

Got a call from a friend in the local whiskey group about a Stagg drop at a big box store. Picked this bottle up for $65ish. Haven’t opened it yet, but I’m sure it will be worth $65. Even if I’m not a big fan of this bottle, it will be fun to compare it to the 6-7 other batches I have. All but one purchased at MSRP.

[@spencerjcolling]

I tried it the other day, and got lots of lemon, mint, and “pencil shavings”. Overall it was really good and would love to try it again but I would not have guessed it was anything buffalo trace.

[@Shrike2415]

My 23B tastes exactly like what I would describe as a barrel proof Eagle Rare, and I've been sipping on mine since about September. It's been out for awhile. BTW, don't ever pay more than $150 for Stagg. Some markup is reasonable, but $200+ is just wild, although I never see it for under $300 outside of my honey hole

[@RocketSauce666]

Paid $230 for this bottle as my first Stagg ever. Me and my crew absolutely love it, but we haven't tried is blind, nor do we have a bunch of prior batches to compare. For me and mine, this is a great, special occasion bottle... just crazy sweet, almost confectioners sugar levels of sweet on the nose and palate.

[@StevenWalt]

I have a 23a and it's delicious. It's my first bottle of Stagg and lucked out and got it for $70 in December.

[@jasongilmore4507]

Bought the 23c about a month ago in North Carolina for $60. Great bottle got super super lucky.

[@AF99499]

Got a bottle of 23C for MSRP from a friend. Very rarely have I found whiskey that I absolutely hated right out of the gate, but this was one of those. Hoping it gets better over time because right now it's trash.

[@croaker4747]

I have an unopened one of these that I actually did get for around $60 in VA.

[@jackkinseth2936]

i opened my 23B and think it’s great for what i (we) paid, but i wouldn’t pay much more. maybe just the batch, hence the video

[@umami0247]

I'm looking for one but it's the only BT I'm looking for. Not even Weller but I'll never get one I don't camp so the possibility of me getting one is nill to none. Which is what it is.

[@danielp3024]

I paid $30 for a 2 ounce pour of WLW this weekend! Not sure they knew what they had!

[@keithbuker8984]

Secondary for these in GA is dropping big time.

[@takashiemota9784]

Wonderful video guys! Question: Can you toggle who leads the blind for the video? Would be nice to see what the differences are for what either of you choose and also the notes.

[@BourbonJunkies]

We will, we just happened to do this twice recently and Dan knew the bottles were coming in.

[@garnetreecejones9222]

I have the same bottle. It dried the moisture out of ny mouth too. Bad enough that I thought I was allergic to it.

[@RJR2222]

My favorite has been 22A

[@G1ft3dConfus1on]

Agreed, got a 23C which to me wasn’t that crazy good and just traded it to a friend for another 22A. I’m trying to get as much 22A as I can.

[@Michael_Peters]

Went to a Michelin star restaurant in DC last night for the Mrs’ birthday. 2 oz pours: $54 for OR10, $45 Lot B, and $18 for Stagg. Got the last pour on the Stagg and could have sworn it was just ER. Smooth and way too low on proof to be like any Stagg I’d had before. Had them bring me the empty bottle and sure enough, 127.8 proof. Went home and poured a shot of ER and my Stagg Batch 18 (131P). Not even remotely close. Was definitely ER.

[@mkroll9]

Agree on the Sharpe note on the 23B batch, try it against the 23C and it stands out. I prefer the 23C, but the 23B does get better with a touch of water.

[@hikinginidaho]

For me 23C hits hard in a delicious super sweet way....then after a few sips it falls off. A full pour of 23B ends up being more complex and actually more interesting. Taste them side by side and those differences actually stand out. It's the famous example of the Pepsi taste test where a 1 oz pour of Pepsi beats a 1 oz pour of Coke, but if you drink a whole can....Coke wins.

[@mkroll9]

Yeah, I totally agree with your description of both flavor profiles. I just found a little of that ECBP marker note in the 23B which I am sensitive too (in a bad way) but adding a couple drops of water or 1/2 an ice cube made the marker note disappear.@@hikinginidaho

[@brucebelitz3451]

Batch 15 is still my goddess! We have but I haven't tried 23a and b yet!

[@edutz321321]

Just this bottle a week ago for $250 in Delaware. I prefer the 18 one way more

[@michaelrodgers940]

Sorry to hear about that steep tax guy’s, 68🦌 here in VT. I definitely prefer the 22A over my 23 B. Cheers 🥃

[@lukstephens1]

Stagg was in 9th place for your The Best 18 Whiskeys of the Year! list

[@benjaminbritt4778]

I like the 23c very much but i haven't found one of these yet

[@Brad-ic4bp]

Guys, what are those bottle on the lower left-hand shelf of the screen? They look like Old Elk bottles, but no labels visible.

[@tpark7806]

I don't think Stagg is getting worse. Always one of my favs no matter what expression I've tried.

[@NipItInTheBud100]

I will never pay more than MSRP. The only time I did was because I didn’t know what MSRP was for the bottle. I now go into a purchase with more knowledge than I did back then!

[@UpperLeftWhiskey]

23B is the weakest of the 23 batches. 23C was the best one when I did a blind between the 3 batches.

[@eliwilson8242]

Scored a 23a (I did overpay, but not by a ridiculous amount) but it’s fantastic and worth every penny in my opinion. Tastes like cherry Vanilla Coke

[@kadenmac2009]

Just bought my first Stagg. 23a..hoping to enjoy this weekend

[@eliwilson8242]

@@kadenmac2009 hell yea man i hope you didn’t have to overpay! Cheers and enjoy

[@kadenmac2009]

@@eliwilson8242yeah I overpaid lol $249

[@Rustomatic19]

23a was my first stagg(of two) and damn… you’re right, cherry Vanilla Coke all day

[@eliwilson8242]

@@Rustomatic19 so glad you agree man it’s really phenomenal. Is it worth the 150 I paid? I would honestly say yes, and it is proving difficult to not drink it to quickly…

[@Whisky_Total]

23B is old, not new boys. It's the most similar to the GTS. In recent times. 🥃🥃

[@jpcampbell]

Picked one up today for $79. Doesn’t have a number like my 22A does. Not sure what that means

[@iansammons2730]

18$ 2 oz at my local whiskey bar. Found it a month ago... drank it for 2 weeks and it was gone.. 😢

[@dmitripress9853]

Guys, what is your favorite whiskey? (I mean best of your life time) Lately I have developing kind of confusion. So many great whiskeys (bourbon, rye, single malt, blended) available for purchase, but for my pallet some good, some so-so, some great, some amazing. I understand that impossible to try all of them, and kind of stopped to purchase new releases, new small distilleries, new blenders, etc. Currently I'm target only known large distilleries, otherwise I'm already get lost on current market. Your channel and other whiskeys review channels help me to pick good bottles. Mostly my may nose and pallet agreed with reviews.

[@vondez10]

After seeing this I gotta say I just like bourbon because this is love lol to know all the batch info… nah I don’t have time for that. Salute fellas

[@itsmejongee]

Just had a pour of this last night. Would not hunt or pay secondary for it.

[@YoPaulieMusic]

Wish I could find this bottle anywhere... been searching for 2+ years in the wild.

[@Hotlog69]

I bought a store pick from work and I was disappointed. It was a challenge to drink it down.

[@not_stephen_a_smith849]

18,22a, 23c are solid 22b is a drain pour and 23 b and 23a I have never had

[@brettheiner7125]

A drain pour Stagg??

[@acebragg5559]

$22 for a 2oz pour here in the Tampa area.

[@Blinc32]

Love this style of content guys! Keep it up, cheers!

[@usmc3152]

I haven't had a 23 batch but I hear good things. Cheers fells

[@paulg.5997]

I'm wondering what my unopened bottles of Stagg Jr. batches 15 and 16 are now worth....

[@M6transam]

I have 23a. In my opinion. It’s only fit for a mixer.

[@dennisp362]

They are still 60 in Illinois and they are plentiful when they drop. But at 200 bucks no chance. But for MSRP it's still awesome.

[@red5standingby419]

Where the heck are you in IL that this is the case? In northern IL where I live these are ghosts and the couple you do see here or there are all $300.

[@dennisp362]

@@red5standingby419 Binnys and jewel bro. When they drop they hand em out like water.

[@Kernation]

I'm in Michigan as well, and it kills me to say I paid even more for this bottle in December

[@fishboy2040]

Please don't do that again. Secondary right now is about 180 for new bottles shipped to your door

[@Kernation]

@@fishboy2040 in Michigan? I've never seen a Stagg for under $280 around me

[@GarRETE88]

Great video. To be fair 23B is the worst of the 23 batches! 23A and 23C are much better!

[@chrisbfd]

I grabbed 2 Stagg picks late last year for 89 a piece. Great whiskey

[@novasec]

EHT Barrel Proof for $480 out the door; pass? Never seen the bottle before in my life. Same store I got Stagg 22A for $120. 🤔

[@sirjcc]

pass. that's just too much.

[@williamramirez1821]

The comment you made about Jack Daniels did Jack Daniels take over Buffalo trace?

[@Coops_automotive]

I have a bottle of 23C

[@wakeguy87]

Try 23c the latest release.. may be the best batch ever!!!

[@TheTiltdJ]

Kinda confused. Did yall like it or not? A- at $80, but it's not a good bottle?

[@paulfidei4297]

Watching Dan attempt to not give away the bottle while wanting to do just that is like trying to let your kid ride their bike without training wheels for the first time.

[@100puremustard5]

Yup! I bet Dan is horrible at keeping secrets 😂😂😂

[@twiztid83222]

You said Buffalo trace and at 90$ msrp with 130proof… you should have known exactly it was Stagg

[@BatchAndBloom]

23a is the batch last year. Not as good as 22a though which was a fantastic Stagg Jr… Don’t correct the Jr.😂

[@NorthWestBourbon]

23C is good, I've heard the B is the worst Stagg.

[@silver3344]

23B has been known to be not the favorite, with 23C trending up in a favored direciton.

[@roscoepcoltrane23]

Stagg is $15 a pour here. That’s one ounce. I’m not complaining at all. My question is King of Kentucky worth $37 a pour?

[@jeffdavis3207]

Loving the blind reviews!

[@cDub3284]

23C is amazing....that's the one

[@stevencrowder6075]

There is a Whistle Pig 10 year store pick near me for 89.00. Is that worth it? To preface ive never had any of their juice.

[@baconator1550]

I’m personally not a fan. There is much better ryes out there. Without question. Buy a sagamore rye, for example

[@Hdrunner647]

What’s the difference between George T Stagg and Stagg Jr, other than the secondary price? Age, proof, flavor?

[@blakestah]

Stagg Jr is cask strength Buffalo Trace, which is 6-8 yr. GTS is more like 15 years. Proof is comparable. I don't think anyone would pick a Stagg Jr over a GTS. In the BJunkies blinds in which they have used both, Jr did not perform well.

[@sirjcc]

@@blakestah don't totally agree. If it's stagg jr for 200 vs GTS for 800, I'm taking Jr. Also, these guys did do a blind with both, and there have been Jr's that beat GTS.

[@blakestah]

@@sirjcc I was just referencing kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYfJdoKKh5hrmaM but I see they have other ones. But, I won't pay $200 for Stagg or $800 for GTS. If I am content to score it once each 3-4 years, I can get GTS for MSRP. And sip on it slowly. I am especially offended at the $200 for Stagg which, if proofed to 90, is roughly even with Buffalo Trace. That's just abusing your customers when a company does that, and my response to that is to let it stay on the shelf unless I see if for $60.

[@Michael_Peters]

Went to a Michelin star restaurant in DC last night for the Mrs’ birthday. $18 for 2 oz Stagg, $45 for OR10, and $54 for Lot B. Got the last pour on the Stagg and could have sworn it was just ER. Smooth and way too low on proof to be like any Stagg I’ve had. Had them bring me the empty bottle and sure enough, 127.8 proof. Went home and poured a shot of ER and my Stagg Batch 18. Not even remotely close. Was definitely ER.

[@mojo88bassandbourbon72]

I thought 22a was just chocolate haven't been wowed since Batch 15

[@trini-xrp1656]

Dan might as well tell him what it is before....

[@brianmeeker5786]

22a is delicious!

[@beaudwayful]

I paid $57 for 22A. A+ Oh sure I had to win the PA lottery...

[@charlesgress4752]

My stagg from the last drop is absolutely delicious. Only 60$.

[@BourbonForageFishing]

You guys should just get a hold of me. Can get you SJR for hell of a lot less the 200.

[@westhoff-]

old forester 1924 is the best- the bourbon junkies

[@alvinmousseau1100]

Awesome video

[@keithbuker8984]

And Stagg is $17 for 2 oz at the Orlando airport

[@BigfootBourbonNerd]

I love 23c and I paid $170

[@billslone242]

All bottles that get a store pick variation drop in quality

[@dane5896]

The last time bought it I got two bottles for $100. 😢

[@danrudnick5252]

The one bottle I've found in the last 5 years was fine. Outside of that, couldn't tell ya.

[@jamesmaloney8191]

I really hate to be part of the problem, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a bottle of that if I saw it for $210

[@BourbonForageFishing]

Stagg jr batch 23B is GARBAGE Something went wrong with the rye and has caused molding/mineral well water flavor to come out. This also occurred with 23 Van winkle Family rye. I've detailed this on my channel AMAZING how many "awesome KZbin bourbon reviewers" DIDN'T pick up this obvious putrid trait..... I have several videos about it.... 23 A & C are pretty solid. C is the strongest 💪

[@niketplos6879]

23b has been my least favorite in probably the last 3-4 years.

[@adityasane]

It's not that Stagg is getting any worse... it's that your palates are graduating to increasing sophistication - which Stagg is not!

[@Joser167]

After batch 17, Stagg has gotten worse for me. The current stuff lacks the grape fruit juicy-ness previous batches have/had

[@steveszymanski2962]

Wait....was Dan on the honeymoon too? 😆

[@RelwofYaj]

I'd rather drink Jim Beam

[@mozambique7930]

I got my Stagg 22b for $69 at a store that doesn't head crack people 3 months ago

[@user-md9kb9xd8j]

Stagg hasn’t been good for a long time. The profile now is. The same as it has been for over five years

[@matthewmeyersr7123]

Never! Stagg is a powerhouse!

[@chadschupbach450]

Paid $54 plus tax for mine thanks to control state.

[@matrixsushi]

Not hearing much love for 23B. Some saying 23A one of the best in many years though.

[@albertvandyke3442]

Man used to watch these guys all the time. Is it me or is their stuff getting worse and worse.

[@red5standingby419]

LOL. ^This guy thinks his opinion matters^

[@ajkundrath9661]

I started a KZbin channel and I'm looking for some ideas.....

[@paulfidei4297]

Content made for the 00s might not play in the 20s. Just a thought though.

[@Sb69minis]

Haters. So sad

[@jaredtaylor7777]

But how’s the undercarriage?

[@TheNightAngel022189]

Wouldn’t matter… people are still going to buy it all lol

[@Yehhbb]

I'd rather get a Evan Williams bib or buffalo trace 🥃 sorry I'll never pay over 60$ for a bottle 🤣thts just dumb in my opinion

[@TheNightAngel022189]

@@Yehhbb you find it at $60 you buy it every time and at worse you don't want to drink it sell it for $200. Dumb would be passing on that.