Is Stagg REALLY as Good as Bourbon Gets? | George T Stagg vs Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof BLIND REVIEW

GLASS ONE: George T Stagg, 130.4 proof, $100 retail price ($600+ secondary pricing)
GLASS TWO: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof, 130.3 proof, $70 retail price
0:00 -- Intro
1:05 -- First Impressions
6:08 -- Tasting Scores & Discussion
12:07 -- Reveal & Reactions
17:45 -- Consumer Discussion & Real World Scoring
24:35 -- What We've Learned?
26:53 -- Bloopers
We entered this pairing into our blind sample pool to see how they compared given that they are both barrel proof offerings from major distilleries with nearly identical proof points. We wanted to see how the readily available Jack Daniel's stacked up to the nearly impossible-to-find George T Stagg. Is Jack Daniel's #betterthangts or not? We find out.
PREVIOUS BLINDS MENTIONED:
Stagg Jr vs George T Stagg -- • Just How Much BETTER I...
Rare Breed vs George T Stagg -- • Can RARE BREED Even Co...
Old Forester Barrel Strength vs Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof -- • Which Barrel Proof Pow...
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🏆 🏆 OUR SCORING RUBRIC EXPLAINED 🏆 🏆
We use common sense “thumbs up” scoring where thumbs equal points.
We like it? Thumbs up = one point. 👍
We love it? Two thumbs up = two points. 👍 👍
Take it or leave it? Just okay = half a point. 🤏
We hate it? Thumbs down = no points. 👎
We just so happen to score across 5 categories (up to 10 overall points are available):
• NOSE: Aroma
• FLAVOR: Taste and overall flavor profile
• EXPERIENCE: Overall experience on the palate
• RETAIL SCORE: Availability and pricing
• CONSUMER SCORE: Would we buy a product again or not
TASTING SCORE: Nose + Flavor + Experience
REAL WORLD SCORE: Tasting Score + Retail Score + Consumer Score
DISCLAIMER: Our scoring is merely a reference point to compare different pours over time. We believe whiskey is to be enjoyed and shared with those you care about--that's what our channel is all about and why our scoring system is largely tongue-in-cheek. We hope it can serve as a resource to you inasmuch as you can use it to compare to your own preferences and hopefully help inform your future purchases. Whiskey, just like life, is best when you don't take it too seriously and you simply enjoy the journey. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers!
8XNG7MCZ81JUQWQ7

[@jasonc.5718]

Jack Daniel's & also Wild Turkey both suffer from the same undeserved reputation, but we enthusiasts know the truth. These guys know how to make good whiskey!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We also want them to stay underrated. The level of quality and value you get for such available products is incredible. Cheers Jason, thanks for watching!

[@johncannon3593]

I absolutely LOVE JD SBBP. I have 2 bottles currently. One is pure banana, but I love that. The other is a lot more creme brulee and caramel. It is so sweet and mouth-coating. Plus, the thing that seals it for me is that it is available at $65 all day, every day. Suck it, BTAC!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

“Suck it, BTAC!” Haha, love it! Thanks for watching John!

[@bama2307]

Watching this video 3 years after posting...I love it. You guys are so good together! Thanks for doing this head-to-head 🙂🥃

[@brettheiner7125]

Never had the pleasure of trying GTS, but that Jack (and its Rye brother) are absolutely outstanding.

[@TylersEclectic]

You both are great! Really enjoying these shows!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Too kind man. Thank you so much!

[@Sparkalicious5757]

Josh finally Makes the connection on the consumer/flavor rating!!! It’s hard to be that honest! Sometimes it really hurts the wallet too but hey it’s whiskey…

[@TheReal_DeanD]

There is nothing wrong with liking the JD SB BP. It’s really good and challenges the allocated rare bottles that get marked up like the GTS or the ECBP. I’ll take the JD SB BP any day vs the others that are over triple the MSRP.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said, Dean. We're lucky to have that one available. Jack is doing some very good things these days!

[@johncashion8428]

Great review guys! JDSBBP is great!! I always keep an unopened 1/5 of it! I think availability should be 50% of the total score Rare breed is on of my favorites, JDSBBP is better for my palette.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks John! Based on that comment, we think you’ll like how our retail score evolves in some of the upcoming episodes. 😉

[@BrianKusko]

I love this idea of blindly choosing the whiskey to pair. Good stuff guys. Matt has been talking about picking up some GTS. Had a pour at a local restaurant recently. That JD is also phenomenal. I always get cotton candy from it.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Outside of blinds, GTS hung the moon. Inside of blinds... well... it's good whiskey. Haha. We'll definitely be re-tasting JDBP for that cotton candy note. Love when we can pick that up in a pour. Thanks so much for watching Brian!

[@codytaylor9796]

I know this has nothing to do with the video but I love seeing the Lami Safari being used in this video!!! I am a bourbon fan and also a fountain pen collector and love that you use them as well! Great content and I can’t wait to see more from both of you!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much Cody! Stay tuned-we’ve got a little Lamy spot upcoming in a video podcast “other stuff” segment.😉

[@callmebender]

Cool comparison. I have never had a chance for GTS, and I would NEVER buy it at secondary, not mad about it ;) thou. But JD all day long - under $65 including taxes in Texas. Quality juice at barrel strength, It is an absolute winner an much more than just a consolation price.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said. We hope when folks watch this that your idea here comes through-JDBP is definitely not a consolation prize for those that can’t get GTS. It’s exceptional in its own right. Dig that Mega Man avatar BTW. Cheers!

[@aarongoss8514]

Absolutely love the content. Only criticism would be sometimes the videos are a tad too long and I find myself skipping ahead a little bit. Overall, A++ though!! Keep them coming!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thank you so much for the kind words Aaron. We’re definitely tightening things up in future recordings (we want 15 minute videos but often miss). That said, we always try to include timestamps too so folks can jump around if they’re time crunched. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@matthewhall8790]

JDSiBBP is certainly in my top 3 so far, maybe even #1. I also love the JDSiBBP Rye!! Never had GTS, and we know how hard it is to get in a regular year, not to mention when they don't bottle any like this year.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

You're speaking directly to your hearts here with the Jack Daniel's love! Those barrel proof products they release are something special for sure.

[@royn8032]

Awesome job guys....this is how whiskey analysis should be done...You guys are a good looking couple!....I wish my wife would be willing to do reviews lol

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much for the kind words Roy!

[@mikecoleman3433]

I had both and I selected the JDBP! No banana on mine. Deep caramel and Crème brûlée

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Apologies for this comment slipping through the cracks on us Mike! That bottle of JDBP sounds absolutely fantastic by the way. We're still on the lookout for a good store pick in the local area that has those darker, richer notes--sounds like an easy Stagg killer. Thanks so much for watching!

[@lucasmartineau4003]

Just saw a GTS for $2000…crazy. Inflation hit the secondary market pretty hard in the past 3 years.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That's rough. Secondary should be around $700 on it these days. Prices are falling but some stores haven't gotten the memo.

[@jimbrady7030]

JDSBBP is my favorite Jack Daniel's product and I've tried the Frank Sinatra.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Jack has something really special going with that barrel proof lineup. Now we just gotta get them to release a little more of that rye!

[@Aphabet21]

Earned a sub from your grading scale

[@franks4973]

Erin, would love to know what whiskeys you think are similar to JD single barrel full proof. Especially since the JD gold is my current favorite. Thx for your reviews!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

JDSBBP is likely the most readily available of the bunch but there are quite a few things that share a similar profile like 1792 Full Proof, Old Forester Barrel Strength, and some Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches as well. It’s definitely worth checking out offerings from those distilleries that are comparable to Jack Gold. Cheers!

[@thomaspetroni208]

Wow, Erin coined another note, first it was Rocking Horse and now "Toddler" - really enjoying your tastings. Oh yah, Josh is good too.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Toddler might be our most off-the-wall tasting note yet, haha! Cheers Thomas!

[@enricojaun2880]

Great vid as always! Im usually not a jdbp fan, but to be fair i havent blinded it. It always tastes too young to me. Compare it to bt white dog if you have a chance... but hey, to each their own! Cheers!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks for watching Enrico! And fair point on JDBP. It definitely seems to be a polarizing profile. Never would’ve thought to compare it to white dog but definitely will!

[@stchrbarrow]

If it makes you feel any better, Brown-Forman the parent company of Jack Daniels also makes Early Times, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

For sure. We actually came up with a little home blend of equal parts Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof, Old Forester 1910, and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked that we call Brown Forman Banana Pancakes. We don't often blend but after our 1910 vs WRDO comparison, our love for JDBP, and the Brown Forman tie, we had to try it. It's solid! We need to try it head-to-head against OF1915. Cheers!

[@nick_pappagiorgio]

I heard this year's GT Stagg has an unexpected funkiness.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We’ll find out soon. Channel content coming as soon as it pops up in the blind pool.

[@thomaswilson9407]

I just got my first jd sib BP rye. It is so amazingly smooth for 135 proof whiskey. I am afraid it will be gone way too fast

[@pumpedupdart6859]

Really like the video, but in your comments comparing Rare Breed to JDSBBP is crazy, there is no comparison. The JD is miles and miles better. I've also never had a JDSBBP that didn't have very deep, dark, stewed fruit mid-palate to go along with the initial sweetness and a fairly classic bourbon brown sugar, vanilla, smoky, oaky finish. Maybe it's the barrel you got? And I enjoy Rare Breed.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Call us crazy then! 😂 Taste being so subjective, Rare Breed just *really* fits our flavor and proof preferences (if you want to see that in display, check back through our videos and see how Rare Breed compared to George T Stagg for us in a double blind). “Single barrel roulette” with the JDBP bottles is a big part of the fun for sure. We love the variations you can get and hope it stays super available so we can continue to explore. We’re down to this being our only bottle at the moment but it would be fun to pick up another SiB and put JDBP vs JDBP into our blind pool to highlight barrel variation. Thanks for watching!

[@raymonddonahue7282]

JDBP is really good.

[@royn8032]

I am curious if Josh think Blanton's is better than GTS....maybe in flavor profile?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Josh here. Definitely not personally, however I don’t doubt one bit that if you double-blinded people, some folks would prefer Blanton’s or other lower proof pours to GTS. It’s easy to be wowed by GTS when you know it’s GTS. It’s hits a little different sometimes when you don’t know that’s what you’re drinking (or at least that’s been my personal experience with it).

[@877-MASH-NOW]

I really like your different approach to Whiskey Reviews. One small suggestion would to be trim the reviews to less than 15 minutes. WHISKEY CHEERS

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much for watching Jay G. Solid suggestion-it’s something we’re actively working on. Trying to tighten up the delivery and edit while still being our conversational selves. 15-17 minutes is our goal. 👍

[@thomasmuller2591]

Well don't fuckin watch it!alot of people happen to like the process they use!keep on rockin🤘

[@thomasmuller2591]

You are doing fine!take your time and the process you two use is something that alot of other reviews should be like!don't change a thing!you do a wonderful job!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@thomasmuller2591 thanks for the kind words man, and Jay G is good people and his recommendation is coming from a good place so it’s all good. We’re tightened things up a bit in recent filming BUT we’re definitely conversational in our talk style and that’ll always be a part of the channel.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@MyWhiskeyLab we definitely need to deep dive into those analytics. Good call!

[@mitchilito99]

Interesting that Erin doesn't have a banana receptor. There is no getting around the pure banana flavor of these particular bottles - or pretty much any JD product.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Just goes to show how palates differ, which is definitely interesting. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@Joseph-fr1rs]

Two fantastic whiskies! No losers in this blind battle! I give a small victory to the GTS but the Jack Daniels SBBP is also a fine offering! Great review!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said Joseph! It's wild how good JDSBBP is for the money and ease of availability (although we hear it's incredibly difficult to find in some markets). Cheers and thanks so much for watching buddy!

[@markbowerii7632]

So ya'll are probably going to hate me for this, but my local total wine has JDSBBP priced around 25 for a 375ml, which affectively puts it around 56 with tax for a 750ml.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s amazing! Time to stock up!

[@chicothegreat2126]

Yep.. 59 here at Spec's in Texas if u pay cash

[@hirokeo]

Its tough to compare the two because for me as there is no bar around me or liquor store where I can even try GTS. JD is literally everywhere..... I really hope I don't like GTS because I love Stagg Jr and I still can't find a bottle under $200 in over 6 months of searching...

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Not to shamelessly self promote but did you catch our Stagg Jr vs GTS double blind? They’re both great-and not to drop any spoilers-but neither of us would say Stagg Jr is a consolation prize. 😉

[@craniac24]

Does Erin have a single identical twin sister?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Haha! Many sisters-seven, in fact, and one brother too-but none identical (although some do favor). Thanks for watching Joseph!

[@grfgonza]

I am sorry but no one get GTS for $100. I can’t even get Stagg for less that $150 if you can even find it. I was lucky and have Stagg from last year, and I also was able to get my hands on one this year.

[@aldogomez2681]

Wait, you always reveal the price 1st, then what brand.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Yep yep, that’s who we roll. We judge the price against what we taste to see if that changes anything for us before we find out what we’re drinking. Helps us keep bias at bay.

[@yourdrinkingbuddy]

Half of me was like: If they pick the JD I will unsubscribe. The other half was like: I hope they pick the JD so that if they get some GTS, they might give it to me? Both are flawed concepts, but I am not sure I have tasted anything better than GTS in my life. The experience may have lended some credence though... as both times I had GTS, it was very good times in my life.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Scene and setting make a huge difference, as does looking at the bottle of GTS and knowing how rare and well reviewed it is. The times we've had it non-blind have been wonderful experiences, almost always surrounded by friends that we're sharing it with, whereas the times we've had it blind have been quite different experiences. It's definitely interesting how even things like your mood and company can make such a difference in how something tastes.

[@brad4266]

Did Josh just break out of old timey prison?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂

[@orifscrew174]

I have JDBP bunkered a 3, I’ll never see Stagg. Northern MN is a bourbon desert

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Ah that’s a bummer! Have you had it before at a bar or a friends? Stagg is good but JDBP is hardly a consolation prize. Both excellent, just different. We love that JDBP can be a FOMO killer.

[@lpagliacco]

if GTS is just ok in retail score, what's a thumbs down bottle for her? wtf

[@stuffandwhiskey]

This was back when we were taking availability into account, which severely hampers GTS.

[@kermitpurcell6432]

Did she just say that's a big 'un....?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

A big ‘un, indeed.

[@SparkyBreaks]

I'd cry to get a GTS for 100 lmao

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We hear ya. Got lucky once. Would spend up to $200-250 on any year GTS and would stretch to $300ish for 2022. Unfortunately that doesn’t cut it these days.

[@SparkyBreaks]

@Stuff & Whiskey I think I'd go 300, but I'll likely just keep trying my luck with lotteries. Since even 300 is unrealistic in my market. (Any time I see one it's 1k+)

[@generynkewicz4871]

I really like JD single barrel select and love the barrel proof. Also like OF 1910 and 1920. Rare breed makes me want to dump it down the drain. I can't drink it without a mixer.

[@chiprucker5735]

You muist of got a rare bad bottle. Rare breed is one of the best bourbons out there.

[@ernestquinn1682]

You are not getting GTS for 100 dollars any were

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@Gene Rynkewicz while we adore Rare Breed and can’t share your sentiment there, we do agree that JD SBS may be one of the most underrated products on the market for the average consumer. Big 1910/1920 fans too.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@ernestquinn1682 we did, but it was via persistence and a raffle. Your point stands though. The retail score wouldn’t have changed with secondary pricing. We’ll never pay that so we’ll likely never see another bottle again.

[@chiprucker5735]

@@ernestquinn1682 He said he paid 110

[@katshoulders4576]

❤️❤️❤️

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Invite is imminent. Get ready. 😉

[@LeatherDaddy97]

Please dont drink toddlers. Thats the job of a llama wearing a hat named carl

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Wait, is the llama named Carl or is the hat named Carl?

[@LeatherDaddy97]

@@stuffandwhiskey the llama is named carl. I was referencing the series llamas with hats. Also george t stagg isnt worth over 150 max imo. Btw i will say, while rare breed is excellent, using it as a price benchmark is gonna leave you disappointed a lot.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@LeatherDaddy97 You're absolutely right about using Rare Breed as our barometer. We're one part masochist (Josh) and one part tightwad (Erin), so such is life. Cheers buddy!

[@enricojaun2880]

@@LeatherDaddy97 hahahahah!! Carrrrrlllllll!

[@thomasmuller2591]

JDSBBP👍👍

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It’s so good!