Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 6, 132.5 Proof

Eye: Brand new pennies. Very thin rims and large droplets.

Nose: Freshly picked cherries, cherrywood being split. Vinous, sweet, full-bodied red wine. No proof or oak at all, just cherries and bright red wine.

Palate: There’s the proof – hot right on the tip of the tongue, almost painfully so, with Szechuan peppercorns and oak dryness around dried black cherries. Mouthfeel is thin-to-medium, opens a bit of dark chocolate before being engulfed in flames again. Coating, not too drying, more cherry comes out meekly.

Finish: Dark cherries in dark chocolate. The proof mercifully comes down after a tear from my eye. Bitter chocolate and a touch of burnt honey.

Overall: Ouch – another flamethrower from an early batch. There are some good flavors here!

*Image is not a direct representation of the bottle in stock*