My best friend, Scott, gave me a bottle of Stagg 24C probably a year and a half ago.

I have enjoyed it. I have appreciated it. I have brought it out on special occasions.

But mostly, I have sat on it like a miser on a gemstone.

That may sound ridiculous until you start seeing what people try to charge for Stagg. I have seen bottles of Stagg Jr. listed around $180, which is already enough to make a reasonable person pause. Then there is one nearby liquor store whose owner is apparently attempting to sell a bottle of Stagg Jr. for $600.

It is good bourbon.

It is not “take out a small personal loan and reconsider your retirement planning” good bourbon.

At $600, that bottle is not sitting on a shelf. It is entering the family estate. That man is going to end up willing his Stagg Jr. to his children one day, because that bottle is never going to sell.

For those who don’t live in the strange little world of bourbon hunting, Stagg is one of Buffalo Trace’s highly sought-after barrel-proof bourbons. It was formerly known as Stagg Jr., the younger sibling to the legendary George T. Stagg from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Buffalo Trace now labels it simply as Stagg, but the basic idea remains the same: big, bold, uncut, unfiltered bourbon bottled at full strength. Buffalo Trace describes Stagg as barrel-proof, uncut, and aged in charred white oak barrels for eight years.

That “younger sibling” label matters, because George T. Stagg is one of those annual-release bottles that sends collectors into fits. The 2025 George T. Stagg came in at 142.8 proof and was part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, where suggested retail may be one thing and real-world pricing can become something else entirely.

Stagg is not George T. Stagg. But it carries enough of the name, profile, proof, scarcity, and Buffalo Trace mystique to make people lose their minds.

Earlier this year, Scott gave me another bottle, this time a 25C. That gave me the perfect excuse to stop admiring the gemstone and actually drink the thing. So I poured the 24C against its younger brother and let them fight it out in the glass.

The 24C release is generally listed at 128.9 proof, while the 25C comes in lower at 125.6 proof. That is still plenty of horsepower either way. These are not delicate little porch sippers. They are barrel-proof Buffalo Trace bourbons with shoulders.

Still, proof is only part of the story. A bourbon can be powerful without being balanced. It can be hot without being interesting. It can be rare without being worth the trouble.

So the question was not simply which one was stronger.

The question was which one was better.

The Tasting

Glencairn A

The nose opens warm and savory, with nutmeg, buttery caramel, and toasted oak leading the way. It feels rich without being overbearing, which is not always a given with Stagg.

On the palate, this one is sweeter than I expected. Honey shows up quickly, followed by tree fruit, sweet baking spice, and toffee. There is a nice creaminess to the mouthfeel that gives the pour some polish. It does not just blast across the palate and disappear. It settles in.

The finish is solid, with the honey and tree fruit taking the lead while the toffee hangs around in the background. It does not have the longest or most dramatic finish I have ever had from a barrel-proof bourbon, but everything here feels well assembled.

This is a big pour, but it is not a chaotic one.

Score: 88.97

Glencairn B

The nose is similar to A, but the sweetness pushes harder here. Brown sugar moves ahead of the caramel, giving it a deeper and slightly darker opening.

Then the palate surprises me.

There is more bite than I expected. Not bad bite. Not unpleasant bite. But there is a noticeable edge. The sweetness shifts away from brown sugar and lands more in honey, with candied cherries and cinnamon joining in. As it sits on the palate, those cherries begin to turn tart, which gives the bourbon a sharper, more energetic character.

The mouthfeel is very good. This one has a nice viscosity, and the honey clings to the palate in a way that helps the finish stretch out. The deep copper color also adds to the experience. I know color is not flavor, but I am not going to pretend it does not influence the mood of a pour. This one looks like it means business.

The finish is probably the best part of this glass. It has more staying power than A, and the tart cherry note gives it some personality.

Score: 87.89

The Reveal

Glencairn A: Stagg 25C

Glencairn B: Stagg 24C

That result surprised me a little.

The 24C has the better mouthfeel and finish. It has more grip. It has more drama. It feels a little more like what people expect when they hear the word Stagg.

But the 25C wins where it matters most for me: the nose and the palate.

The 25C came across as more balanced, more inviting, and more enjoyable from start to finish. It still had the proof and the presence, but it did not feel like it was trying quite so hard to impress me. It gave me the honey, fruit, spice, oak, and toffee in a way that felt complete.

The 24C is excellent. I would never turn down a pour of it. I am grateful to have the bottle, and I will continue treating it like something special.

But if I am choosing between the two, I am picking up the 2025 C release.

And no, I am not paying $600 for either one.

At that price, I expect the bottle to pour itself, compliment my writing, mow the lawn, and apologize for the bourbon market.

Stagg is very good.

But it is still bourbon.

And bourbon is meant to be opened.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.