Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 4, 132.2 Proof

Eye: Oversteeped black tea. Thin rims bleed medium droplets.

Nose: Fresh corn – sweet and, well, corny. A bit of proof heat, Ludens drops, yet less artificial. Buttered sweetened cornbread. Candied cherries on top of a sundae.

Palate: Lots of heat, but tolerable. Intense dark chocolate, dried dates and black cherries, a dark sweetness that introduces smoky notes. Barrel char and maple sugar. Mouthfeel is syrupy and super coating, creamy, spicy, brings out more chocolate along with cracked peppercorn heat that keeps building. Lovely barrel-aged maple.

Finish: The maple and wood smoke gains a foothold over a long finish, stays coating and rich. Some dried cherry, too.

Overall: This rounds out quite nicely after a hot start. Sweet for sure, though the overall balance is kept through a heat-sweet meld.

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