Stagg Jr Bourbon Batch 26A Review: Expectations on Consistency
- Nick Anderson
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
“Average is always a safe choice, and it is the most dangerous choice you can make.”
– Erwin Raphael McManus
I'm always grateful to try new releases—to be one of the first to bring you the truth in a bottle. When my good friend Jason Kass heard I had not yet tried the 26A release, despite being known as "The Stagg Man," he swiftly brought over his bottle so we could fresh crack it together. His kindness didn't end there, though; he left me with another 2 ounces so I could polish up a full written review in accordance with my editorial policy for you, my dear reader.
In an era of wildly variable Stagg releases, I was curious to see if 26A could once again march to the beat of consistency. I posted a story to my Instagram page and got an incredibly widespread reaction from deep excitement and enjoyment to complete ambivalence. It seems the bottle-to-bottle variability we saw in the 2025 batches may be cursing us in 2026 as well.
With the understanding that your palate mileage may vary, here's everything I found on the first release of Stagg Jr. in 2026...
Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Buffalo Trace mash bill # 1 (high corn, low rye, malted barley)
Proof: 129.3° (64.65%)
Age: NAS (generally assumed to be 8-12 years)
MSRP: $65
Further identification: This is the 26A batch of Stagg bourbon, which first released in spring of 2026
Nose: On first lifting the glass, I find barrel funk coming across on an even keel. Boozy vanilla follows on a longer inhale. Typical oak wood spice develops with a little time in the glass, bringing along allspice and black pepper. Hints of strawberry milk can be found on intensely long inhales. Overall this is a surprisingly refined Stagg, one that seems to have shaped up after a stint in private school, no longer throwing around its proof as the rough and rowdy locker room brute of old. Barrel funk and vanilla continue to be the dominant tones, reminding me of the simplicity of Batch 16. After a long rest, much of the experience is consistently the same with a bit more caramel coming through now. After a sip, some darker molasses tones swing in alongside the breadiness of the palate. Deep inhales return things to the simple start. The now-empty glencairn smells of monkey bread and thin diner coffee.
Palate: My first sip is approachable and round with globs of caramel and chewy chocolate chip granola bar vibes. Another sip reveals a distinctly bready whiskey, something like wheat toast mixed with plain waffle. Chewing on this further reveals dark cola tones with a tingling linger that doesn't want to leave my gums. Hints of cherry and butter give this an approachable mouthfeel but a rather forgettable complexity for the long-term whiskey enthusiast. It's approachable as can be, but not something that feels all that Staggy to me. My last sip is gone with little fanfare, leaving me with the consistent chewy granola bar, caramel, and wood spice on a medium finish.
TL;DR: An approachable, easy-sipping bourbon that doesn't come across too Staggy
Rating: 3/5
I find myself often disappointed in the modern bourbon release realm, which seems to be shifting towards blending for the masses rather than crafting something masterful worth slow savoring. That's my experience with 26A too, unfortunately, leaving me wondering if I would purchase this one, even at MSRP. Cross-referencing this tasting against several other Stagg Jr bottles from releases past allows me to place it in the power ranking I maintain in my Stagg Hub article.
Overall, I find this most similar to Stagg Jr Batch 24D, which I described in my write-up as similarly quotidian. Here's to hoping your bottle is better than the one I got to explore. If you appreciate the candor and transparency of my writing, consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter, or perhaps even better, buying me a coffee. Cheers, friends!
