Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 4

Pours a deep amber-orange with slow-moving legs. The aroma is pleasant, featuring typical oak, caramel, and vanilla notes, along with some spice, cinnamon, molasses, and brown sugar; the alcohol is less pronounced on the nose than in Booker's, despite the higher proof. The taste again strongly features oak notes, some vanilla and caramel, abundant spice notes, and yes, the alcohol is noticeable. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, thick, and indeed, quite alcoholic. Surprisingly, it's not as harsh as Booker's, but still packs a punch (as usual, keep in mind my inexperienced palate). Overall, this is quite good, perhaps a slight improvement over Booker's but comparable. Thoughts from a beer perspective: I'm not aware of beers specifically aged in Stagg Jr. barrels, but my understanding is that Stagg Jr. is essentially barrel-proof Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare, both of which are frequently cited as barrel sources. As one might expect, I believe these barrels would impart excellent qualities to beer, and indeed, Buffalo Trace was the winner in a horizontal tasting of FiftyFifty Eclipse beers I conducted some years ago. The concept of a scaled-down version of a more sought-after item does occur occasionally, though the distinction is usually based on alcohol content rather than age. Some examples include Great Divide Velvet Yeti (a lower alcohol version of their Yeti Imperial Stout designed for nitro pours) or The Bruery's So Happens It's Tuesday, a slightly lower alcohol (and thus 'more approachable') variation of the formidable Black Tuesday. There are likely numerous other instances.