Stagg Batch 23C is the Winter 2023 release of Buffalo Trace's barrel proof powerhouse, and a notable one. At 125.9 proof it was the lowest proof Stagg or Stagg Jr. had ever been released at, and 2023 was the first year the label appeared three times in a single calendar year. The name honours George T. Stagg, who built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century during the Gilded Age of bourbon, and this label is the younger, more frequently released sibling to the George T. Stagg bottling in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Formerly sold as Stagg Jr., the line dropped the suffix after Batch 17. Batch 23C is built on Buffalo Trace's low rye Mash Bill #1 and aged close to a decade in new charred American oak, then bottled uncut and unfiltered with no water added and no chill filtration. It pours a deep mahogany. The nose opens with rich dark caramel, candied pecans and ripe blackberries over toasted oak, vanilla and warm spices of nutmeg and clove. The palate leads with baking spice, cinnamon, anise seed and white pepper, then moves into caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and toasted oak with touches of leather, fig and licorice. Reviewers noted it drinks softer than its proof suggests, sweet and mouthcoating with dark fruit and green apple threading through. The finish is moderately long, combining baking spice with lingering sweetness. A few drops of water or a large ice cube open it further. Released in strictly limited quantities, each Stagg batch is a distinct piece of an ongoing vertical that collectors work hard to complete.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
62.95% |
| Proof |
125.9 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Kentucky |
| Type |
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Barrel Proof |
| Batch |
23C (Winter 2023 release) |
| Distillery |
Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky |
| Producer |
Sazerac Company |
| Mashbill |
Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (low rye) |
| Age |
Approximately 8 to 9 years |
| Filtration |
Uncut and unfiltered |
| Bottling Code |
L23 |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep mahogany.
Nose: Dark caramel, candied pecans and ripe blackberries over toasted oak, vanilla, nutmeg and clove.
Palate: Baking spice led, with cinnamon, anise and white pepper, then caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted oak, leather, fig and licorice.
Finish: Moderately long, combining baking spice with lingering sweetness.
FAQ
What proof is Stagg Batch 23C?
Batch 23C is bottled at 125.9 proof (62.95% ABV), uncut and unfiltered.
What is significant about 23C?
It was the lowest proof Stagg release at the time, and 2023 was the first year the label was released three times in a single year.
How do I confirm I have 23C?
The batch code is printed on the label, and 125.9 proof is unique to this batch. The laser code on the glass reads L23 for the 2023 bottling.
What were the 2023 Stagg batches?
Three: 23A at 130.2 proof,
