Is Stagg REALLY The King of Barrel Proof Bourbon? ECBP A123 vs Stagg Batch 18 BLIND REACTIONS
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
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📽 📽 IN THIS WEEK'S VIDEO:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A123 (125.6 proof, $70-90) vs Stagg Bourbon Batch 18 (131 proof, $60-300+)
ECBP often gets touted as one of the best values in barrel proof bourbon considering it's big age statement, but few folks think of it as the best barrel proof bourbon. Stagg, on the other hand, often gets called the best and many people seek it out--often times paying 4-5x the suggested retailing pricing.
We wanted to compare these two heavyweight barrel proof bourbons completely blind to see if Stagg really is the king of barrel proof bourbon.
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I can see this. I think ECBP is one of the best bangs for the buck and can go toe to toe with the best of em. After 80+ bottles (unfortunately no BTAC or Pappy) ECBP B520 is the best bourbon I own.
Awesome video! I passed on an A123 at a great price the other day, and then won a Stagg B18 just two nights ago in a raffle. I am a huge fan of the B18 but now I’m sad I passed on the EC. I guess I won’t pass on the EC again if I see it!
ECBP is always a buy in our book!
Ohio has a bunch of ECBPA123 out on the shelves right now. Saw two cases stacked today.
It’s so good!
michigan i can still get a123 at a shop by me who keeps a ton of ecbp stock. i can get the brand new ones and old bottles its awesome, i have 4 back ups from when it came out lol
I've had a chance to try Stagg Jr at a tasting and enjoyed it but have never found a bottle for < $300. The first sip of A123 and my immediate reaction was that this is the perfect antidote for S Jr FOMO. I've been very lucky and have managed to get 6 backups.
I haven't found any of this years ECBP yet, but I'm looking forward to them! They're just such amazing whiskeys. In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying my '22 bottles. 😊 Cheers, everybody.
Been wanting to try either one of these since they’re both available at my local liquor store ($250 for Stagg and $80 for ECBP). After watching this I’ll be looking forward to pick up the ECBP. Cheers!
EC A123 is such a great value for the age and the proof. I'm a big fan of that batch, well worth having some extras.
Wow, what a great comparo! I'm going to blind my non jr. and ECBP B523 this weekend to see which one calls my name. I love them both so very much! Nice going Josh and Erin. You hit this one out of the park
Thanks Mark! We've not yet seen or tried B523. Hope it's as great for you as A123 is for us. Cheers!
I have C922 if that B doesn't work out. Haven't scored the A123 yet. @@stuffandwhiskey
I did the blind this weekend. Results:
A. Stagg non jr. 131 proof
B. ECBPC922 124.8 proof
C. ECBPB523 124.2 proof
They are all winners in my opinion. All so very good! I caught that sour note in B for me along with butterscotch. A, had a cool cookie note, and the neat thing is that I blended them all together at the end and got solid gold! I can only imagine, if I had ECBPA123, that would be Fort Knox in glass. Try it and see . Cheers guys!
@@stuffandwhiskey
Last weekend, I tried Stagg at an Italian restaurant. I haven't had Elijah Craig barrel proof yet. I've never seen either of these in a store, except in price-gouging museums. Stagg is a good quality, classic style bourbon, but I don't think it is unique or exceptional enough to justify paying more than around $80. Fortunately, bars and restaurants in my area get many of these semi-rare bourbons and don't price gouge, so I don't see any need to search for bottles. I can order them when I go out. The restaurant where I had Stagg charged about $16 for a very generous pour, so I was able to spend plenty of time with it. I slowly watered it to see how it would change - this is usually worth doing with high strength spirits, as they can change in interesting ways as they are gradually diluted. I found that a few drops of water opened it up a little, but adding more didn't do all that much. This bourbon seems to be at its best at high strength.
That's a great spot to have nearby so you can get pours at reasonable prices without all the hype and markup associated with them. Cheers to that Heather!
Very cool matchup. I want to like EC, but regardless of which I try, they hit my palate poorly. I have Stag 18 and it’s one of my favorites, which makes sense for me as BT products make my palate happy 🙂. Thanks you 2!
I am a big fan of the Eligah Craig Barrel Proof. I really liked the C922 and the A123. I never have had any Stagg. Cheers!
Good review!! I love the look of the Stagg bottles, but the bourbon for me just doesn’t wow me. I have had some really good pours of prior batches, but I’m not a Stagg chaser at all. ECBP is pretty much very consistent from batch to batch and much more findable. I don’t think I can ever recall seeing a Stagg on the shelf at MSRP since I’ve began my bourbon collection 5-6 yrs ago..
ECBP for the win! Great matchup. I personally agree with your results.
Only stagg I've ever been able to get, is stagg jr 12 and it's great. Also elijah craig is also great, love b520. Still have 3 bottles left. Great review, love both.
B520 is so good! That’s one we wish we had a backup of badly. Congrats!
I've only ever seen ONE BOTTLE of Stagg (Jr.), and that was last year, batch 17, and for $350. I was able to try an older batch at a bar back in November, and though I liked it a lot, I didn't $350 like it. I have 2 previous batches of ECBP, can find them regularly once they are released (and always at MSRP), and f-ing LOVE that stuff. Why hunt for Stagg when you can get whiskey that is just as good for less money and effort? Because Buffalo Trace, apparently. Anyhow, I'm not hunting for Stagg anymore, and this is one of the many reasons why.
As always, thanks for helping to fight the FOMO!
For sure! We've become very opportunistic buyers of hyped bottles rather than hunting for them. If we get a chance to buy at or very near suggested retail then great, but it doesn't make sense to feed into the markup market for us when there's so much out there that's equally good without the inflated prices. We don't need any specific bottle on our shelf bad enough to pay a premium for it.
Hey Erin, don’t look now but… I think you’re starting to get that proof immunity😂
Interesting, I my group did a side by side and all of us preferred the Stagg. It was not nearly as hot as the Elijah Craig. We did have 22A and B 23 in the EC.
Thank you for the video! It is interesting how Stagg doesn't do as well in blinds as I thought it would in many reviews. But of course, I would love to find out myself someday with a bottle as I only had a couple of pours. For now, I'll just stick with the ECBPs! Cheers!
It's definitely fascinating how blind tastings can remove the mystic of the bottle/label and bring those "grail" pours down to reality. In this tasting both were quite good but the Stagg seemed much more simple (fruit and oak) and hot compared to the dynamic flavors and balance of ECBP. Thanks for watching!
I also get the sour note on the Stagg Jr B17! I couldn’t put my finger on what it was until you said that but I agree it’s very off putting to me as well.
I really enjoyed ECBP A123. I am hearing reality good things about B523. I have never experienced any of the Stagg family.
I've heard the opposite on B523 from multiple sources including some whiskey tubers. Buyer beware.
@@red5standingby419 I haven't seen any tasting notes, but one might think EC murdered all of the first born when they dropped the age statement by 6 or 7 months. 😂
@@red5standingby419- fair enough. Too bad ECPB isn't the kind of whiskey that stores offer a taste of.
We're hearing the same stuff @Red5StandingBy is but would still buy a B523 if we saw one for retail, and we're incentivized to find one for channel content, but we're not going too far out of our way to find one. That said, we're actively seeking out backups of A123. It's the best batch we've tried since B520 and C920 (although we are bigger fans of B522 than most, but it's a bit of an outlier in the ECBP catalog).
@@stuffandwhiskey Thankfully for me, ECBP sits on the shelf in the PNW. Sadly for me, WA has the highest liquor taxes in the US. So my wallet is hurting, but I have 8 backups of A123. Kicking myself that I didn't do this for A120, I'm not going to make that mistake again. Love your content, keep it up.
Very interesting pairing. I have both will do blind. Love both.
Get this girl some peanut brittle…pronto! 🧐
In Murfreesboro the EC is around for a good while after each release but sits at 100 most places. A few have it for 90. Stagg is whatever they ask. I've not seen it over 200 but at double I think it's worth it....just can't hardly find it.
Have enjoyed Stagg 18 and B22 (19). Will always look for future releases to buy at MSRP. Loved ECBP A123, but am not going to buy B523, due to so many negative reviews. Looking forward to Larceny BP B523. 🥃
We’re in the same spot with the B523 batches.
Stagg 18 was the first bottle I paid above MSRP. It is pretty good but cleared my fomo for wanting to collect them all.
Just bought Stagg 18 at $150 in Delaware
With as difficult as it's become to find, and considering other bottles I've paid $150 for that I haven't liked as much, it's difficult to say Stagg isn't worth that if you like the flavor profile and proof punch. That said, it highlights how great of a value ECBP is also. Cheers, thanks for watching, and enjoy that Stagg!
Both of these are tough to find but you can occasionally find ECBP if you hunt. Stag seems to be always overpriced if you can find it.
I blinded ECBP C922 against Batch 14. Stagg Jr won for me, but I really want ECBP to always win. EC is far easier to find, and I do enjoy them. Batch to Batch, they all vary just enough that anyone of them could win. Just never pay more than MSRP.
C922 is pretty good but in blinds there’s a bitterness that just can’t stand up to some of the sweeter pours like most Stagg and ECBP A123 if you ask us.
I’m not surprised at all by this one. I have some EC private barrels that go toe to toe with Stagg. I’ve found private barrels to be better than their barrel proofs.
I find Stagg for 56.99 in IL
It’s amazing value at that price for sure.
In Texas you're not finding Stagg sitting on shelves at all. I got lucky with batch 15 and got that for retail because the store had it advertised on their site for $69.99 but had it on the counter $160 and decided to honor their sites price. It regularly sits between $200-$400 here in Dallas and Houston. ECBP hovers around $79-$100.
Found a Stagg batch 18 in Austin in January’24. I bought two other bourbons and the store gave me a discount on each bottle. The Stagg was priced at $279.99 and he dropped it to $150.
@@curetiamhices289 I like Stagg at $150, awesome bottle to have and the proofs and flavor always keep my friends on their toes.
Thanks.
Shhhh…you’re gonna kill the secondary for Stagg 😂
Stuff & Whiskey, your local bottle flipper's least favorite RUclips channel. 😂
Stagg jr has never been particularly special to me. Its just no better than something like rare breed, jack barrel proof, ecbp etc.
It's aaaaalmost like it's *just* barrel proof Kentucky bourbon in that average ~8 year old age frame. 😂
I've NEVER seen a Stagg for less than $400 in MD. I can get EC BP anywhere at msrp so unless I get stagg for msrp I'll likely never buy it
I have both of these bottles (lucky me).
I can NOT choose which one I like over the other.
I vacillate back and forth with no rhyme or reason. They are both in my top three bourbons.
And now for something completely different (as Monty Python would say) . . . .
Have you considered as content "blending" bourbons?
You two are methodical and thoughtful.
Consider what you might discover by blending a couple of bourbons. For example, 2/3 Benchmark Bonded and 1/3 Eagle Rare. The Bonded adds a bit of proof and the ER adds oak and a certain balance. What is the result? Is this something we should consider to "stretch" our bourbons to enjoy more?
Maybe this avenue of exploration falls in to the area of "things that make you go . . . . Hmmmmm."
We’ve tried a bit of blending on our own time just for fun, but it’s definitely hit and miss, and all the blending content on RUclips seems to do very poorly by all metrics (not that we care all that much about metrics, but we do want to make videos that most folks find helpful). A blend competition vs available and allocated products would definitely make for some fun livestream content though!
WHISKEY CHEERS 😎
As a very novice bourbon drinker, I had stagg blind and it crushed me. Was pretty disappointed. Admittedly I’m a wuss with high proof.
That's a great point. High proof is like spicy food--if you don't like that experience then it's not going to be enjoyable for you even if others rave about it. Cheers and thanks for watching Robert!
What kind of watch is that? ECBP is the ultimate measuring stick in my opinion. If it’s $120 and not going to be better than an average batch of ECBP, it’s a pass.
It's a 14060M Submariner reference circa 2008. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Retail for Stagg is still $49.99 plus tax in North Carolina (When you can find it).
I won't live long enough to find it on the shelf here in NC. 😂
@@Robert.Sheard What County are you? I visit and purchase bourbon from several counties on the east side of the state. After building relationships with stores and employees, it not too hard to get a bottle or two a year at retail in N.C.
@@itswhiskeytime8538 I'm in Durham. I've been looking throughout the county and in three years I've never seen an ECBP or a Stagg, unless it's in the once-a-year lottery.
@@Robert.Sheard RDU is an impossible area because of the state lobbying by the L.B.D. accounts (Restaurants). Even the Raleigh Bourbon Society gets their barrel picks in other counties. Keep hitting me back and I can help to find ECBP this weekend and possibly some Stagg in the future. Over 500 6 bottle cases came into the state last month. Hope this helps.
Just subbed your channel and sent you an email.
Totally disagree - batch 18 is fantastic!