Stagg began as Stagg Jr. in 2013 and dropped the "Jr." with Batch 18 in 2022; Buffalo Trace now issues two to three batches a year, each marked by the two-digit year plus a letter. Batch 25B is the second of the 2025 run and, by Breaking Bourbon's count, lands around the line's 28th release overall — a useful marker of how established this bourbon has become. Where some batches push their fruit notes forward, 25B is the classic one: oak, char, chocolate, and leather, with the roasted-pecan and cigar-box character that long-time drinkers associate with the label. It is released in limited, allocated quantities, and it is worth remembering this is the Stagg line, not the once-a-year George T. Stagg of the Antique Collection. For anyone working through the run batch by batch, the mid-proof 25B is a steady, collectible reference point between its siblings.

Pour it neat in a Glencairn or tulip glass to read the full profile; at 126.9 proof, one large ice cube softens it, and a few drops of water open the aroma. Because 25B leans savory and oak-forward, it stands up well next to rich food — smoked brisket, aged Gouda, or a square of dark chocolate.

Batch 25B is built on Buffalo Trace's Mash Bill #1, the distillery's low-rye recipe also used for George T. Stagg (exact grain percentages are not published). The whiskey is aged in new charred American oak for nearly a decade — roughly 8 to 9 years — with no official age statement, then bottled uncut at 126.9 proof (63.45% ABV) and non-chill-filtered. Keeping the natural barrel oils and esters is what gives the batch its dense, full-bodied texture and its concentrated oak, cocoa, and leather character. The reviewer consensus is that 25B is a "classic" expression of the line: true to the established profile rather than chasing an unusual flavor angle.

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What does Stagg Batch 25B taste like?

Batch 25B is a classic-leaning Stagg: vanilla cream, black cherry, and brown sugar on the nose, then dark caramel, roasted pecan, cocoa, and cigar-box oak, with a long, warming finish of charred oak, black pepper, and leather. It is bottled uncut and unfiltered at 126.9 proof (63.45% ABV), so it drinks hot and dense.

Where does Batch 25B sit in the 2025 Stagg releases?

It is the second of Buffalo Trace's four 2025 batches (25A through 25D) and, by Breaking Bourbon's count, about the 28th release in the Stagg line since 2013. At 126.9 proof it sits between the lower-proof 25C and the higher-proof 25D, and like every batch it uses Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1.