Stagg
Stagg — formerly Stagg Jr. — is Buffalo Trace's barrel-proof bourbon: uncut, unfiltered, aged around eight years, and released in batches at full barrel strength. It is the younger, more frequently bottled sibling of George T. Stagg, the ultra-aged Antique Collection release, and both are named for the 19th-century distiller George T. Stagg. This page gathers the family's releases, with each batch and edition linked to its own page as it is added.
- Made by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1 (shared with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor).
- Bottled at barrel proof — uncut and unfiltered — so each batch carries its own strength.
- Stagg is aged around eight years in charred white oak; George T. Stagg, the Antique Collection sibling, is typically aged more than fifteen years.
- Stagg is released in batches roughly twice a year, beginning in 2013.
- The "Jr." was dropped from the label in 2022 (from the eighteenth batch); it is now simply "Stagg."
- Named for George T. Stagg, the 19th-century distiller and salesman who, with E.H. Taylor, built the distillery now known as Buffalo Trace.
- Per-release proof and age are confirmed on each product page.
George T. Stagg was a 19th-century bourbon salesman and businessman who, with Col. E.H. Taylor, built the O.F.C. distillery into one of the most dominant American distilleries of its era; it carried his name until it was renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999. Two bourbons honor him today: George T. Stagg, the ultra-aged release in the Antique Collection, and Stagg — introduced in 2013 as "Stagg Jr." — a younger, barrel-proof expression released in batches. Buffalo Trace dropped the "Jr." in 2022 to present it as a bourbon in its own right.
Stagg is made from Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and bottled the way it leaves the barrel — uncut and unfiltered, at full barrel proof. It is aged around eight years, with each batch released at its own strength and a profile that shifts release to release. That batch-to-batch variation is the point: collectors track and compare individual batches, each with its own proof and character.
The Releases
Stagg is released in batches, and George T. Stagg arrives once a year in the Antique Collection — so this collection grows as individual releases are added. Currently in the vault:
| Stagg (Barrel Proof, Unfiltered) | Kentucky straight bourbon · barrel proof · uncut & unfiltered · batched |
| The 2025 George T. Stagg Release | Kentucky straight bourbon · Antique Collection · the ultra-aged sibling |
Individual Stagg barrel-proof batches are linked here as they arrive. Browse the wider Buffalo Trace collection and the rest of the Antique Collection.
Collector Note
Stagg's appeal as a collectible is batch-driven: because every release is bottled at its own barrel proof, enthusiasts track, compare and hunt specific batches, and the most admired ones draw attention on the secondary market. George T. Stagg — released once a year and aged far longer — sits among the most sought-after American bourbons. As with any high-demand Buffalo Trace bottle, fill level, label condition and authentication carry real weight.
Production Methodology
Both bourbons are made from Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof. Stagg is aged around eight years and released in batches roughly twice a year; George T. Stagg is an annual Antique Collection release aged far longer, typically more than fifteen years. Proof and age vary by release and are documented, and verified, on each bottle's page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Stagg and George T. Stagg bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see how we authenticate each bottle, the Vault and concierge service, and our published sourcing standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Stagg, and how is it different from George T. Stagg?
Stagg — formerly Stagg Jr. — is Buffalo Trace's barrel-proof bourbon: uncut, unfiltered, made from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1, aged around eight years, and released in batches roughly twice a year. George T. Stagg is the older, ultra-aged sibling, released once a year in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and typically aged more than fifteen years. Both are named for the 19th-century distiller George T. Stagg.
Why does Stagg's proof change from bottle to bottle?
Because Stagg is bottled at barrel proof — straight from the barrel with no water added — each batch is released at its own strength, so proof and character vary release to release. The specific proof for any given batch is listed on that batch's product page.
Stagg — formerly Stagg Jr. — is Buffalo Trace's barrel-proof bourbon: uncut, unfiltered, aged around eight years, and released in batches at full barrel strength. It is the younger, more frequently bottled sibling of George T. Stagg, the ultra-aged Antique Collection release, and both are named for the 19th-century distiller George T. Stagg. This page gathers the family's releases, with each batch and edition linked to its own page as it is added.
- Made by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1 (shared with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor).
- Bottled at barrel proof — uncut and unfiltered — so each batch carries its own strength.
- Stagg is aged around eight years in charred white oak; George T. Stagg, the Antique Collection sibling, is typically aged more than fifteen years.
- Stagg is released in batches roughly twice a year, beginning in 2013.
- The "Jr." was dropped from the label in 2022 (from the eighteenth batch); it is now simply "Stagg."
- Named for George T. Stagg, the 19th-century distiller and salesman who, with E.H. Taylor, built the distillery now known as Buffalo Trace.
- Per-release proof and age are confirmed on each product page.
George T. Stagg was a 19th-century bourbon salesman and businessman who, with Col. E.H. Taylor, built the O.F.C. distillery into one of the most dominant American distilleries of its era; it carried his name until it was renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999. Two bourbons honor him today: George T. Stagg, the ultra-aged release in the Antique Collection, and Stagg — introduced in 2013 as "Stagg Jr." — a younger, barrel-proof expression released in batches. Buffalo Trace dropped the "Jr." in 2022 to present it as a bourbon in its own right.
Stagg is made from Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and bottled the way it leaves the barrel — uncut and unfiltered, at full barrel proof. It is aged around eight years, with each batch released at its own strength and a profile that shifts release to release. That batch-to-batch variation is the point: collectors track and compare individual batches, each with its own proof and character.
The Releases
Stagg is released in batches, and George T. Stagg arrives once a year in the Antique Collection — so this collection grows as individual releases are added. Currently in the vault:
| Stagg (Barrel Proof, Unfiltered) | Kentucky straight bourbon · barrel proof · uncut & unfiltered · batched |
| The 2025 George T. Stagg Release | Kentucky straight bourbon · Antique Collection · the ultra-aged sibling |
Individual Stagg barrel-proof batches are linked here as they arrive. Browse the wider Buffalo Trace collection and the rest of the Antique Collection.
Collector Note
Stagg's appeal as a collectible is batch-driven: because every release is bottled at its own barrel proof, enthusiasts track, compare and hunt specific batches, and the most admired ones draw attention on the secondary market. George T. Stagg — released once a year and aged far longer — sits among the most sought-after American bourbons. As with any high-demand Buffalo Trace bottle, fill level, label condition and authentication carry real weight.
Production Methodology
Both bourbons are made from Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof. Stagg is aged around eight years and released in batches roughly twice a year; George T. Stagg is an annual Antique Collection release aged far longer, typically more than fifteen years. Proof and age vary by release and are documented, and verified, on each bottle's page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Stagg and George T. Stagg bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see how we authenticate each bottle, the Vault and concierge service, and our published sourcing standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Stagg, and how is it different from George T. Stagg?
Stagg — formerly Stagg Jr. — is Buffalo Trace's barrel-proof bourbon: uncut, unfiltered, made from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1, aged around eight years, and released in batches roughly twice a year. George T. Stagg is the older, ultra-aged sibling, released once a year in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and typically aged more than fifteen years. Both are named for the 19th-century distiller George T. Stagg.
Why does Stagg's proof change from bottle to bottle?
Because Stagg is bottled at barrel proof — straight from the barrel with no water added — each batch is released at its own strength, so proof and character vary release to release. The specific proof for any given batch is listed on that batch's product page.
