As the original bottle that launched one of the most aggressively hunted verticals in American whiskey history, Batch 1 commands premium long-term secondary collector importance. Because labels printed prior to 2022 do not feature physical numerical batch indices, authentication rests completely on cross-checking the line-peak 134.4 proof line directly against the lower glass laser-etched stamps. Maintain asset condition by cellaring vertically inside a dark, temperature-controlled vault map.

Distilled on Buffalo Trace's low-rye corn mash framework, Batch 1 captures the earliest, most aggressive profile footprint of the unblended small-batch experiment. Drawn completely undiluted and non-chill-filtered straight from new charred white oak casks, it retains the absolute full volume of organic wood sugars, grain oils, and localized wood char sediment that traditional chill-filtration processes strip away.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized distribution asset, checked meticulously for fill level, label foil standing, and seal integrity before transitioning to our climate-stable vault cellars. Orders ship wrapped inside single-bottle protective container boxes and require an age-verified adult signature (21+) upon terminal handover. Cross-examine our protocols via the authentication we run, study how we pack and ship, or view how each listing is built.

What proof is Stagg Jr Batch 1?

The original Batch 1 is the strongest Stagg Jr. ever bottled, at 134.4 proof (67.20% ABV), uncut and unfiltered. Jr.-era labels carry no batch number, and 134.4 is matched by no other release, so the proof identifies it on its own. It is whatever the first barrels yielded, not a chosen target.

Is Stagg Jr Batch 1 the first release?

Yes — Batch 1 is the original Stagg Jr., from Fall 2013, and it is still the highest-proof batch in the line at 134.4. Its debut split opinion: many reviewers found it too hot and alcohol-forward and dismissed it as a lesser George T. Stagg, and the brand only won critics over a couple of releases later, at Batch 3. As the earliest and one of the scarcer bottles, it is collected today as the start of the series.