STAGG Kentucky Hug 750ml 65.3% (130.6 Proof)
Wayfarers pay $189.00 Save $10.00 on this bottle. Join the Wayfarers Already a Wayfarer? Sign in.
Take a proper sip and you'll understand the name pretty quickly.
Whisky Wayfarers Barrel Select
Kentucky Hug
Our first ever STAGG Single Barrel
Selected by Whisky Wayfarers, bottled straight from one barrel at full strength, and named for exactly what it does to you.
Released Right
We've been sitting on this one for a little while. Not because we didn't want to release it, but because we wanted to release it right.
This is our first STAGG Single Barrel. One cask, chosen by us, bottled uncut and unfiltered at 130.6 proof. Big, bold, full proof and straight from the barrel.
So What Is a Kentucky Hug?
In bourbon country, it's that unmistakable warmth that settles into your chest after a good sip of proper high-proof bourbon. That slow, glowing heat through the throat and chest that lets you know you're drinking something with a bit of horsepower behind it.
At 65.3% ABV, this barrel absolutely delivers that signature Kentucky Hug. Pour it neat, give it a minute in the glass, and let it come to you.
Tasting Notes
NoseDeep caramel and dark brown sugar lead straight out of the glass, backed by maple-glazed apricot, black cherry and darker stewed fruits. Layers of vanilla, toasted oak and warm baking spice build underneath, with just enough barrel char to give it some edge.
PalateBig, rich and seriously viscous, almost heavy in the glass. Caramelised brown sugar, dark toffee and maple coat the palate before moving into apricot, black cherry and plum. The fruit is rich rather than overly sweet, balanced by seasoned oak, vanilla and a building hit of cinnamon and clove.
FinishLong, warming and full-bodied. Brown sugar and caramel hang on with dark fruit, charred oak and a lingering wave of baking spice. A touch of dark chocolate and toasted oak comes through late, leaving a proper STAGG warmth that just keeps rolling.
The Barrel Record
- Barrel17-F-06-S.-5-056-036
- RecipeRye mash bourbon
- Filled6 June 2017 at 125 proof
- Bottled26 March 2026 at 130.6 proof
- Age8 years 9 months
- Selected18 December 2025
- WarehouseS, floor 5, rick 056
- Barrel typeAmerican oak, Independent Stave
- Char level4
- Stave seasoning6 months
Nine years on the fifth floor of Warehouse S, with the proof climbing from 125 to 130.6 while the angels took their share. Nothing added, nothing taken away. What went into the barrel in 2017 is what you are pouring.
Bourbon Heritage Month: This Bottle Enters You
STAGG is a Sazerac product, and every $50 you spend on Sazerac products with us this September earns a ticket in the Double Eagle Very Rare draw. This bottle alone puts three tickets in your name, and tickets add up across every eligible order you place before entries close on 29 September.
One winner takes home a Double Eagle Very Rare 750ml, drawn on 30 September. Read how the draw works or see the terms and conditions.
We waited so we could bring a STAGG Single Barrel into Australia at a price that makes sense. Still 750ml. Still full noise.
Availability
One barrel, our first STAGG pick, and it will not be repeated. Whisky Wayfarers pay $189 on this bottle; sign in and your price applies at checkout with no code needed.
