Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Cask Finished Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Casks

VITALS:
- $25

- 99 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

One of my favorite past times is being sent by my wife on a wine run and then spending more time than it should take while casually perusing the whiskey shelves looking for something new.  I love finding new brands or products on the shelves, especially when I had no knowledge of the release beforehand.

That was the case with this Ezra Brooks Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon. I had no idea that Lux Row had plans of releasing a port finished bourbon. The label says that it's part of a "Cask Finished Series," so I can only hope that there will be others. But, what really got me excited about this release was the price tag!!  If I were to run for president, my platform would be "MBAA" - Make Bourbon Affordable Again! And this particular bottle could be my mascot! At $25, I didn't think twice about throwing it in my cart.

The nose had just a bit of the port influence, but it wasn't nearly as influential here as I had expected. There were notes of raisin and fig, and even the slightest hint of raspberry. But, those notes weren't strong, and I primarily got those more traditional notes of vanilla and caramel, and even a bit of cinnamon spice.

Similarly, I took my first sip expecting a much more fruity experience. But again, it was the bourbon notes that dominated, with toffee and vanilla taking center stage. The port notes followed soon thereafter, as that fig and raspberry came through in a way that complemented shoe traditional bourbon notes. So often they provide a sharp contrast, but here it all seemed to work together. 

On the finish all of these flavors seemed to blend together to create this figgy caramel note that was sweet, but not too sweet, rich and flavorful.  The finish didn't last as long as I would have wanted it to, and the on ething missing here was a bit of spice that would have really rounded things out.

What this finished bourbon does best is kind of what Angel's Envy does well, which is provide a very approachable, flavorful bourbon for a more casual bourbon consumer. Except this one is half the price!  For that reason alone it's worth picking up!

Grade: B

Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $23

- 99 Proof

- 2 Years

- Kentucky

While I do enjoy picking up many of the nice bottles that I've been fortunate enough to try and review on this blog, I do still make an effort to buy whiskeys I've never tried. That's particularly the case when it comes to new labels hitting the market.  Especially those that go straight to the shelf and aren't allocated or limited or somehow treated as "special."

So, when I saw a new Ezra Brooks product in the rye section, it caught my eye as something I hadn't seen before. Of course, it has the obligatory green label that all ryes apparently must have. But otherwise it looks a lot like the Ezra Brooks bourbons, and I've had some decent bottles of that, at least with respect to store picks. So I decided to give this one a go, even if it is only 2 years and is MGP rye bottled for Lux Row.  At least the price was nice.

The nose came across as soft and subtle or delicate, rather than punchy like so many other ryes, particularly young ones. It had a light cinnamon note to it, but also a grain forward or cereal note to it. It was kind of like toasted Cheerios.  There was a light sweetness to it, but no discernable spiciness on the nose, which had me hoping for better on the palate.

When I took my first sip, the first thing I noticed was that it was surprisingly syrupy, both in flavor and texture. It had a distinct sweetness that leaned a bit towards maple syrup. However, it did have some spice to it, with a touch of clove and even a slight anise note. It had the sharp notes of youth to it, though, with something biting and offensive lingering in the background.

The sweetness seemed to start to take on more of a brown sugar note, reminding me of chocolate chip cookies, but without the chocolate chips. At times it was more of a molasses note, and it came across as a bit resinous, particularly with the hint of pine that came from the rye.

It was that piney, resiny, molasses note that seemed to linger. It wasn't very sweet nor was it very spicy on the finish, and this is really where this whiskey lost me. It really fell flat at the end, leaving me with the sense that perhaps I had licked the bottom of a boot rather than just finished a sip of whiskey.  I didn't have super high expectations with this one, but I don't think I'll be reaching out for it again, at least not until Lux Row and MGP put some age on it.

Grade: C-

VITALS:

- $90

- 100 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel N. 5651821

- Kentucky

This is a bit of a re-visit to this bottle.  I was given the chance to grab a bottle of Rebel 10 years, and I knew that it had been some time since I last had it. Additionally, this bottle was being sold to me in the year 2023, yet it had a fill date of 2009. So, while I was never able to confirm the age, I had a pretty good feeling that what was in the bottle was actually a couple years older than the 10 year age statement on the label.

Additionally, I went back and realized that the last time I had a bottle of Rebel 10 Year was in 2016, when it first came out under the name "Rebel Yell"! I had no clue that it had been that long, so even for that reason alone it was worth the re-visit. That's not to mention that it's a single barrel product, giving me all the more reason to try it once again and put my thoughts to paper. 

The nose was full of rich, sweet notes, like dark chocolate mixed with cinnamon. It even had a bit of an espresso note to it as well, but more so in flavor. It didn't seem to have bitterness that comes with dark chocolate or coffee.  There was also a good brown sugar note, and in a way it smelled a bit like chocolate chip cookies.

The flavor was a bit of a different profile. Right up front I got some sweet oak notes (again, none of the bitterness you so often get with oak notes), as well as a good amount of sweet vanilla bean. It definitely leaned toward the sweeter end of the spectrum right away.  

In fact, at one point I was even getting caramel popcorn notes. Now, it wasn't quite that sweet. My teeth weren't sticking together or immediately developing cavities or anything like that. But that was the kind of sweetness that it had to it. The oak and vanilla definitely gave way to a prominent caramel note, that verry much carried forward from that point.

The finish, however, brought me right back to the nose. That's where the chocolate notes came in, though perhaps more on the milk chocolate end. It's also where the brown sugar and cookie notes came through as well.  

The only thing really missing from this was a spicy note to help balance out all the sweet notes. But other than that, this was a delicious bourbon, one that I've clearly been sleeping on!  And I still find myself giving it the same grade I gave it 7 years ago, which is saying something for the product's consistency!

Grade: A-

Yellowstone Flights Tap Room and Cask n Cellar Private Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $60

- 109 Proof

- 5 years

- Barrel No. 7544564

- Kentucky

There's a chain of liquor stores in Northwest Indiana called Cask n Cellar.  Occasionally I find myself going to Hammond or Schererville for work, and I almost always make it a point to stop in the one I pass on my way home. I do so solely to see what private picks they have in.

I've had a couple from them in the past, and they've all been very good. What I love most, though, is that they have an entire section of their store devoted to displaying their private picks, of which they always have many. And, it's right inside the door as I go in, allowing for quick perusal and selection while I'm trying to get home as quickly as I can.  This particular bottle intrigued me as it's a collaboration with a local taproom, Flights Tap Room and Whiskey Lounge. I've never been, but it's a place I feel I need to find and check out!

The nose was sweet and rich, but also balanced by earthy, more savory notes. I got a healthy amount of toffee up front, but that was balanced out immediately by a dark chocolate note. I also got notes of leather and even some sweet tobacco leaf. It was sweet, but that sweetness was certainly tempered on the nose.

The flavor followed that same trend to some extent.  I definitely got the toffee up front, but it was accompanied by more of a milk chocolate note, leaving behind the bitterness and even adding some sweetness. I got a light coffee note, however, that still brought a bit of bitterness to keep it from ever going too sweet.

Towards the middle I got a tangy amaretto note, sweet and savory all at once.  There was also a certain spice to it, which made its appearance on the back end and lingered long through the finish. It initially was kind of a black pepper spice, but seemed to evolve into more of a chili pepper spice. That seemed to pair with a candied cherry note, which had me absolutely loving the finish. 

This bourbon seemed to work really hard at giving balance among the sweet, savory, spicy and even bitter notes. At times it seemed to simply be all over the place rather than providing a cohesive flavor. However, it all seemed to come together on the finish, which is what had me going back for that next sip.

Grade: B

Ezra Brooks Distiller's Collection Liquor 'n' Wine Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $30

- 107 Proof

- 4 1/2 years

- Barrel No. 7415603

- Kentucky

Much like Buffalo Trace and Knob Creek, these Ezra Brooks store picks are quickly becoming must-buys when I find them. The price is great, and certainly free of any concerns over potential buyer's remorse. For $30, what's the worst that can happen?? Plus the proof adds to that value at 107 proof. Add to that the age statement (even it it is a bit young), and the result is a value whiskey.

Plus, what I've had of these has been really good!  Young age aside, Lux Row has been putting out some solid products with their Ezra Brooks line, as well as their Rebel line. And the fact that these are part of their barrel pick program just makes them that much better!! I've had a number of whiskeys picked by the folks at Liquor 'n' Wine, and while I won't necessarily go so far as to say their palate lines up with mine completely, I will go so far as to say I've never been let down by one of their picks. Again . . . value!!

The nose on this one was great! I immediately got notes of graham cracker and chocolate, very dessert like in this respect. I also got a peanut note, with a little bit of salt to go with. On top of that, though, there was something bright to the aroma, like a fresh peach or melon. While melon, peanuts, chocolate and graham cracker don't sound on paper like a great combo, here I couldn't get enough of it. 

The flavor mostly followed suit, as again the first thing I noticed was that graham cracker note. However, the chocolate note was nowhere to be found. Instead I got the salty peanut note as well as a black pepper note that hit the tip of my tongue immediately with each sip.

From there, it seemed to develop into a bit of a Luxardo cherry note, rich and deep, teetering on sweet but not quite getting there. Unfortunately, I enjoyed this note much more on the earlier pours. As I made my way through this bottle, that great Luxardo cherry note seemed to develop into a fake, cough syrup-like cherry note, and that flavor is consistently a turn off for me. It reminded me of Woodford Reserve in that respect, and unfortunately, once I hone in on that note, I just can't seem to get past it.

The finish was interesting, as it reminded me of a cinnamon liqueur, hearkening back to my high school days of shooting Goldschlager and wondering if it'd make me pee gold.  Those are somewhat bittersweet memories for me. I also got a sort of pencil shaving note. I know it seems like a weird tasting note, but I feel that anybody that had classrooms with those hand-crank sharpeners mounted to the wall knows exactly what I'm talking about. 

If only this bourbon drank the way it smelled, I would have absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and the fake cherry note just really didn't work for me. Plus the finish was simply weird. Not horrible, just weird. That said, I'm not walking away from this thinking I overpaid, and the next time I see an Ezra Brooks store pick on the shelf, I'll most certainly be bringing it home.

Grade: C+

Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Kentucky Straight Whiskey

VITALS:
- $23

- 99 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

I've noted in past posts that lately Luxco has been putting out some very solid products. I'm pretty sure the last time I made note of that it was in the context of reviewing some Binny's private selections -- either Rebel or Ezra Brooks single barrels. I can't remember which, but both were great, so it doesn't really matter.  In fact, I noticed that just these past couple weeks Binny's got another round of those picks in.

So, when Luxco announced that it'd be offering a regularly available, moderately proofed low-cost bourbon to the Ezra Brooks line, I was pretty pumped. I liked the idea of having a 99 proof whiskey, from someone that's been making very good stuff lately, and only at $23!! I'm always on the lookout for those value picks, not just for myself, but as recommendations for others.

The nose had a pretty health dose of cinnamon spice to it, as well as an oaky bitterness. This is a non-age stated whiskey, but it had hints of just a little bit of age in this respect. Surprisingly, contrary to past experiences with Ezra Brooks products, I seemed to get very little sweetness on the nose.

However, that wasn't the case at all on the palate. This had quite a bit of sweetness, actually, and I was taken back a bit on my first sip given the nose. It was full of rich brown sugar and butter, and even a maple syrup note. However, it also had something bright and rich at the same time, kind of like black raspberry. There was certainly a layer of rich, dark fruit to it.

Most notably, though, I got this great cinnamon and biscuit note, and I swear it tasted like monkey bread. While talking about this experience on Twitter, I came to learn that not everyone knows what monkey bread is. For those people I feel sorry, and if you are reading this and happen to be one of those people, please click on this link and plan on making it for breakfast some time for you and your family:  https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/monkey-bread-with-caramel/4a92932f-f795-4813-9800-d6e35e8d5a49.  I assure you it's worth a try!

In addition to that cinnamon, caramel and biscuit flavor that I absolutely loved, I also got some rich amaretto notes, adding a little bit of tang to the overall sweetness. It had a long, sweet finish with loads of caramel and vanilla and just the slightest bitter note. It reminded me a bit of a caramel latte.

All in all, this was absolutely on the sweeter side of whiskeys. However, the flavor profile worked so well with that sweetness. Perhaps it's the way it brought me back to fond memories of my childhood enjoying that sticky, gooey pull-apart caramel-cinnamon biscuit breakfast my mom would make, but I really loved this whiskey. It is certainly right at the top of my $25 and under whiskeys.

Grade: A

Blood Oath Pact No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Cognac Barrels

VITALS:
- $100

- 98.6 Proof

- Blend of 14, 8 and 7 years

- Pact No. 6

- Kentucky

While I, like most people, absolutely love it when my whiskey comes in a nice wooden box (said tongue firmly planted in my cheek), that alone was never enough to convince me to buy Blood Oath bourbon. It was all just too gimmicky for me -- fancy wooden box, proofed down to 98.6 degrees because, you know, blood, and finished in one manner or the other. That's all not to mention that reviews on previous batches have been pretty mixed, and for the price, I just wasn't willing to take a flier.

However, this year's Batch No. 6 actually seemed to get pretty solid reviews across the board, with some touting it as their best release yet. And, given that it was finished in Cognac barrels (a finish that I've found hard to resist), I finally pulled the trigger and got myself a bottle. I figured at the very least my son would be happy to get a cool new wooden box out of it.

The nose on this was rich and aromatic, hitting me with a healthy mix of leather and toffee. It also had some nutty and oaky notes to it as well, showing a bit of the age of the oldest of the whiskeys in the blend. There was a nice layer of vanilla to go along that rounded things out. It wasn't all rich dessert-like notes, though, as I also got some citrus and some dark notes, kind of like a mix of apricot and plum.

The palate really matched the nose, but interestingly the flavor that seemed to really stand out was a dried apricot note. Right up front I was hit with that bright yet somewhat subdued dried apricot which mixed well with the oak notes and with the bit of leather that I also got on the nose.  It had sweetness as well, with a distinct toffee note throughout, as well as a sweet granola note, kind of like those crunchy Nature Valley granola bars.

Not to belabor the point, but the dried apricot was really the star of the show here. It mixed so well with those richer, sweeter notes, and it provided balance to those earthier notes. It also seemed to play off the notes of plum and raisin that seemed to jump in the mix from time to time. 

The finish was long and lingering, with the notes of toffee and apricot sticking around for quite a while. A mild anise note came through on the finish as well, most notably on the last few pours. It was just enough to make it enjoyable and didn't cross that line of being a turn-off flavor for me. 

Consistent with the gimmick, I finished off the last two pours on Halloween night. It seemed apropos.  Gimmicks aside, though, this was an absolutely delicious whiskey, and I'm so glad I decided to go ahead and grab one. I thoroughly enjoyed every last drop!

Grade: A

Lux Row Distiller's Collection Binny's Private Select Rebel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:

- $35

- 113 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 6819639

- Kentucky

Binny's got quite a run of Lux Row single barrel store picks a while back, having gotten multiple barrels from Rebel, Ezra Brooks and Yellowstone. The best part about it was that they were at pretty good prices (a 113 proof single barrel pick for $35 is pretty impossible to pass up), and there were plenty of bottles to go around, so seemingly nobody missed out.

Despite that I'm not a wheated bourbon junkie as some people are, when I saw the row of these picks lining the shelf, I immediately grabbed one. Looking back on this and on the Ezra Brooks pick that I previously enjoyed, I really should have grabbed a few more of these. All single barrels means each one is going to be unique, and have I mentioned the price?!?  For that price, my feeling was that even if I get something good but not great, still a value.

On the nose I got a soft, pillowy nougat note, like the inside of a 3 Musketeers bar. I also got a certain sweet but nutty note, like honey roasted peanuts. It had traditional toffee and brown sugar notes as well, along with a bit of burnt sugar to it. It smelled good, but nothing that really stood out to me.

On my first sip, it was immediately clear that this was a very toffee-forward bourbon, with a pronounced sweetness to it. However, kind of like the nose, it had a certain salt element to it as well that provided a bit of balance. It came across a bit like salted caramel, but with some of that burnt sugar that I was getting from the nose.

Part way through it developed a little bit of spice, but it was sort of a tangy spice, like a light anise note along with some amaretto flavors. That nuttiness still stuck around, but any peanut notes came more in the form of rich almond flavors. It even had a bit of an old fashioned flavor to it, with a nice mix of that cherry and muddled orange peel to it.

The finish on this was pretty long and flavorful, and honestly my favorite part of this whiskey. I got that almond flavor, but it came across as more of a toasted almond, and that was all in a layer of toffee that just refused to go away.

This was a really good bourbon. I prefer a spicier versus a sweeter bourbon, but nonetheless I really liked this, especially for the price! Wheated bourbon lovers should be jumping all over these when they see them, because it has a good mix of sweet and heat.

Grade: B+

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in French Oak Casks

VITALS:
- $45

- 96 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

With the recent Binny's barrel picks from Rebel and Ezra Brooks, I feel like I've been picking up a lot of Lux Row products lately. This was the first in that trend. I had seen these on the shelves for a while, but I frequently looked right past them. Then a friend recommended this French Oak Cask finished bourbon from Daviess County, giving it incredibly high praise. 

At that point I was left with no choice, really, but to make sure to pick one up the next time I was at the store. A glowing review paired with a moderate price made it an easy decision. He was not the only one, though. I bottled a sample for another friend, along with a bunch of other samples, and he made it a point to text me to tell me how much he liked this sample specifically.  And so, the stage is set. 

The nose had a light wood note to it. I don't know if that was just a placebo effect of knowing that this is a secondary wood-finished bourbon or not. But it was there, albeit light and inoffensive. I also got notes of cherry and vanilla, as well as a sweet popcorn note, kind of like kettle corn. It wasn't bold or pungent, but the aromas did mix very well together.

The texture was surprisingly viscous and buttery, given the proof. However, I didn't get that popcorn flavor I got off the nose. Rather, I found that this was very vanilla forward, and if that's your jam, then this is definitely worth trying.

On top of the vanilla I got a certain honey note along with a sweet wood note. In fact, at times it came across almost like a granola bar, with that sweet honey mixed with a nutty, cereal like note. In that sense the wood notes were on the sweeter side, as far as wood notes go.  I guess that's a way of saying it lacked that bitter bite or tannic quality that I sometimes get from a more oaky bourbon.

The sweetness carried throughout, and it was most noticeable on the finish. Due to the oily quality of the whiskey, the finish was nice and long, and it left my mouth with a nice, thick coating of sweet caramel, and more towards the end, a maple syrup note. This is where I would have liked it to be a bit more balanced, though. The syrupy sweetness, whether honey, maple syrup or just sweet vanilla, needed something earthy or even a touch of that wood note as a counter.

That being said, while this may not have been my favorite whiskey, others certainly have loved this. If you like your bourbon on the sweeter side, definitely give this a go!

Grade: B

Ezra Brooks Distiller's Collection Binny's Private Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel No. 7167078

VITALS:
- $30

- 107 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 7167078

- Kentucky

Lux Row Distillers have had quite a run recently of some pretty good and well-received products. Notably, seemingly out of nowhere the Rebel Yell 10-Year Single Barrel got all sorts of love from the bourbon community, and more recently, they released the Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength, which likewise has seen largely positive reviews.  I personally really liked both of them.

Binny's apparently took notice of this, and when Luxco, who owns these brands (as well as the Yellowstone brand), started a barrel program, it seems that Binny's went nuts with their picks. Within the span of a week they got multiple single barrel picks from the Ezra Brooks lineup a swell as the Rebel line and the Yellowstone line.  I had no idea these were even a thing, let alone that they would be coming in. The best part of all of it, though, is the pricing. This Ezra Brooks was only $30 for a 107 proof bourbon! How could I say no to that! In fact, on that basis alone I wish I had purchased more than one bottle.  

But, to make it even better, the whiskey itself was really good, too!  The nose was a bit soft, but the notes that I got were vanilla and a sort of sweet wheat bread. It also had a light cinnamon spice to it, and all of these together created a sort of a cinnamon bread note that was absolutely delicious.

On the palate, it packed significantly less heat than expected. Despite being 107 proof, it came across as soft, though not watered down. It just lacked that bold punch. That being said, that would be my only real criticism of this whiskey. I really loved everything else about it.

While the flavor came across as soft, it is actually suiting, as one of the most prominent notes I was getting was a creamy nougat flavor, like the middle of a 3 Musketeers bar. It was rich and sweet, but at the same time pillowy and buttery. It had a silky mouthfeel that perfectly matched its flavor.

It was also pretty caramel forward, which seemed to mix with a bit of a spicy cinnamon note. It was that cinnamon note that seemed to linger for a long time on the finish, longer than I had expected, actually. I'm not sure which I liked more, the nougat-forward note or the long spicy finish, but the two combined really struck the right chord with me.

I also got light notes of oak, though it wasn't the least bit tannic. I also got a lot of brown sugar and even at time a more molasses sweetness to it, but it never overpowered in the sweetness category. It was all really well-balanced and just a delicious bourbon to drink. 

Unfortunately, I never really got to share this with anyone. I'd be interested in what others thought. I've seen some say that other barrels were just average, and I've seen some give similar reviews to the very same barrel that I had. Perhaps I got lucky and just randomly got one of the better barrels, or perhaps I'd enjoy them all just the same. Who knows? But at $30 a pop, it's absolutely worth it to find out!

Grade: A