Tastes

Ezra 99 is a good bargain in my opinion. The standard Ezra is pretty much one of the best of the bottom shelf and here they up the ante and the added proof really adds to the flavor and complexity. That being said it also adds to the sting of the alcohol if your palate isn't used to it. A drop or a couple of water really smooth this out easily though. I'd still like to try an Ezra whiskey that isn't charcoal filtered but I have a feeling they use the charcoal filtration to hide some imperfection and use the youngest juice they can in their offerings. This stuff is basically a less complex younger tasting variety of the Ezra 7 which used to be a bargain but at least where I am is now way overpriced. But this stuff is $40 a 1.75L or $22 a 750ml where I'm at and the handles are on sale frequently for $35. Really can't be beat at that price point, well maybe Wild Turkey 101. But like WT101 Ezra 99 is an under appreciated bourbon and a true bargain considering you can get some $50 750ml's sourced bourbons that are much worse swill.

Man do I regret this purchase...I like rye's even Canadian sourced WhistlePig 10 year is one of my favorites. I've seen quite a few favorable reviews of this so decided to pick it up on sale at $35 versus the normal $40. It tastes like cheap blended Canadian whiskey, you know the mostly neutral vodka taste with a very light rye taste and spice to it. Palates do differ but if my bottle is any indication I don't get how this receives so many positive reviews. Perhaps I got a bad bottle or something maybe it's the low proof but very underwhelming and not anything like expected for a rye.

One of the best of the bottom shelf. It loses a little bit in complexity it probably had due to the mellowing of the charcoal filter in both nose and taste but it's still got that recognizable straight bourbon smell and taste if just a little muted. Don't let the low price steer you off trying this one as it's as good or better of some of the other sourced bourbons that get passed off at $25-$50 a bottle

Rebel Yell is a very decent cheap wheated whiskey. It doesn't do anything special and it's thin on flavor, taste, depth, etc. However, imo at a readily available sub $15 price point for a 750ml bottle wheated whiskey it's not an inherently bad bourbon it's just a very basic wheated bourbon. I feel that it's an under appreciated bottle as I'm not sure what some people are expecting from a bottle shelf bourbon, beyond a hang over if you over imbibe, that Rebel Yell doesn't provide. I will note that in the past year of so I've gotten some bottles that had that overwhelming 'peanut' funk usually attributed to Beam products so if you enjoy that and haven't tried the Reb in awhile perhaps you'd enjoy another taste.

Found this to be pretty gross. It's peppery and astringent and even at the $40 MSRP I paid for the bottle it's way overpriced. Thought a drop of water would help mellow and open it up a bit but no dice. Not sure what so many people see in this unless they are letting outrageous reselling or acquisition prices dictate what it tastes like over the actual whiskey that's in the bottle.

This stuff to me is gross it has a sickly pukish like smell which transfers over to a sickly tasting finish that I can't quite put my finger on besides puke but I wouldn't drink this again if you paid me.

I've seen a lot of people positively review this but it tastes like barely aged corn liquor with a cloying over sweetness I'd rate it a 1.5 if not for the value. The nose is deceptive with a spicy oak smell to it but it doesn't transfer over into the taste at all and all I got was a fairly raw overwhelmingly corn liquor or moonshine taste. Still though I'm rating at 2.5 stars only because at this price point it would make an excellent mixing or introductory Bourbon. Those with very new or unrefined palates for whiskey or those who mix only could enjoy this because the low spice and overwhelming sweetness and it would make a pretty good entry whiskey. If I drank my whiskey anything but neat with the occasional water splash I'd probably rate this higher as again it mixes well.