Ezra Brooks 90 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Smells like zesty citrus, cinnamon, sweet vanilla, cocoa. Tastes of honey, then bitter citrus zest, bitter oak, pepper, vanilla, aftertaste has a hint of rye. As I sip, it becomes less bitter, more spicy, nutty, sweet like a touch of chocolate. It's quite alright, somewhat different, good to sip on. Under $25 for 1.75 liter.

Caramalized custard on the nose and palate. Peppery at the end

You're going to be pleasantly surprised with this one. Super smooth. Great vanilla and subtle nut notes. Enjoy all the way to the bank.

$15 for 90 proof KY straight bourbon? Sore dick deal all day: ya can’t beat it! Yes, this is bottom shelf. Yes, there’s better bourbons, and we all know how allocated and hyped many of them are. But the standard EB is proof that if you’re looking for high value at low cost, bourbon is where you want to be if budget is a factor. And no, I’m not talking as a cheap mixer—although you won’t feel bad using it that way. Im sipping it neat in a glencairn and it’s perfectly serviceable if not super complex. Brown sugar, vanilla, some light baking spice is whats up.

Nose of toasted grains and vanilla. Sweet and vanilla taste with some butterscotch.

Lux Row is quietly rising the ranks of my favorite names in whiskey. Today I've got what I consider their answer to Heaven Hill's Evan Williams (it might even be what they sourced for this.) At $20, this is the cheapest whiskey, or product for that matter, that I've reviewed on Distiller. Expectations aren't terribly high, but I've got an open mind. Nose: Dusty corn. Caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch. Cocoa. Orange peel and tobacco. Black pepper, rye spice, nutmeg, and clove. Oak and some green, grassy notes. A little simple but surprisingly good. Palate: Caramel and coca. Vanilla. Sawdust. Walnut, almond, cashew. Orange and orange peel. A soapy note I get in a lot of younger whiskies. Bitter oak. Even the cocoa tastes more bitter than it felt on the nose. Finish: More bitter cocoa, as well as vanilla and caramel. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and oak. Plenty of ethanol, indicative of a young spirit. Medium length, and leaning toward short. Surprisingly good whiskey despite its obvious youth. I was critical in my review, but I must acknowledge that this is a solid bourbon. And it's made even better when you consider the cost. Considering it's the cheapest spirit I've reviewed to date, I'm pretty satisfied with what I got. I usually pay an extra $10-15 to get his quality of whiskey. And when you do the math, that's almost enough to get another bottle of this. Value is a booster here. That's helped me reach my conclusion: 3/5.