Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon

In my younger years, Wild Turkey 101 and Rebel Yell were the preferred brands. WT was too pricy for me and I found it too harsh. RY was soft and mellow leaving me wanting more. Enter Ezra Brooks. It was produced pretty much next door to WT but it bridged the gap for me. I like the current Ezra 90 but it's pretty basic bottom shelf stuff. Old Ezra is very good but hard to find at a reasonable price. Maybe this will bridge the gap again. The nose is great with tons of caramel custard and light citrus. Corn sweetness is in the background of course as is the 99 proof. This is suspiciously similar to Elijah Craig. The palate satisfies with nutty crémé brûlée topped with orange zest, nice. there's a nice silky coating in the mouth and precious little burn. The finish is not particularly long but it's nicely dry with a citrus note. Now for the value. It's definitely better than the 90 proof but it's priced almost identically to Elijah Craig in this market and offers little differentiation. EC has a better finish so I'll stay there

EZRA 99 NOSE: Simplistic. Dusty Oak, Peanut Butter Cup, Vanilla, and a Light Vegetal Note. NEAT: Medium Mouthfeel. Oak, Vanilla, and Peanut up Front. Cinnamon and Tannins on the Mid to Back Palate. Nice KY Hug on the Medium Length Finish, with Oak & Cinnamon coating the Palate. SPLASH: A Hint of Lemon shows up on the Nose. Vanilla & Peanut become the dominant Palate notes. Becomes a little more "Drying". VERDICT: Solid and Dependable. About what I expected. If this were a "value based bottle" ala the standard issue Ezra Brooks 90 proof, I could see this being a staple, but that $25 price tag (nearly double the standard issue 90 proof) puts it square in WT101 territory which is a much better whiskey. I don't see this being a repeat buy unless I find it on sale.

Light oak, honey & toasted nuts on the nose. Sweetness, mild oak, a little spice and youth on the palate. Finish is spicy, simple and little dry.