Old Ezra 7 Year 101 Proof Bourbon

Good nose, classic bourbon, fresh and pleasant. No sting given the proof. On the palate, good rush of flavor, wood spice and orange peel, light honey. Decent finish. Heaven Hill profile. Punches above its weight (great budget bourbon). 7/30/17 Could smell this all day. Rice crispy treats with extra butter and caramel, a bit of nutmeg. On the palate, a good kick, wood spice, just enough sweetness, citrus zest, salt, pecan shells, and a lingering warmth. A bit of leather at the end to remind you of its legitimacy. Medium weight, some chew to this. Complex. Great value bourbon. 8/2/17

It's a 3.5 star bourbon but I it earns the extra half star at the $22 I paid for it. Not going out of the way to grab another, but it'll be in the mix next time I'm scouring the bottom shelves...

I paid a whopping $21 for this. My expectations matched the price - "hey, if it's alright, then great; if not, it'll probably make a decent mixer." I'll be doing my mixing with something else, let's just say. Bourbon, or at least budget-conscious bourbon, usually has a certain predictability to it. Caramel, vanilla, a little spice, a little bit of a rough-edged, young spirit energy and burn, not particularly complex. This ain't that stuff. No, Old Ezra's been aged long enough to have rounded off those rough edges - even at 101 proof, this is a smooth mamma-jamma with minimal burn...only a little tease of heat at the very end. That absence of burn makes it easier to enjoy the nose (vanilla, caramel, chocolate fudge, peanut butter, cinnamon...reminded me of those Turtles candies), and the palate. This...it's a unique flavor. A local creamery makes a killer chocolate peanut butter ice cream (with a BIG ribbon of real peanut butter in it..it's exquisite), and that's what this reminds me of. A sweet, creamy vanilla base, with milk chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon honey, and a little hint of caramel. Amazingly, it's not overly sweet despite all of this. I'm really impressed, but you shouldn't go out and buy it. I, rather selfishly, want the price point on this to stay nice and low...I just saw Larceny selling for $40 a bottle, so we know what happens when too many people start talking. If this were at a higher price point, I'd call it a 4 star bourbon, but for $25 or less? That merits an extra star just for value.