Old Ezra 7 Year 101 Proof Bourbon

Old Ezra 101 aged for 7 years. As Luxco will most likely take over production of the Old Ezra label bourbon when their distillery comes online, and as that may very likely effect quality, I quickly snatched up a bottle of this I found on the sale rack at one of my locals. At an even ten spot this bottle is not just a find but a helluva deal! Right off the top this has the nose of a classic bourbon featuring the oak, vanilla, caramel sweetness that has come to define the genre. At 50.5% abv, it's impossible not to notice the pure strength of this juice, but make no mistake this is no young, green outsourced produce from some corn state, this is THE REAL DEAL from Heaven Hill. The classic bourbon notes are backed with hints of fruits and citrus with some leathers and almonds and nutmeg balanced in the sweet and burnt sugars, this is actually a far more complex offering than most reviews will credit it for, which may be a product of bias from an off sourced brand even if we know that source is a top quality one. I get and odd ginger and nut finish with no burn or notable heat even at the near bib strength, the oak and vanilla linger on to remind you again, this dram hails from the place bourbon was born and perfected. The rye-barley mash percentage works well to supplement just the right amount of spice to the sweet bourbon corn base, to yield a balance of tasty bourbon. Oddly this bourbon seems considerably better in every way than the Heaven Hill 6 year bottle in bond and reminds me of why I like Larceny but still wish it had more age on it, finding more of a Henry McKenna similarity than anything. Figuring I might use this for making sours and manhattans if it wasn't a good stand alone candidate, both uses it would no doubt serve well at, this turns out to be a find and if you see it below 15USD you have found yourself a nice deal to take home smiling. Cheers!

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.

Nose - Oaky, barrel aged vanilla, hint of bananas, caramel, cocoa nib bitterness. Taste - Oaky vanilla caramel, nice cinnamon spice, light fruity bitter like very unripe plantains. Finish - Lingering cinnamon burn that transitions into a lightly drying oaky vanilla simple, the caramel richness is gone and is replaced with a lightly bitter fruity tartness. Score - 71/100 Final Thoughts - This is a very inoffensive bourbon and to a certain extent kind of reminds me of a higher proof Jack Daniel's. It has this odd banana-like quality in addition to the typical "bourbon" notes, although this one seemed a bit on the oaky side which I normally don't mind, but it just seemed a bit boring. This isn't bad neat, but I think I'll delegate this one to mixing or maybe baking into my banana bread as it already has hints of banana in it. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - Not again, good but there are better/more interesting bottles in this price range

Had the Ezra 90pf and enjoyed it quite a bit. Great value. Saw this on closeout for $17.99 so why not. Neat, color is several shades darker than the 90 pf. Has good legs and glass coat. Noses caramel, vanilla and some dusty resin... fuller than the 90. For 101pf ethanol is not an issue. Palate is similar to EB90 with nutty caramel, pepper and oak but extra proof and age have amped it up. Carries more heat for sure but sweetness is increased, This is similar to Old Forester100(not as good though), I like it. Medium finish with cinnamon nutty oak and caramel. Not as dry as EB90. Its bolder and deeper with the 101 kick. For the money this is excellent. Ezra Brooks is a can't miss imo 90 or 101. Overall this is better than the standard 90pf imo(I did side by side tasting). I appreciate the extra age, robust flavor bump and lessening of dryness. 80/100.......... However, I can understand going with the 90pf as it is less $$ and still very good.

Nose: With this one I get orange peel, Oak, Corn, Brown Sugar, and a dose of ethanol. You definitely pick up on the Heaven Hill lineage in this Luxco product. Neat: Thick and clingy mouthfeel. Salty with dry roasted peanuts, citrus, maple syrup, and cinnamon. The finish is astringent with oak and black pepper. Splash: a few drops of water really bring the orange/citrus note to the front. It tones down the astringency, but really amps up the black pepper spice. 3 3/4 stars, but I'll round up. I liked this one, but believe that I prefer the drier, less spicy Ezra Brooks 90pf. This one is not available in NC, but I worked out a swap with someone for some Virgin 101 (rumored to be the same stuff, but I find it a little sweeter and less spicy). I think the Old Ezra Barrel Proof is supposed to get a wider distribution. I look forward to trying it.

I'm new to all this but I will give it a try. The nose: Starts off really heavy, smells mostly nail polish. After a few minutes I can get hints of vanilla behind it. Taste: Still prominent nail polish, but maybe, more like white pepper. After that ther is a direct sugery sweetness. With a bit of water, the sweet beats the nail polish into submission. With a bit of time some banana emerge. The white peppar lingers a bit. Conclusion: This was one of the first bourbons I purchased, and I dont know what I payed. But I don't think I will get it again. This is mainly due the nail polish start. But I must admit I liked it a lot more as it spent a little more time in the glass.