WHISKEY WEDNESDAY- EZRA B 12 YEAR BOURBON- ALL BARK, NO BITE
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We're back with our weekly Whiskey Wednesday tastings (and we're pretty excited about it)
We just discovered a bottling called Ezra B, from the Heaven Hill Distillery brand Ezra Brooks. We'd heard of Ezra Brooks, but didn't know they had a long barrel-aged Bourbon. This one is a Single Batch Bourbon with a 12-year age statement. Our bottle is from Barrel number 557 and presented in a Blue-Ribbon wrapped bottle- a nice package, if a bit dramatic. We'll see if what's inside is worth of the blue ribbon.
PRESENTATION- The first nose of the Bottle is a strong scent of alcohol and charcoal. Is this charcoal filtered? It smells very roasted and toasted with a nice, sweet-cinnamon cover. Just sitting here next to it, the Bourbon has a loud roar. It's a 99-Proof, so we expect it to have a bit more alcohol than some other Bourbons.
TASTE- Spicy with a woodsy, cinnamon flavor. Followed by a citrus-fruit taste. The overall depth of flavor is very mild. It's an interesting mix of Sweet and Spicy, but neither is very deep or dominant.
FINISH- Almost none, meaning it goes smooth and has little body. This is an easy-drinker, but a somewhat disappointing one. The 12-year aging has given it all of the mellowing but none of the complexity of similar aged Bourbons. The trick with a Single-Barrel Batch is that every bottle may have a different profile, but we have to be honest, we were disappointed with ours.
VOTE- 78 / 100- At $35 a Bottle locally, it seems like a deal for a 12-year Bourbon, but there are much better values at this age and younger. We would say pick it up if you see one at a deal, but don't use this one as an everyday drinker.
