Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Ezra Brooks · Lux Row Distillers
Ezra Brooks 99 punches well above its price point, delivering a balanced pour with enough proof to stand up in cocktails while remaining comfortable neat. It's a workhorse bourbon that rewards attention without demanding it.
Nose
Caramel corn and vanilla custard open things up, followed by a dusting of brown spices and dried cherry. There's a subtle charred oak backbone that gives the nose more depth than you'd expect at this price.
Palate
Medium-bodied with butterscotch up front, then rye spice kicks in mid-palate. Charred oak and a faint leather note add complexity, while corn sweetness keeps everything approachable.
Finish
Medium length with lingering caramel and a touch of oak char. Clean and warm without any bitterness.
- Mash Bill
- 78% Corn, 12% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Stave Smash — 2 oz Ezra Brooks 99 · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz demerara syrup · 4 mint leaves · Shake hard with ice, strain over crushed ice, garnish with mint sprig.
Food Pairing
Smoked pork ribs with a brown sugar glaze
Produced at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky, Ezra Brooks carries forward a label first registered in 1957, now distilled under the careful watch of master distiller John Rempe.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish
Tyrconnell
The Madeira finish gives this Tyrconnell an extra dimension that its standard expressions don't reach. Ten years of maturation provides enough malt structure to stand up to the wine cask influence, and the result is an Irish whiskey with genuine layering. An underrated gem in the single malt category.
Clairin Communal Vaval
Clairin
Clairin Communal Vaval is rum stripped to its most honest expression — no aging, no blending across distilleries, no additives. Fritz Vaval's small operation in Cavaillon uses native yeast fermentation and direct-fire distillation to produce a spirit that tastes of exactly where it comes from. It's a masterclass in terroir-driven rum.
David Nicholson Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
David Nicholson
David Nicholson Reserve punches well above its modest price, offering layered complexity that rewards patient sipping. The 100-proof backbone gives it cocktail versatility without sacrificing neat-pour nuance. A workhorse bourbon that deserves more shelf attention.
Inverroche Classic Gin
Inverroche
Inverroche Classic demonstrates that terroir is not limited to wine. The wild fynbos botanicals hand-foraged from the Cape coastline give this gin a genuinely unique aromatic fingerprint. It is simultaneously familiar enough for a juniper-focused gin drinker and distinctive enough to reward close attention.
David Nicholson Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
David Nicholson
David Nicholson Reserve punches well above its modest price, offering layered complexity that rewards patient sipping. The 100-proof backbone gives it cocktail versatility without sacrificing neat-pour nuance. A workhorse bourbon that deserves more shelf attention.
Rebel Cask Strength Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Rebel
Lux Row's wheated mash bill gets a proper showcase at cask strength, where the grain's inherent softness meets the barrel's intensity head-on. This is a bourbon that rewards patience — a splash of water opens honeyed wheat notes that the proof initially conceals. A serious sipper that punches well above its price point.
Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon Release 4
Barrell Craft Spirits
Barrell's blending program remains one of the most quietly excellent operations in bourbon. This release rewards patience — give it ten minutes in the glass and secondary aromas of maple and carnation emerge. A cask-strength pour that earns every decimal of its proof.
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Elijah Craig
Heaven Hill's toasted barrel treatment gives this bourbon a second layer of wood influence without overwhelming the base spirit. It is a study in how an additional resting period in a different char environment can redirect familiar flavors into something notably rounder. A worthy daily drinker with enough complexity for contemplation.