Ezra Brooks is a brand that was created in the 1960s as an imitation of Jack Daniel Black Label. It has passed through several hands over the years and is now part of MGP, with their recent purchase of Luxco and their distilleries and brands. This bottle is a single barrel, private selection bottle from Westport Whiskey & Wine. Being a private selection barrel, the flavor will vary from other private selections made by other liquor stores or bars. However, there should be many of the same flavors as those found in this selection, just in different proportions. Your bottle may have more fruit and less spice but still has the fruit and spice found in this selection.
Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection
Proof: 107
Age: 4 Years Old – Made 6/7/2016
Nose:
- Mike: Cornbread dough, ripe apple, vanilla, and oak. It improves as the whiskey opens up.
- Matt: Ripe apple, baking spices – nutmeg, oak and leather.
Taste:
- Mike: Cornbread dough, apples, allspice, vanilla and oak. Tasted with a dried cranberry and there is more baking spice – cinnamon and nutmeg. Tasted with a pecan and there is more apple fruit and the spice becomes a white pepper spice.
- Matt: A hint of apple with nutmeg and ginger. Tasted with a dried cranberry the spices become nutmeg, cinnamon and a little black pepper. Tasted with a pecan a ripe red delicious apple flavor comes out with some pepper, ginger and nutmeg.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with oak and spice. The dried cranberry makes the finish spicier with lots of black pepper and oak. The pecan brings some lingering apple sweetness with white pepper and oak.
- Matt: Long and dry with buttery oak and spice. The dried cranberry gave the finish a black pepper and oak finish. The pecan gave the finish notes of ginger and oak.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has a lot of baking spice notes in the smoke like a Rocky Patel “Winter” cigar. The spice in the smoke should complement the spice in the Bourbon without overpowering the other flavors in the whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller