Old Ezra 15-year-old Rare Old Sippin' Whiskey / 50.5% / 0.75l

Old Ezra is the export version of Ezra Brooks bourbon from the portfolio of Missouri-based Luxco Inc. (previously known as David Sherman Corporation).

The whiskey was introduced in the 1950s by The Hoffman Distilling Company, later produced by the Medley family in Owensboro, and finally acquired by the David Sherman Co. late in the century. The Old Ezra label states that the whiskey is “distilled and aged in Kentucky by Ezra Brooks Distilling,” which is misleading. Ezra Brooks bourbon is distilled by Heaven Hill Distillers from a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. The 15-year-old here is bottled in small batches for export only.

Nose: rich and elegant, dried plums, figs and dates, apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon, caramel, roasted almonds, tobacco, a mixture of dry herbs and oak.

Taste: fruity and herbal, apples, plums, black pepper, cinnamon, mint, cardamom, licorice, caramel, a trace of eucalyptus drops and a lot of oak.

Finish: long, with notes of dried fruit, caramel, pepper, cinnamon and a rather strong oak bitterness.