We’ve reviewed Ezra Brooks’ Black Label Bourbon Whiskey before, and it did a pretty good job for a bottle priced under fifteen bucks (at the time). There were some good elements to the flavors and the aromas, but it didn’t have quite the complexity or the profile that some other competitors offered and that kept it at a respectable-but-not-outstanding three star review. But they also put out a version of their whiskey that has been aged nearly twice as long, so that’s what we’re trying today to see if a little bit more care and attention can turn a mediocre bottle of whiskey into a something remarkable.
History
The Hoffman Distilling Company was founded in 1880 by S.O. Hackley. Shortly after founding the distillery, he teamed up with business partner Ike Hoffman, who created a number of successful whiskey brands and eventually bought out Hackley. Unfortunately things didn’t go well, and by 1912 the distillery went bankrupt. The name lived on, purchased in 1916 by L.&E. Werthheimer before being torn down at the start of prohibition.
After the end of prohibition, the distillery was re-built, and L.&E. Werthheimer hired two brothers, Robert and Ezra Ripy to run it. The Ripy brothers were sons of the famous Thomas Ripy, a legendary 1800’s distiller, and their other two brothers would also become distillers and would start the Wild Turkey brand.
During this period, the company started producing new versions of whiskey, and would often produce and bottle spirits as a white label for other brands. Some of the early Pappy Van Winkle bottles would come out of this distillery, and one man named Frank Silverman saw an opportunity.
During the previous decade, sales of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey had soared over 900%. Even the acquisition of the brand by Brown Forman Co wasn’t able to increase production enough to satiate the market, and by 1957 there was a distinct shortage of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Silverman saw an opportunity to serve that market, and designed a bottle and label that mimicked the Jack Daniel’s style. The brand name he chose: Ezra Brooks.
The gambit worked, and Silverman made a tiny fortune. He also drew the attention of Mighty Jack, who hit him with a lawsuit in 1960 for trademark infringement. The lawsuit didn’t stick, though — Silverman had changed just enough to merely ape the appearance without crossing the line into infringement, and the court ruled in Silverman’s favor.
Ezra Brooks would continue to be produced until the Hoffman distillery closed its doors in 1970, shutting off Silverman’s supply.
The brand name was kicked around for decades, sold to a company called Medley and then again to Glenmore before Luxco purchased the rights in 1993 and restarted production of the spirit. Founded in 1958 as the David Sherman Corporation, Luxco also produces Everclear and Rebel Yell at their Bardstown, Kentucky facility.
Product
- Learn More: What Is Bourbon Whiskey?
Some sources think that this whiskey might actually be produced in mass at the Heaven Hill distillery instead of the Lux Row distillery, which is an idea supported by the label itself. That label prominently states that the whiskey is distilled in Kentucky (although it doesn’t say where) for Luxco, which is very different from saying it is distilled and bottled by Luxco.
It starts off as a grain bill of 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley that’s cooked and fermented. The “sour mash” label means that some of the material from a previous distillation (called “backset”) is added to the mash to increase the acidity of the liquid (hence, “sour”) which helps fermentation and reduces the likelihood that bacteria will ruin the whiskey.
From there, the mash is distilled and placed into new charred oak barrels. After a period of time, the whiskey is pulled from the barrels and filtered through charcoal prior to bottling. This is a different take on the “Lincoln County Process” that defines Tennessee Whiskey — Jack Daniels filters its whiskey prior to aging, but Ezra Brooks filters it after the aging process is complete. And naturally, since this is made in Kentucky, it isn’t eligible to be called “Tennessee Whiskey”.
Normally, this whiskey is aged for a period of four years prior to bottling. In this edition of their spirit, the whiskey is aged a full seven years before seeing the light of day again, allowing for significantly more time in contact with the charred oak. Another change is that the whiskey is bottled at “barrel strength”, meaning that it isn’t proofed down or diluted with water — instead, what came out of the barrel is exactly what you are getting in the bottle.
Packaging
While the normal version of Ezra Brooks skews closer to the shape and design of Jack Daniels, this edition has a more traditional shape to the bottle and approach to labeling.
The bottle has a cylindrical body, gently rounded shoulder, and a slightly stubby neck that flares in the middle. The bottle is capped off with a wood and cork stopper, and the Lux Row Distillers brand name is embossed into the glass itself. It feels like this is a bottle that they likely re-use for other brands and offerings, as there’s nothing distinctly unique about it that would be special to this particular flavor of spirit.
On the front and back of the bottle are some nicely designed stickers for labels. Much smaller and less imposing than the normal Ezra Brooks versions, but still carrying over some of the consistent typography and the gold and black color scheme. The labels are printed on textured paper with metallic gold ink and a black background, and it does look very nice compared to the beautiful dark color of the whiskey inside the bottle.
Neat
Right off the bat, you’ll notice a difference between this and the black label version — there are more elements in here that can be traced back to barrel aging (which makes sense given how long this thing sat in a barrel).
Coming off the glass I’m getting a rich and delicious combination of stewed apples, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, black pepper, and a hint of banana. By the way, that banana was the most prominent element previously, but here it’s in a very demure supporting role. In the background there are hints of leather and cedar rounding out the chorus.
As with most barrel strength spirits, that first sip has a tendency to hit harder than you’d expect. There’s a distinct alcohol bite that comes quickly but dissipates, and now that you’ve scorched off all the weaker taste buds you can get a proper look at the flavor.
Brown sugar and caramel are the first things that come to mind here. The flavors are rich and well saturated, almost feeling like they coat your mouth in the same way that a warm caramel sauce would on a dessert. This is all supported by some nice dark chocolate flavors, quickly accompanied by some vanilla and baking spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are there for sure, but others seem less distinct. Near the finish, the dark chocolate becomes the dominant flavor, followed by a hint of black pepper spice and just the slightest flash of crisp apple.
On Ice
This is delicious and I’m not afraid to say it.
When taken neat, I think the alcohol content and the dark chocolate flavors are a little overwhelming. It overpowers the senses and doesn’t really let you experience the whole range of the flavors in here. With the ice added, those elements are toned down and more of the individual components are clearly visible as a result.
The dark chocolate is still present, but the first thing I’m getting is the brown sugar and vanilla flavors mixed with a bit of crisp apple and banana. Then comes the dark chocolate and a hint of bitterness associated with that element, but that passes quickly as the baking spices and black pepper start to emerge. On the finish, the crisp apple, banana, and black pepper are what I’m enjoying as the flavor starts to linger and then disappear.
There’s nothing really “new” in terms of the flavor profile, it’s all the same things we saw before. The difference is that it feels much more approachable and lighter compared to how it tasted neat.
Cocktail (Old Fashioned)
When it comes to an old fashioned, my preference is to start with a darker and richer spirit. I feel like it balances much better against the bitters, and today’s cocktail is a great illustration of that theory in practice.
What’s really working well is the dark chocolate in the flavor profile — it’s balancing directly with the herbaceous notes in the bitters and providing a delicious experience without sacrificing the depth and complexity that we’ve been enjoying so far. Add in the crisp apple, brown sugar, and black pepper elements and this is a drink that really starts to work wonders on a sour mood.
The one note I have is that this is a little light and crisp compared to the usual expectations. It doesn’t have quite the same richness that I’d usually want from a well aged old fashioned, but instead has just enough acidity to likely be a good choice for offsetting a fatty meal like a steak dinner.
Fizz (Mule)
This is close to perfect, but just a little too much acidity.
I was hoping that the dark chocolate in the bourbon would be the perfect balance to the bright and cheerful lime juice and ginger beer, but it looks like those are still quite prominent in this cocktail. There’s a distinct margarita or whiskey sour type of acidity to the cocktail that gives it a little bit of a bite, and the dark chocolate flavor is delayed enough that the acidity is what you experience and remember the most.
Otherwise, there’s enough black pepper spice in the cocktail to add some complexity on the finish, which is appreciated. It’s relatively well balanced, it’s just not my ideal version.
Overall Rating
I want to make it clear up front — this is a good bottle of whiskey. I like it. There are no faults I can see, the flavor profile is good, and I will happily finish this whole bottle (liver permitting). I also enjoy the complexity of the flavors, the richness and depth that they have, and how things change and evolve with different preparations of cocktails.
Where this loses me isn’t the flavor but the price. This is priced and marketed alongside some remarkable bottles of whiskey, and compared to what else is available at this price point, I’d have to say that there are some amazing choices out there that likely deserve your attention first. The best value for your dollar isn’t necessarily here, but I absolutely would not turn down another glass of this whiskey.
| Ezra Brooks Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey Production Location: Kentucky, United States Classification: Bourbon Whiskey Aging: 7 Years Proof: 58.5% ABV Price: $69.95 / 750 ml Overall Rating:    |
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Stewed apples, brown sugar, dark chocolate, caramel, and baking spices make for a delicious flavor profile. Not the greatest mule, but a pretty good old fashioned and definitely best neat.