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
Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Rebel
Rebel 100 punches well above its price point. The wheated mash bill delivers a round, easygoing pour that rewards both neat sipping and cocktail use. A daily drinker that doesn't apologize for being accessible.
Lux Row Distillers Four Grain Double Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Lux Row Distillers
Lux Row's four-grain approach gives this bourbon unusual dimensionality. The double-barrel treatment deepens what could be a simple sipper into something genuinely layered. At its price, it punches well above its weight class.
Lux Row Distillers Ezra Brooks 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Ezra Brooks
Seven years in the barrel give this bourbon a maturity that the brand's younger expressions can't match. The binding here is oak integration—tannin, vanillin, and lactone working in sync with the grain character. An honest, well-priced straight bourbon that performs above its shelf position.
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.
Bluegrass Distillers Wheated Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Bluegrass Distillers
Bluegrass Distillers proves that discipline yields beauty. This bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon is a study in clarity through constraint—a small Lexington distillery working within the strictest federal standards to produce a whiskey that says exactly what it means and nothing more. At 100 proof, it delivers surprising depth without ever raising its voice.
Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Partially Finished in Wine & Sherry Casks
Legent
Legent represents a rare East-meets-West collaboration between Beam's master distiller Fred Noe and Suntory's chief blender Shinji Fukuyo, where the simple act of exposing bourbon to different cask atmospheres transforms the spirit entirely. The partial finishing in wine and sherry barrels allows air and wood to reshape a classic bourbon profile into something layered and cosmopolitan. A compelling expression of how environment—the breath between barrels—shapes what ends up in your glass.
Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Rebel
Rebel 100 punches well above its price point. The wheated mash bill delivers a round, easygoing pour that rewards both neat sipping and cocktail use. A daily drinker that doesn't apologize for being accessible.
Pinhook Bourbon War Vertical Series 7 Year
Pinhook
Pinhook's vertical series concept — a different age each year from the same distillate — is a masterclass in transparency. This 7-year release hits a sweet spot where barrel influence and grain character are in full conversation. An honest bourbon that doesn't need gimmicks.