I have always actually liked Ezra Brooks, the 90 proof stalwart bourbon that sells for around $15 and can be found on the bottom shelf of your favorite liquor store. I’ve always thought it had really good flavor, but something was lacking, and I didn’t know what. Now I know.
Bourbon lovers who visited the distillery often asked Ezra Brooks to produce a higher proof bourbon – something with a better mouth feel. MOUTH FEEL!! THAT’S IT!! I never got it until I read that. The 90 proof version had the proof I like, and the flavor I like, so why did it feel watered down, or weak somehow? Mouth feel. That hit the nail on the head.
So, what did Ezra Brooks do? They took their exact same mash bill and distilled it at a mere 4.5% ABV higher and introduced it as Ezra Brooks 99, or Ezra 99 for short.
I have to say, doing that was a fantastic idea. The 90 proof Ezra Brooks had a very caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and black cherry notes with a note of chocolate thrown in too, and flavor was never its issue. The Ezra 99 has all the same notes, amplified, and it introduced a nice hazelnut note as well. It amps up the black cherry notes and gives the drinker a mouth feel that a good bourbon ought to feel like on the palate.
This Ezra 99 pour is solid, and at only $21.99 MSRP, you can still get a great bourbon for a great price. It may not be available enough yet to become a daily sip, but in time it could replace your regular pour.
“¡Salúd!” 🥃