Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameEzra B Single Barrel
Bottled ByDavid Sherman/Luxco St. Louis,Mo
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content99 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown
Age12
Views (since 20080612) 43948
Bottling InfoThis 12 year old expression replaces the no longer bottled 15yo Ezra Brooks.


<Photo courtesy of Dave Sherman's website>
Events for this bottling:



Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2087, Created:20120618192601)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$26
Nose:A rich nose with corn, caramel, oak, leather, nuts and a slight bother of citrus. For me, the nose does not predict how this bourbon will taste because the nose seems to be holding something back?? It owns some complexity and I am curious about it.
Taste:Moderately rich and almost on the soft side for a 99 proof bourbon. Seems unmistakenly Heaven Hill to me with that soft HH sweetness, almost like a malt sweetness. The moderate spices are in no hurry across the palate but offer a slow simmer, certainly not a blaze. Carried completely across the palate is a wonderful splash of orange, which even at 99 proof is close to delicate......... very interesting stuff, this bourbon.
Finish:Moderate and pleasing, dies the death of one who anticipated it and one who goes without complaint....... and no fear.
Overall:Quite interesting this time around. Quite good to be sure, in fact, it is excellent............. I really would say that this is Evan Williams Single Barrel (86.6 proof) at Ezra B Single Barrel 99 proof and a couple of years older. IMO, the Heaven Hill House Taste is there, doing its duty with a will........ This fellow is worth every cent of its cost!!

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Review from Bourbon Joe (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1757, Created:20091117213113)
Purchased at:PALCB
Purchased for:24.99 + 6% sales tax
Info on this bottle:Barrel No. 328 Bottled 02/08
Nose:See Enzo's review. These barrels were only 14 casks away from one another. Deep rich vanilla, caramel and lots of fruit.
Taste:Very Fruity. Dense mouthfeel. I agree with Enzo about it being buttery. Viscous. I love this batch. No tannins in this one though.
It didn't decay to dryness either. A wonderful 12 y/o SB.
Finish:Finished sweet and lucious. Hung around awhile.
Overall:I was very impressed with this bourbon, especially for the price. I know it's a single barrel and the next one I buy I might not even like.......but this one is a jewel. Damn, I wish I had a case of this stuff.

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Review from ProfessorB (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1694, Created:20090916145707, Updated:20090916145919)
Purchased at:PLCB
Purchased for:25
Info on this bottle:Barrel 346 - Bottled 1-09
Nose:What a nice nose. I must confess I poured this, got a phone call and didn't get back to it for 15 minutes. At that point it was peppery with leather and an underlay of fruity sweetness.
Taste:Nicely balanced between nutty/charred oak and nutmeg/cinnamon spiciness. A very pleasant surprise. A much more complex, layered taste than I was expecting. Some of the flavors are very subtle, but rise up the longer you wait. This is one to savor before swallowing.
Finish:Once again very pleasantly surprise. One of the better finishes as it is full, balanced and all the flavors and notes slowly fade away. The bite is also very evenly balanced; not too much or too little. As others have mentioned at 90 proof this is a very good thing.
Overall:I really like this bourbon a great deal. I could see this holding a regular spot in the handful I keep opened at any given time. It is easy enough going down the newbies can appreciate it and complex enough to keep the experienced from being bored. On top of that it's a very good value. This one is a real sleeper. I've a few friends who I'll spring this on without mention of the brand. I expect I'll be amused as they all think it's much more expensive.

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Review from enzo (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1456, Created:20090203192652)
Purchased at:Twin Liquor's Austin, TX
Purchased for:$27
Info on this bottle:Barrel : 314 Bottled: 2/08
Nose:Rich Vanilla and caramel... rye... Slightly fruity... and almost a bit of earl grey tea Very sweet. Nice
Taste:Starts off fruity and sweet. Smooth and buttery... then takes a bit of a sharp turn to tannin... somewhat dry, spicy, leathery, wood.
Finish:finish isn't too long, but it's nice... nice warm burn.. with hints of cherry and orange... alternating with a pleasing dry oak.
Overall:This stuff is great. Very tasty, Very well balanced. It's a steal for under $30. I had a hard time finding this bourbon in Austin... I will definitely be stocking up on this one.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1446, Created:20090126141759) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Across the river
Nose:Oak, vanilla, rye, maple sugar, ripe peaches, butterscotch, nutmeg, rabbit(not sure about the rabbit, but my dog always says it is there).
Taste:Dee lit see oso. Wonderful balance with a deep satisfying woody sweetness and contained spice that echoes a rub of the nutmeg and peaches with a squeez of citrus bathed in caramel. The rabbit lurks in the background (or is that an illusion?).
Finish:Lasting, and leaving a longing for another lap round this track.
Overall:A marvelous whiskey that has it all in complete harmony. At about $25 or so, a bourbon bargain...........even if it doesn't have any rabbit. Barleycorn, now tell me again, how do rabbit smell......and how do it taste too?

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Review from azoth_melusina (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1436, Created:20090120122157, Updated:20090120123002) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:PLCB store in Media
Purchased for:24.99 (+ taxes!)
Info on this bottle:barrel #321 (february 2008)
Nose:deep vanilla and tawny heated-in-honey dried fruit (apricots) sweetness deeper down. amazing for 99 proof that there's no overpowering sense of alcohol. a nearly perfect nose! one last whiff and i get the same but darker dried fruit plays out...
Taste:lovely thickish, simultaneous buttery spice-sweetness; there's a nice hint of wood, but stays in the background, darting in and out (i like to know it slumbered in a charred barrel!).

and then, there it is: (the spice-sweetness, but) more expanded and articulated and what i seek in great whiskey: that butterscotch-cayenne two punch i've found in certain WT expressions (esp. the rye!).
Finish:all the above tastes fade in unpredictable cascades and eddies...spice fades, returns softened, fades again...nearly 30 seconds later, the slight woodiness reasserts with a nice, pleasurable sense of dryness. getting a nice tingle in my upper gums. maybe from my tongue licking it's chops a bit!
Overall:i already had a bottle from barrel #313 but had not taken notes. that one did impress me. this one reaffirms it is one of the better whiskies to return to...and nice to see a single barrel consistence. i saw a barrel #312, but figured i'd jump on this one further down the line. seems like the 12 years and the proof (and all other environmental conditions involved, let alone the distiller's craft evidently at work) are just right. this blows away the Wathen's single barrel i just finished off. i think i'll have to nab that barrel #312 before it's gone...

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1156, Created:20080618193011)
Purchased at:Trade with Bucc
Purchased for:50 ml of WF Four Grain
Info on this bottle:Barrell 263 - SB - Barreled on 1-07
Nose:Woody, vanilla, leather, little alcohol and some light corn. There seems to be a little rye to it and barrel char
Taste:Smooth then a little burn??? corn/vanilla, little and a sweetness. As it sits more of the vanilla pops up???. This is a nice taste of bourbon
Finish:First thoughts are ??? nice??? then some oak at about 15 seconds. Then runs to a little vanilla and corn with a tough of fresh leather.

There seems to always be oak in the taste, but it eases over 5 min of so. It becomes a better balance of oak, vanilla and light leather and corn???
Overall:This is much better bourbon. Thanks bucc. Not sure if I will buy it because I have so many others, but a good drinker

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 760, Created:20070429170136, Updated:20070429170816)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$25.65
Info on this bottle:Barrel # 248 Hand Bottled on 05-06
Proof Of this Bottle:99
Nose:Caramel, vanilla, leather, and pecan pie in a rich and inviting mixture. Very interesting and impressive to this old son of the south. I think I might need my Col. Sanders White Suit, my straw hat, my two toned wing tips, and my walking cane for a stroll down the street (so other folks can see me) with this bourbon in my hand. 'Barleycorn! C'mon, we strutting down the street!' This bourbon sets that mood y'all..........gotta go with it. I be back in a spell. Y'all don't leave just yet.
Taste:The nose has not overpromised this gentleman. He is rich, with a sweet heavy mouthfeel that is as thick as Shelby Foote's drawl (I miss Shelby - one of my heroes). Careful with this old fellow though, cause he can be a bit caustic with his spicy bite. He can still throw his weight around. I would claim character for this bourbon because it is weighty, runs riot with spice and pepper right in your mouth, leaves a coating of creamy sweetness still tingling with heat, and has plenty of flavor.
Finish:This fellow reminds me of Fred Sanford in the old Sanford and Son sitcom. His finish is like Fred in one of his fightin moods, swinging a bit wildly, blustering, but not really a threat. The heat and sweet coexist as the old guy goes out still fussing.
Overall:My second bottle of Ezra B is just as good as the first. I just got back from my stroll down the street and the neighbors were mostly complementary. Barleycorn allowed as how we looked foolish, but shit, what does a damn dog know? This, in my opinion, is a mighty fine bourbon y'all. My complements to its makers!

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Review from LogicalFrank (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 701, Created:20070203133345, Updated:20070208092448)
Purchased at:Sam's Wines in Chicago
Purchased for:$25
Info on this bottle:Barrel 250, Bottled 5-06
Proof Of this Bottle:99
Nose:A nice mild oak and toast character that's tempered w/ fresh peach and apple notes.
Taste:
Finish:The alcohol in this is remarkably well subdued. I was honestly stuck by this quality more than anything else about this whiskey. Finishes w/ nice candied fruit tang and some lingering oak and leather notes.
Overall:

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 695, Created:20070124134248, Updated:20070124140821)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:25.65
Info on this bottle:Barrel # 195, Hand bottled on 11-04
Proof Of this Bottle:99
Nose:A nose that becomes more lively with time in the glass. The rye ripens and takes the aromas from the oakey to the fruity and the nutty. There is the leather, vanilla, bubble gum, and corn throwing in their respective opinions. All these add up to an interesting and enticing nose that sets the stage for an excellent dram of whiskey!
Taste:The nose is completley justified! Just the right amount of sweetness and citrus fruit greet the front of the mouth and while they are playing, the spciy, peppery, rye ups the ante and spreads across the mouth in the arms of a creamy smoothness!
Finish:A very good finish that retains the best elements of the taste and leaves you desirous for another sip!
Overall:I have 'touched' this bottle of Ezra B many, many, times over the last few years, but I have held back. I finally gave in to an impulse and bought it! In my humble opinion, this is an excellent bourbon with a great taste and a nice balance. This may well have become my favorite Heaven Hill product...........it suits my palate very well! Get a bottle, sip it, I bet you will like it!

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 387, Created:20060315171255)
Purchased at:Bourbon's Bistro Bar
Purchased for:8.00
Info on this bottle:Barrel No. 191
Proof Of this Bottle:99
Nose:Fruit and caramel - Ripe pears and apples, with a hint of leather.
Taste:Sweet caramel and apple fruitiness with some cinnamon spice and oak wood.
Finish:Dry oak wood finish with a little pepper spice.
Overall:Very good neat with a meal or afterwards with a cigar.

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Review from abcgroup (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 263, Created:20050830183712)
Purchased at:Sherlock's (Marietta, GA)
Purchased for:29.99
Info on this bottle:Barrel number 191, 11/04
Proof Of this Bottle:99
Nose:Sweet caramel with a hint of wet leather. The nose on this is nice and sweet like buttery danishes.
Taste:This is a medium bodied bourbon that is sweet at first, but has a nice oak layer within. A little bit of the wet leather smell is had on the tongue. This is a very nice bourbon.
Finish:I'd say that you'll find the oak most prevalent in the finish, balanced by a nice burn that's neither too much nor too little.
Overall:I would recommend this bourbon to anyone, newbies and snoots alike, and everyone in b/t. I think people will like this for various reasons but this is in a top tier of bourbons for me. I'd say this is easily in my top 10 at this point. Well worth the money and a great way to step up from Ezra Brooks black label.

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