Review by: Raygun

Old Ezra is now produced by Lux Row Distillers, but this bottle is labeled as distilled by Ezra Books Distilling. According to what I turned up online, Old Ezra 15 was sourced from Heaven Hill, but apparently not all of it. The brand was for the Japanese market and is now discontinued. This bottle was from around 2012. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Ezra Brooks Distilling Company

Brand: Old Ezra 15 

Region/style: Kentucky straight bourbon

ABV: 50.5% 

Age: 15 years    

Cask type: New charred oak 

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color.

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Nose: Oh yeah. Tons of oak richness. Vanilla, root beer, cinnamon (not too much), and a little eucalyptus.  

Palate: A little spicier here. Bread pudding with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Sassafras. Wood and leather. Caramel corn. Mouthfeel isn’t huge, but not too thin. 

Finish: Warm spice. Root beer, bread pudding, and caramel corn. Nice dose of oak. Good length for the proof. 

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Conclusion: Wasn’t sure what to expect. I guess I didn’t expect anything in particular. Turned out to be very good. The nose in particular was very rich and deep. The palate wasn’t quite as good, but not weak by any means. Tasty stuff. Not a big barrel proofer, but not everything has to be. 

Buy a bottle? Maybe if I can make a trip to Japan and find one.

Score: 81

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
• 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)