What Are You Drinking? May 2022
- Thread starter Tar Wheel
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Speaking of lovely, having an Islay Single Malt Scotch, Bunnahabhain 1989, aged 24 years. Sadly, getting near the end of this rarity.
Headed up to the other house today for a couple of weeks and taking these lovelies with me.. 
Your post piqued my interest, so I dug out the only Ezra Brooks that I own, and opened it up. It’s the Barrel Proof 7 year and it comes in at 117 proof. I am by no means an aficionado, so feel free to take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
I think I bought this bottle 2-3 years ago and paid around $40.00. Keep in mind that I just popped the cork and it’s a neck pour.
It comes across as sweet on the nose. Vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel, slight wafts of ethanol.
Palate also comes off as sweet, with the same flavors up front, but with an alcohol punch, and an oaky bitterness on the back end. The bitterness continues into the finish with a drying effect, until it opens up into a great cherry note that made me want to take another sip. As I made my way through the 2 oz. pour, the alcohol toned down, and the sweetness remained through the front half, but the bitterness was still prevalent on the finish, although it did tone down the more I sipped. I kept hoping for it to open up a bit, and probably should have added a drop of water to see if it would have helped, but I’ve ruined many a dram doing that, so I didn’t.
Overall, for a $40.00 bottle, it’s not bad. It just needs more balance. For a 7 year old Barrel Proof, it‘s thin. It has great legs in the glass but it doesn’t translate to the palate, nor has that chewy, oily, viscous mouthfeel. There’s a few rough edges that need to be smoothed out in order for this to shine. I‘ll try it again after it gets a little airtime and hope that brings it around, but I probably won’t purchase another one.
I prefer to sip my bourbon neat, and this one is just okay for me. I’m sure it will make a great mixer and will add some kick to an Old Fashioned. If the main objective is to get a buzz as quickly as possible, there’s plenty of bang for the buck here. The taste is decent and the proof is high, but if I’m going to spend an hour or more sipping a bourbon, I want more than what this one has to offer. I would reach for Knob Creek 9 year 120 proof, at the same price point, over this one.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
Do you want a smooth ride or a rough ride to your destination? Back in highschool, Mad Dog 20/20 or MGD was a rough ride...oh, the horror.
Having J.W. Dant Genuine Sour Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled in Bond to start off this Memorial Day Weekend.
It's almost 5pm and it IS Friday, so I thought I would crack open a fresh Blanton's, pour a dram or so and sit down to the latest James Bond movie and a group 3 Rainer Barbi prince filled with 18 year old Stonehaven.
Life is grand....
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I am a Blanton's guy too... pairs well with a pipe
Southern Tier 2XHAZE Hazy Juicy Double IPA.
I've noticed several members putting bourbon cream in coffee. At first I thought this was just flavored creamer (like hazelnut), but realize they are more adult beverages.
What are the bourbon cream brands of choice? And out of curiosity, does Aldi have a bourbon cream?
What are the bourbon cream brands of choice? And out of curiosity, does Aldi have a bourbon cream?
Southern Tier 2XIPA Double IPA.
Is that really Superman sitting across from you, and if so, what is he smoking? Captain Black? Penzance mixed with Granger? Straight
Thank you for the great review and taking one for the team.
Yes, it is. He flew in for a brewski, and this is what he smokes:
Other Half Pastrytown Version 1 Imperial Double Stout with peanut butter, cacao nibs, and vanilla.
Other Half Green City Imperial Stout 1 year aged in George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey barrels.
Time for my Sunday morning “get caught up” post.
Friday evening was a couple pours of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Good but nothing spectacular. I find it very easy drinking for a cask strength. Cheers!
Last night, we began with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B522. This is the new batch that was released in May and I believe they took a step back on this one. I really enjoyed the A122 batch from earlier this year and was hoping ECBP was making a comeback from an “off year” last year. I found the finish lacking on this B batch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, just not as spectacular as a few past releases have been. I’ll give it a couple of weeks of air time and revisit it. Cheers!
We ended our evening with a pour of Blanton’s. This tasted like desert after having the ECBP. Vanilla and cherry notes singing in harmony. I think to really appreciate Blanton’s, you need to drink it after having a pour of something else, first. It’s then that you notice the subtle nuances of this beautiful juice that really make it shine. Cheers!
Friday evening was a couple pours of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Good but nothing spectacular. I find it very easy drinking for a cask strength. Cheers!
Last night, we began with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B522. This is the new batch that was released in May and I believe they took a step back on this one. I really enjoyed the A122 batch from earlier this year and was hoping ECBP was making a comeback from an “off year” last year. I found the finish lacking on this B batch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, just not as spectacular as a few past releases have been. I’ll give it a couple of weeks of air time and revisit it. Cheers!
We ended our evening with a pour of Blanton’s. This tasted like desert after having the ECBP. Vanilla and cherry notes singing in harmony. I think to really appreciate Blanton’s, you need to drink it after having a pour of something else, first. It’s then that you notice the subtle nuances of this beautiful juice that really make it shine. Cheers!
My preferred bourbon cream is Buffalo Trace, and just like anything else with the name Buffalo Trace on the bottle, they don’t tend to linger too long on the shelf. It comes in at 15% abv ( 30 proof ) and cost $20.00 at my N.C. ABC store. It’s friggin‘ delicious!
Jim Beam and Ezra Brooks also have a bourbon cream in their lineups, but I have not tried either one.
As for the Aldi availability, I can’t answer for where you live, but in N.C. it’s only available in state run ABC stores.
Cheers!
Edit - That should be dessert instead of desert. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking it tasted like dry sand. ?
Cheers!
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold w/ a wedge of lime.
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