Ezra Brooks was a brand from the old Medley Distillery. The brand was purchased by Medley in 1959 and became their most prominent brand. Eventually, the distillery was purchased by United Distillers (now Diageo), who shut it down along with Stitzel-Weller in 1992 and sold off the Ezra Brooks brand to Luxco who still bottle it today using Heaven Hill bourbon. The distillery changed hands numerous times but never reopened for business. It is currently owned by South Carolina based Terresentia who are in the process of refurbishing it and, according to Chuck Cowdery, plan to reopen the distillery in 2016.
Today's bottle is a 1981 15 year old 101 proof Ezra Brooks from the Medley Distillery. Per the label, it's "Rare Old Sippin' Whiskey"!
Ezra Brooks 15 year old, 50.5% abv
I don't usually comment on color, but this stuff is dark as night. The nose has typical bourbon caramel notes but also dark chocolate and even some fruit. The palate has dark caramel, espresso and rich, earthy notes. The finish has brown sugar and a touch of earthy bitterness.
This is a really complex, old bourbon. It's just delicious, certainly the best bourbon I've had from Medley.
Thanks to Dan Walbrun for the sample.
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