Ezra Brooks 99 Port Wine Cask Finish

I’d like to thank Byrne PR and Lux Row Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I have a very short list of what I look for in a bourbon.

  1. Inexpensive.

  2. Rich mouthfeel.

  3. Full-flavored.

  4. Spicy.

  5. Sweet.

  6. Inexpensive.

My wife and I are very frugal people, but don’t mistake that for being cheap. My hobbies are whiskey and vinyl records, for goodness sake. No, we are frugal. We consider where our money is being spent and if we are spending it appropriately. We will buy expensive items, but only if our research shows that those items are worth the extra cost. It’s a holdover from growing up in poverty and spending the first twenty years of our relationship trying to learn how to climb out (hint: luck was more important than hard work…though both were necessary).

That’s one of the reasons I love getting samples from Lux Row. Not only are they usually delicious, but they are normally priced well enough that I don’t feel guilty or feel like I’m bragging too much when I recommend them. Sure, they make some very tasty high-priced bourbons. But they also have delicious ones that won’t cause you to choose between a bottle of whiskey or paying your electric bill on time.

A case in point is tonight’s Port Wine cask-finished bourbon. Its suggested retail price is $35. In today’s whiskey market, that’s almost bottom-shelf pricing. I exaggerate, but not by much. In fact, whiskey prices have risen so much since I started this site that I continuously need to reassess if I keep it going (I started it with what I thought was an obscene limit of $80 per month…don’t ask what I spent last year). This is why I am incredibly thankful to the readers who tip me a coffee, buy merch, or even just comment and interact.

So, let’s get back to this reasonably priced bourbon, shall we? This is the standard Ezra Brooks mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, aged and finished for an additional six months in Port wine casks before being bottled at 99 proof. Here is what the producer has to say about it:

“We created Ezra Brooks 99 Port Wine Cask Finish for bourbon fans looking for an elevated taste profile and unique flavor option,” said Eric Winter, Ezra Brooks brand manager. “Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe was intrigued by the juxtaposition of ryed bourbon’s spicy flavor profile and the sweeter, dark fruit notes often found in port wines.”

Now, the part we’ve all been waiting for: let’s dig in.

Ezra Brooks 99 Port Wine Cask Finish

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent by the producer at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $34.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 49.5% ABV. Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. Secondary aging in port wine cask for six months.

Nose: Cinnamon, raspberry, black tea, and hints of rose petals and oak.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon candies, caramel, chocolate, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth with notes of Big Red Gum, caramel, floral mint, and oak.

Thoughts: This is quite tasty. It's nice and spicy, so if that isn't your thing, it plays nicely with a splash of water. Water tames some of the spice but also dulls the finish a bit, so to each their own on this point. It has nice oak, cinnamon, and lovely floral and red fruit notes. This is pretty damn good. I like it.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Rebel 100 6 Years

I’d like to thank Byrne PR and Lux Row Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

We are still working through the backlog of samples that we received during the brackets, so let’s jump right in.

Just about a month and a half ago, I got a great email from the PR folks who work with Lux Row and MGP. And, I LOVE this email. Not wasting my time or theirs, it just said:

Rebel 100 / 6 Years / 60 bucks. Launches today. Details attached.

And in the spirit of that announcement email, let’s keep this short. Because, really, there isn’t much more to be said about this new, year-round addition to the Rebel portfolio. It’s Rebel 100 bourbon, just a bit older. Most of the information pertinent to the juice inside the bottle is right there in the name. Rebel Bourbon. 100° proof. Aged 6 Years. About the only thing I can add that isn’t in the name is that Rebel is, and always has been, a wheated bourbon going back to its initial launch as part of the Stitzel-Weller portfolio. But the fact that it’s a wheated bourbon is also on the label. Soooo…

Let’s just dig into the review proper, shall we?

Rebel 100 6 Year Old Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $59.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 50% ABV. 6 years old. Wheated mashbill.

Nose: Cinnamon, mint, almond, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, almond, and oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Follows the mouth with notes of cinnamon, caramel, and a bitter oak.

Thoughts: This is very good. If you like Rebel 100, the six-year-old version will be right up your alley. As a wheated bourbon, the oak is a bit more pronounced than if it were a bourbon that used rye as a flavoring grain, which, depending on your oak tolerance, may be a positive or a negative. Overall, I'm a fan. I usually prefer bourbon that uses rye as the flavoring grain, but this one is darn tasty. It's oak-forward but not too oak-forward. I’ll be picking up a full bottle should I see it.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Rum Cask

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I’ve sung the praises of the folks over at Yellowstone more times than I can count. Well, that’s not true. I can count pretty high. But more times than I care to count, how about that? And because I enjoy their connection with their namesake park and the ways they give back, at the end of the post, I’d like to share the press release for a fun contest that the brand is running. It happened to land in my mailbox as I was getting ready for tonight’s post, and since I’m talking about Yellowstone anyway, I thought you guys would be interested.

So first, the bourbon. Last fall, Yellowstone released the first edition of its Special Finishes Collection with a Toasted Stave-Finished bourbon. Exactly a month ago, they released the second edition, “Rum Cask.” The bourbon is exactly what you think it is. It is four-year-old Yellowstone bourbon that has been finished for nine weeks in casks that previously held rum. In fact, I think I’ll let the press release writer take over at this point. I’d just be summarizing it anyway.

The new release starts with Yellowstone’s traditional bourbon mash bill and then is aged for nine weeks in casks that previously held rum distilled using molasses from sugarcane grown in the rich, fertile soils and tropical Caribbean climate of Cuba. The resulting bourbon features a flavorful blend of spice and tropical sweetness; a medium body with notes of toasted marshmallow, crème brûlée and toffee toasted oak; and the finish is highlighted by tobacco, clove, cocoa seasoned oak and honey.

“Rum has the sweetest notes of all the casks we’ve used for secondary finishing, and it was an ideal choice for the next adventure in our Special Finishes Collection,” said Beam. “Rum is an exceptional compliment to bourbon, and they come together to create subtle notes of sweetness and brown sugar, which are soaked up and stored within the staves and perfectly complement the vanilla, caramel and rye flavors of Yellowstone. Our four-year bourbon is a classic Kentucky bourbon and makes for a fantastic base. This allows me to go in many directions with the finishes while remaining true to or original profile.”

Let’s dig in and see how it tastes.

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Rum Cask

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 4 years old. 50% ABV. Secondary aging for nine weeks in former rum casks.

Nose: Brown sugar, oak, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon spice, toffee, vanilla, oak, allspice, marshmallow, and a touch of molasses.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth with notes of brown sugar, tobacco, molasses, and oak. There is a final dark chocolate note that shows up after the rest have faded.

Thoughts: If you’ve ever had Angel’s Envy Rye, you will know that Rum finishes can sometimes take over the whiskey base. This is not one of those times. This is a bourbon, and you wouldn’t have guessed otherwise if you had tasted it blind. The secondary finishing adds some sweetness and undernotes that are a little unusual for a bourbon. Molasses and marshmallows are examples that I don’t usually find. However, they aren’t unheard of either. There is more oak than I expected in a four-year-and-nine-week-aged bourbon, which is very nice. Overall, I’m quite enjoying this one. I’d give it a shot should you see it.

Yellowstone Bourbon Launches Once-in-a-Lifetime Getaway Contest

Iconic bourbon brand shares its connection to America’s first national park with consumers through new adventure experience opportunity

 ST. LOUIS (April 8, 2024) – Yellowstone Bourbon announced a contest for consumers to win an all-inclusive trip to Yellowstone National Park in 2024. Consumers can enter the Yellowstone National Park Getaway Contest now through July 15 by submitting a photo and a writeup about their love for the great outdoors – a hiking story, poem or another kind of written expression.

The three lucky winners and their plus-one will experience the ultimate national park adventure September 5-8, 2024, including hiking, horseback riding, sightseeing, curated meals, private accommodations and round-trip airfare. In addition, four social media influencers will join the winners for this trip of a lifetime:

  • Dean Unglert, reality TV star and outdoor explorer

  • Adam Glick, celebrity chef and adventurer

  • Holly Johnson, travel and outdoor content creator

  • Patrick Duke, adventure photographer and filmmaker

“For more than 150 years, Yellowstone Bourbon has shared a bond with the majestic Yellowstone National Park,” said Kelly Panzitta, Yellowstone Bourbon brand manager. “This contest gives people the opportunity to experience that connection firsthand and win a one-of-a-kind adventure. It’s part of our commitment to always keep the park within reach.”

Since 2018, Yellowstone Bourbon has donated nearly $500,000 to National Parks Conservation Association to preserve national parks. In 2023, Yellowstone became one of NPCA’s largest annual corporate donors at the $250,000 level.

Yellowstone Bourbon partnered with World Playground to plan the contest itinerary and Under Canvas for the winners’ and influencers’ private accommodations in West Yellowstone. For more information about the contest including official rules, please visit Yellowstone National Park Getaway Contest or YellowstoneBourbon.com. For updates about the contest, follow Yellowstone Bourbon on Facebook and Instagram.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Toasted

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I think that Yellowstone Bourbon is one of the coolest stories in the bourbon industry. The brand was initially launched right around the declaration of Yellowstone National Park. It was apparently good whiskey and the brand was extremely popular until it fell on hard times. When I first had a pour of a bourbon with the name Yellowstone on it, I was in Yellowstone National Park surrounded by family and drinking a very bad bourbon. This was 2015 at the tail end of the brand’s hard times. But this is where it gets cool.

The brand’s owner at the time was Luxco, now a part of the MGP family. Right about the time they were starting the Lux Row distillery, they also bought a stake in Limestone Branch distillery. Which, it just so happens, was owned by a pair of brothers who were decended from the family that initially launched the Yellowstone bourbon. At that point, the home of Yellowstone was moved to Limestone Branch and placed under the supervision of Steve Beam (the previously mentioned decendant) who has been doing wonderful things with the brand.

Someday, someone should do a short history of the rise, fall, and rehabilitation of Yellowstone Bourbon. It’s a cool story that I didn’t come close to doing justice to.

Tonight’s bourbon is a new extension of the Yellowstone Bourbon lineup. It starts with the standard Yellowstone Select. That is then “stave finished” with five different toasted staves they call high toast, American oak double-toast, vanilla, rick house and spice rack. Here’s what the press release has to say about the new bourbon.

“The Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection is a great way to honor more than 150 years of bourbon heritage while still keeping things fresh and exciting,” said Beam. “I began experimenting with toasted barrels in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with Yellowstone Limited Edition releases and again more recently with distillery-exclusive Yellowstone Toasted Single Barrel. My experience helped in crafting what stave flavors to use and at what percentage to get the right flavor profile for Yellowstone Toasted. I can’t wait for consumers to try this latest full-time member of the Yellowstone Bourbon family.”

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Toasted

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, spearmint, Juicy Fruit gum, baking spices, and oak.

Mouth: A nice peppery spiciness on the first sip. Beyond that are notes of cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy and of medium length. Notes of honey, vanilla, black pepper, black tea, cinnamon, and oak.

Thoughts: This is really good. So good that when I went back to check the price, I was shocked that it was "only" $50. I think it is worth every penny. I'm really enjoying the sweet and spicy notes. I love honey, so the honey note on the finish is right up my alley. This is a lovely upgrade from the standard Yellowstone Select Bourbon.

Did you enjoy this post? If you want to support the work going on here at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch (tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com.

Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

A reminder that I am on vacation to the Pacific Northwest this week. If things go as planned, as you read this, I should either be walking along an ocean beach, enjoying rainforests, driving, or relaxing in a room at Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympic National Park. Obviously, this was written ahead of time.

Though I’d never heard of Celtic Honey prior to this post, the press release assures me that it has been around for long enough that the bottle you see in the photo above is both reformulated and has had a packaging update. When I saw the email come across my desk, I thought, “This could be a delicious addition to a whiskey cocktail.” But I didn’t ask for a sample. I wasn’t sure if it would appeal to you guys, being a liqueur and not even one made from bourbon. But when the PR guy came back explicitly asking if I wanted a sample, something made me say yes. I mean, the worst that would happen was that I would have a sample of honey liqueur to find a use for.

So what is Celtic Honey Beekeeper’s Blend? According to their website, it is a blend of grain neutral spirit, Irish whiskey, and honey, though the press release mentions the “flavors of native Irish flowers, plants, and trees.” This reformulated version is sold at 80° proof and “is set to reach retail shelves across the country by August at a suggested retail price of $24.99 per 750 ml bottle.”

But how does it taste, and most importantly, should you pick up a bottle?

Celtic Honey Beekeeper's Blend

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $24.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.67

Details: 40% ABV

Nose: Not nearly as sweet as I would have expected. The main note on the nose is herbal honey, but not super sweet honey.

Mouth: Sweet, but not cloyingly so. Notes of honey, cinnamon, clove, and mint.

Finish: Short and sweet with notes of sweet honey, delicate spice, and a pleasant nuttiness.

Thoughts: I expected this would be a decent cocktail ingredient, but I didn't expect it to be very good on its own. Yet here we are. I plan to finish the tasting glass once I'm done with tastings tonight, something I don’t often do when I’m doing multiple tastings at one time. It's obviously much sweeter than a bourbon, but not nearly as sweet as I would have expected from a product reformulated from a honey liqueur. More than anything, it reminds me of an Old Fashioned where the bitters had been left out. I could easily see myself enjoying this with a dash of bitters over ice or as the sweetener in an Old Fashioned or whiskey sour. In fact, I'll probably try that later and will include the results below.

—

So it’s now the next day, and I can 100% tell you that it makes a wonderful addition to cocktails. My wife loves a whiskey sour, so I made her a riff on that using equal parts fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Maker’s Cask Strength, and Celtic Honey. I shook that with ice with a small squirt of Agave Syrup (because it wasn’t quite balanced without it) and mint and garnished with a mint sprig. She really enjoyed it and asked for another, which I was happy to provide since today is her birthday. I made myself a much simpler drink. Equal parts Maker’s Cask Strength and Celtic Honey with a dash or two of bitters over ice. It was also quite tasty, though I realized later that I could have been even lazier and just left out the Bourbon altogether. When I tried just Celtic Honey and a dash or two of bitters over ice, it was just as good, though quite a bit sweeter.

So, should you pick up a bottle? Well, if all of this sounds good, I would. I’m certainly enjoying my bottle and will continue to as long as my (adult) daughter doesn’t finish it while she’s housesitting for us while we are gone.

Did you enjoy this post? If you want to support the work going on here at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch (tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com.