MrWizard's Ramblings

Old Ezra 7 Barrel Strength, 117 proof
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1385038
Nose: Alcohol and rye forward. All the classic bourbon flavors are there as well as a bit of cherry on the nose combined with that sweet and spicy profile. Quite pleasant and enjoyable to sniff at.
Palate: Wood and rye profile. Extremely concentrated and rye forward. Notably, not overly sweet as opposed to the nose, and not much cherry. Wood is strong in this one and it’s a little tannic/bitter. I think it can benefit from small splash of water.
Aftertaste: Wood, wood and more wood that eventually fades into spice numbness. Quite long and reasonably good one for folk that look for those wood notes. No particularly bad flavors in the back and this particular balance certainly has its appeal.
Overall: Well this is a spice and wood bomb which is arguably more concentrated on flavor than its 117 proof suggests. To me, the balance is way out of proportion and leans too much towards wooden tannins. Certainly enjoyable, though I’d recommend having this on the rocks. The upsides of this being a high proof and age-stated have been noted but I’m struggling to see it as my daily drinker, though someone else certainly can claim it as such. Certainly worth trying a glass if possible out there, before making a bottle commitment. I wouldn’t recommend chasing it down if other things are available or for some sort of premium price.
Score: B-

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style, 115 proof
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1281033
Nose: Cherries all over on the nose. It smells like an alcoholic cherry jam of sorts. Some may find it a bit too much but this brings childhood memories for me so I’m ‘cool cool cool’ with it (not the alcohol part, jeez, the cherry jam).
Palate: Typical sweeter bourbon profile, as opposed to the rye spice, is on display here, yet again with cherries having a ball. The balance is excellent, though the sugar actually is on the losing side from the wood, spice and alcohol, very enjoyable if somewhat proof-forward. It certainly is sweet, the corn content makes sure of it, but the other flavors win over the sweetness.
Aftertaste: Medium length and quite pleasant. More of the same from the palate on the interplay of balances with yet again, sugar being on the losing side. Wood, spice, alcohol, cherries. Like eating a bit of sugarless cherry jam, with booze.
Overall: This is a dependable, solid, daily drinker with no frills and barely any downsides. Slightly dry in terms of sugars is about the only minor gripe for me. An excellent, but not outstanding, bourbon that leans towards cherry profile. For now, readily available in stores and worth having.
Score: B

Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown