Fighting Cock vs. Old Ezra

[mbanu]

Has anyone tried comparing Fighting Cock with Old Ezra? At least on a superficial level they seem pretty similar... Both Wild Turkey competitors, both (I believe) Heaven Hill products, approximately the same proof, approximately the same age... do you think they have different flavor profiles? Are there technical differences (mashbill, barreling proof, etc.) or is one just a year older than the other?

Any thoughts appreciated.

[T Comp]

Has anyone tried comparing Fighting Cock with Old Ezra? At least on a superficial level they seem pretty similar... Both Wild Turkey competitors, both (I believe) Heaven Hill products, approximately the same proof, approximately the same age... do you think they have different flavor profiles? Are there technical differences (mashbill, barreling proof, etc.) or is one just a year older than the other?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Good questions mbanu and something that has been discussed before about FC in the whiskey three thread as Heaven Hill only has one mash bill for rye recipe but subjectively have product labels of different taste profiles (OE is a Luxco product but distilled by HH). http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15005&page=8&highlight=bourbon+mash+bills

So it comes down to barrel selection to meet a certain taste profile. I don't have enough taste experience with FC and OE to comment on those profiles but the one year of age difference between FC and OE will make a difference too. I asked the same question in another thread about taste profile differences on all the 4 year old rye finished HH labels. Here's another one too...FC and the 6 year old HH BIB...how different do they taste?

[Parkersback]

One very subjective and vague thought based just one bottle of each in the last year: Ezra struck me as sweeter, a little less burn in the finish; the Fighting Cock as a little spicier, a little rougher (in a pretty good way).

[ethangsmith]

I echo Parkersback in my tastings as well. Ezra is sweet and smooth, FC is spicy and much more powerful.

[cas]

Zingerman's Roadhouse here in Ann Arbor features a fairly decent bourbon selection and Thursday is 2 bucks off bourbon pours. My wife had a business function there this past Thursday so I took it as an opportunity to sit at the bar for a little over an hour and try a couple that I hadn't had before. My first glass was Hancock's Reserve and it was pleasant but not super interesting. Probably not something I'd pay about $50 for a bottle. After that I tried a glass of the Fighting Cock - I don't think I've ever seen it in a bar before, and I had avoided buying a bottle for a long time - the label and name just gives the impression of being sorta cheesy. But I was surprised, this was good. Up-front, spicy, and a lot of different flavors rumbling around. Not a mellow, dilute, flavorless pour like I had anticipated. I preferred it to the Hancock's - there was a lot more going on in each mouthful in the FC. I'm not sure I would always want it neat, it was a little bit hot, but I bet it would be a good summer mixer in coke or ginger ale - the bourbon flavor wouldn't be lost in the soda.

Craig

[bad_scientist]

Here's another one too...FC and the 6 year old HH BIB...how different do they taste?

[JPK]

I recently found a bottle of fighting cock. (Newer bottle NAS)

I found FC to be full of sweet (sugar and honey) and vanilla, a little char (not much), and surprisingly little burn.

The burn was mostly alcohol...not a spicy burn.

I didn't find it full of different flavors at all.

It reminded me of Colonel EH Taylor Small Batch....just the FC was more "simple" and substituted vanilla for Taylors abundance of carmel.

I liked the FC very much and will look forward to having it again when I'm in the mood for what I found it to be.

 

That said, I find the flavors in OE really span the classic bourbon spectrum.

It's a little rough at 1st...but let it mellow for 10-15 mins and it turns into a $60 bourbon.....I don't find near as much improvement when I let WT101 mellow.

The OE may be sweeter than the FC...but the OE has so much more going on the sweetness doesn't stand out as much as it does in the FC which seems to have so much less going on.

I find OE to be very similar to WT101.

There are slight differences...but having done multiple blind tests of the 2, sometimes I can't tell them apart..well that's not quite true.

...fact is I've always been able to taste a difference but couldn't decide which one was which.

Seems my taste buds on different days react differently....lol

I'd love to be able to DECIDE which is better as around these parts they are the same price.

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by JPK