EB 15 YO

[Black85L98]

Is this worth buying?

Thought I would ask for some if it was any good.

[MurphyDawg]

I would take a crack at it, it is very reasonably priced. I inherited 2 inches of the bottom of a bottle fromlast years bourbon fesitval (Marvin's by way of Omar, I believe...) and I enjoyed what was left enough to want to buy a whole bottle for myself. Just be warned that it is an extra aged bourbon and will tatse woody. . .

TomC

[Paradox]

Yes, Tom is right it is extra aged and does taste 'woody' but in a very good way. I thoroughly enjoy this bourbon, expecially at a price of $20 a bottle ($15 during the month of January from internetwines during their 25% off sale). Grab a bottle and enjoy!

[cowdery]

I like it a lot, but it's not for everyone. The taste of wood is very strong but among extra, extra-aged bourbons, I think the Ezra B may be the most drinkable and it's certainly the most affordable.

[jeff]

I have never seen this bourbon in Lexington. How is the availability of this one?

[Paradox]

I personally have never seen it available here in NY. I got mine from InternetWines (Randall's) during their 25% off sale. But I do know a liquor store right in Loretto did get some in a while back. Even on alot of websites it is hard to find... But Tom says here that it is available across the whole state of New Hampshire. I always wondered as well why it is hard to find.

[MurphyDawg]

Yep I saw it in NH, I saw it at Toddy's in Bardstown, and I saw it at the Cork 'n Bottle in Covington, KY when I went to see the Reds.

TomC

[Gillman]

Generally I like well-aged whiskey but occasionally the wood taste is not pleasant or stands out too much. I was hoping for big things when I bought Old Commonwealth at Binnie's. It is well worth the money but seemed a little woody and (to use a wine term) "dumb", ie. closed-in, not fully developed. I thought this was the same whiskey as the Van Winkle 107 proof 10 year old but it does not taste the same to me. Ditto for my Van Winkle Old Time Rye 12 years old that I bought at the same store. This one was a little hard-edged and woody, very good whiskey and well worth the money but not as supple and balanced as earlier Old Time's I recall. I sampled it next to the current Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old rye (really about 17 years old as we know) and the Family Reserve was better than the Old Time: it had a deeper wild fruit taste, was charred more than woody (woody as in tannic) and confirmed my resolve that this is one of the best straight whiskeys anywhere for any money. Again, I thought I had read that these two VW products were the same except for a proof difference, but repeated comparisons over the years seem to belie that understanding. I wonder if dilution can "uncover" woodiness? I suppose this is possible, but the two ryes seem like different products to me. My bottle of Old Time was half full whereas the Family Reserve was almost full. I added half the latter to the former. This vatting (mingling shall we say) improved the Old Time a fair bit. I suppose with such whiskeys one gets variations because each cask is different, therefore each batch and bottling will be somewhat different, plus the whiskeys get older in the barrel yet still (sometimes to the betterment of the drink) are bottled without a label change. What I find though is that Family Reserve is always in tip-top shape - I have a feeling Mr. Van Winkle may save his very best barrels of rye whiskey for that label.

Gary

[MurphyDawg]

I thought this was the same whsikey as the Van Winkle 107 proof 10 year

We have it from Julian's own mouth that it is. . .

TomC

[pepcycle]

Jeff,

I saw EB 15 YO at Liquor Barn, on Hurstbourne, in Louisville. If I remember, it was not that reasonably priced. Don't quote me, but it was closer to $45/bottle and therefore not purchased by me. I do have a bottle in reserve, that was a gift, so I don't know the purchase price.

[Paradox]

I thought this was the same whiskey as the Van Winkle 107 proof 10 year old

Yep, just go here to see for yourself...

[Barrel_Proof]

The EB Single Barrel is definitely worth some shelf space in your bunker. I grab one each January from Randall's, too, when George regularly sells it for only $15. Get one and enjoy!

[Paradox]

$45? Ouch, that sounds way too much, I have never seen it anywhere for that much. I'm not saying you're wrong but that is one steep jack-up in price! I don't blame you for passing on it...

[Gillman]

I know, and acknowledge the earlier post re Julian stating the same thing regarding his 12 and 13 year old ryes, yet the taste difference to me, at least based on the samples I've tried lately, is evident. E.g. the Old Time (C1466) is woody, a little sharp (tannic I think), tasty but "edgy". My current Family Reserve (D5125) is a smooth depth charge of a drink, rich, fruity, with a haunting flavour of real old time whiskey. They could not be more different. I can only assume that barrel and batch differences explain it, and the same for any variations in ORVW 10 year old 107 proof vs. Old Commonwealth. By the way, earlier I speculated some whiskey under this name might have been made by that distillery when it operated. There was a distillery at Commonwealth, John Lipman states this on his site. He says the still had been dismantled by the time ORVW did bottling there. He speculates that some bourbon from ORVW might have been made by that distillery, but I take it all bourbon bottled there was made at Shively between '82 and '92 in the former Stitzel-Weller plant..

Gary

Gary

[cowdery]

It's ironic that you mention the Commonwealth Distillery in this thread, because that is where the Ezra Brooks brand, named after Ezra Ripy, was created. The place was originally Hoffman, founded by Isaac Hoffman and S.O. Hackley around 1880, revived by Ezra and Robert Ripy in 1934. Not sure when it took on the Commonwealth name. The Ripys were in partnership with a Cincinnati distributor named Wertheimer. According to Sam Cecil's book, he personnally visited the place in the mid-70s and "the still house was falling down. Ben Ripy was operating the bottling plant and was bottling the brand Fighting Cock as well as some private brands for Julian P. Van Winkle III." My point is that it seems unlikely that the still at Hoffman/Commonwealth has produced a drop at any time within the past 30 years.

[cowdery]

Ezra B was 23.99 at Sam's the last time I got a bottle.

[Black85L98]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I may not get to find out for a while. My best stocked spirit store could not order this. They can special order another brand I did not think I could get here, Buffalo Trace. I should have 3 bottles in 4 to 6 weeks.

[CL]

It's $26 at Liquor Barn on Hurstbourne in L'ville. I was tempted, but I already had a big order to buy. But, I may keep an eye out for a cheaper price at other stores in the area before I head home to NC.

[Black85L98]

I will find a bottle one day. Not sure if I will like it, but I will buy just the same.

[robbyvirus]

I bought a bottle of this last month when I passed through Kentucky. It's one of my favorite finds from the trip. It is definitely woody, and has a deep, rich flavor, so if you like mellower bourbons it probably won't be your thing. But I like it a lot, and it was very reasonably priced (I found it outside of Lexington, for about $24 a bottle).

[OneCubeOnly]

Sorry if I'm being slow on the draw here--I understand that ORVW 10/107 and Old Commonwealth are the same, but is Ezra B 15yo actually Julian's whiskey as well!?

[cowdery]

is Ezra B 15yo actually Julian's whiskey as well!?

doubtful. I have heard speculation that it is Medley whiskey, which seems more likely. Sherman generally does business with Heaven Hill, but I find it hard to believe the Ezra B is Heaven Hill whiskey.

[jeff]

Robby,

Where exactly did you find this? I have looked all over lexington and not found any. I would appreciate the tip