Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Port Wine Casks Finish (70cl, 49.5%)

A Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Portuguese port wine casks. The bourbon spent six months in the casks and was released in 2024 as the first bottling in a planned series of annually changing finishes. Its mash bill is 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley, and it is bottled at 99 proof, or 49.5% ABV. Berries, raisins and apricot join vanilla and caramel, with tobacco and leather adding drier notes and dark chocolate and cinnamon accompanying the fruit sweetness. Charred oak is also noticeable. Nose: vanilla, pipe tobacco and leather with berries, raisins, caramel and a port wine note, plus charred oak. Palate: rounded, with raspberry jam, honey and apricot alongside caramel, dark chocolate and cinnamon. Finish: medium length and syrupy, with spicy fruit notes and chocolate lingering.