Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey Joins In the Rye Whiskey Fun

Ezra Brooks is a whiskey label whose history dates back to 1957. Acquired by non-distilling producer Luxco in 1993, the bourbon side of this lineup has, for the most part, been a bottom dweller in the whiskey ecosystem. We found, though, that it’s that bad of a drinker, ranking it at the top of our review roundup of bottom shelf bourbons. The brand is expanding now into another popular whiskey category, rye, with the debut of Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey.

Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey, according to Luxco, is a non-age statement, sourced rye whiskey that looks like it is was acquired from MGP out of Indiana. There’s not a lot more to say about this expression, except to note it’s bottled at 90 proof, designed for either craft cocktails or enjoyed over the rocks, and that it will be available later this month in 750 ml and 50 ml bottles.

“In the past 12 months, we have seen rapid growth in the rye category, up 27 percent, which indicates consumers are interested in more rye whiskey products,” said Fletcher Buchman, brand manager at Luxco, in a prepared statement. “Ezra Brooks’ recent packaging refresh has elevated the brand to the same high-quality of the bourbon found inside the bottle.”

Now you’ll note Buchman mentioned a recent packaging refresh, in line with trying to give the Ezra Brooks lineup something of a classier feel. To that end, the whiskeys under this label now present in “a new corked bottle with a premium matte-finish closure capsule” and “higher end label.”

Super limited official tasting notes suggest this rye whiskey “offers slightly sweet and oaky tones with a warm, spicy finish.” Like I said, there’s not a lot more to say on this one – look for it likely hanging out in the same lower shelf regions as its regular Ezra Brooks bourbon sibling.