Ezra Brooks 99 2 year old, 49.5%

The nose kicks off on a zesty and flavorful note, with loads of black pepper and peppercorn sauce joined by chlorine, an assortment of farmers market leafy greens, and menthol. The palate is more lightly peppered; here it’s also supplemented by a dollop of honey, some celery juice, and raw kale, keeping the greens going. More pepper on the finish, which has a fair amount of milk chocolate and lemon ice too. No.-20 Top 20 of 2023