Early Times Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Whiskey Review

Brett Atlas -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Brown-Forman
  • MASH BILL: 79% Corn | 11% Rye | 10 % Malted Barley
  • AGE: 4 Years
  • YEAR: 2017
  • PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
  • MSRP: $29.99 for a 1-liter bottle

BRETT'S NOTES

NOSE: Balanced | Caramel | Oak | Dry Cocoa

TASTE: A little thin | Sweet | Raisins | Less oak flavor than the nose suggested

FINISH: Short | Bitter

SHARE WITH: Your friends who like to try all the new bourbons.

WORTH THE PRICE: Give Brown-Forman credit for releasing a limited edition whiskey that’s reasonably priced in an era where others are getting away with robbery. It’s tough to argue with a $30 price tag for a liter of bottled-in-bond bourbon from the same folks who produce Old Forester.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: The nose on this one is the best part for me. It’s not something you would find me sipping since the bitter finish didn’t suit my palate well. However, for a limited edition bottled-in-bond whiskey, it’s a pretty cool bottle to pull out for mixing drinks. If that’s what you’re looking for, then, by all means, grab a bottle.

OVERALL: I appreciate Brown-Forman providing the sample kit to review, and it’s very cool of them to bring back a storied whiskey like this one. Included in the package I received was a slick booklet of toothpicks, which leads me to believe they had cocktails in mind for this one all the way. This is certainly a respectable limited release for the cost. Old Forester 1920 is still my favorite Brown-Forman release, and even at nearly twice the price of the Early Times, perhaps a better value.

POP'S NOTES

OSE: Buttery | Hint of Caramel | Citrus | Charred Oak

TASTE: Caramel | Oak | Cereal

FINISH: I found the finish to be medium in length with warm cinnamon notes dancing on my tongue. Unfortunately, the sweetness from the caramel is quickly replaced with tannic notes from the oak barrel resulting in an uneven finish. And that was a real shame because this whiskey had an aggressive burn that kept surging for at least 60-90 seconds after I drank it.

SHARE WITH: This is more of a starter bourbon regarding sipping it neat, but it would make a pretty straightforward mixer for your favorite bourbon-based cocktails.

WORTH THE PRICE: I think the $29.99 per liter price point is acceptable for this release. You’re getting a bit more whiskey than normal, and you’re staying under $30 which is always appreciated. For those that are new to bourbon or want to try something new for their next cocktail party, this is a solid choice.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: If you’re a die-hard bourbon drinker I recommend only trying it at a bar. No reason to add another bottle to your collection unless you’re really in love with it. If you’re new to bourbon, go ahead and buy a bottle to compare to others you’ve had so far. It will make for an excellent comparison bottle and can be used to make all the mixed drinks you need for those friends that haven’t jumped onto the bourbon bandwagon yet.

OVERALL: I was interested in this one based on the nose alone. It had lots of promise and was very different from most of the releases I’ve sampled lately. The taste just didn’t live up to the nose. It had some elements that I enjoyed, but they were out of balance with the rest. If they could remove the tannic/bitter edges, this might be more appealing to regular bourbon drinkers.

BRAND NOTES

OSE: Buttery | Hint of Caramel | Citrus | Charred Oak

TASTE: Caramel | Oak | Cereal

FINISH: I found the finish to be medium in length with warm cinnamon notes dancing on my tongue. Unfortunately, the sweetness from the caramel is quickly replaced with tannic notes from the oak barrel resulting in an uneven finish. And that was a real shame because this whiskey had an aggressive burn that kept surging for at least 60-90 seconds after I drank it.

SHARE WITH: This is more of a starter bourbon regarding sipping it neat, but it would make a pretty straightforward mixer for your favorite bourbon-based cocktails.

WORTH THE PRICE: I think the $29.99 per liter price point is acceptable for this release. You’re getting a bit more whiskey than normal, and you’re staying under $30 which is always appreciated. For those that are new to bourbon or want to try something new for their next cocktail party, this is a solid choice.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: If you’re a die-hard bourbon drinker I recommend only trying it at a bar. No reason to add another bottle to your collection unless you’re really in love with it. If you’re new to bourbon, go ahead and buy a bottle to compare to others you’ve had so far. It will make for an excellent comparison bottle and can be used to make all the mixed drinks you need for those friends that haven’t jumped onto the bourbon bandwagon yet.

OVERALL: I was interested in this one based on the nose alone. It had lots of promise and was very different from most of the releases I’ve sampled lately. The taste just didn’t live up to the nose. It had some elements that I enjoyed, but they were out of balance with the rest. If they could remove the tannic/bitter edges, this might be more appealing to regular bourbon drinkers.

From our rich heritage that began in 1860, we have unearthed bourbon inspiration to create a legacy expression that pays homage to our original bottled-in-bond bourbon. Our revival expression, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond, is an echo of our bourbon from long ago… 75 years ago to be precise.
Early Times Distilling Co.

Disclaimer: Early Times Distilling Co. provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.