Review #: 47
Description: Early Times Bottled-In-Bond
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: Early Times was a distillery in Bardstown, KY that was started by Jim Beam’s brother in 1860. The distillery stopped production upon his death in 1915 and the brand and stock were purchased by Brown-Forman in 1923. The Bottled-In-Bond version was released in 1945 and was widely popular, but with the decline in bourbon of the 70s and 80s, the brand switched to just being a straight whiskey, as bourbon was blended with light whiskey. BF revised the Bottled-In-Bond version in 2017, but recently has sold the brand and stocks to Sazerac. So let’s see how this is and maybe in a few years time, we can compare to what Sazerac makes.
Distillery – Brown-Forman
Bottler – Brown-Forman
Brand – Early Times
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50%
Age – NAS
Nose – Sweet and fruity, banana, oak, sweet corn, some ethanol
Taste – Cherry, medium mouthfeel, sweet bread, some barrel spice and banana
Finish – More oak and spice comes in with light, lingering warmth
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: This was perfectly drinkable and about as complex as you could ask for a cheap bottle, with it coming in at about $20 for a 1L bottle. The Brown-Forman banana is there but it’s definitely more on the fruity side than artificial flavoring that can come through some times. Just straightforward and tasty, it’s hard to go wrong with it. Let’s hope Sazerac can keep it that way.