Skip to content
Spirlix
All spirits Whiskey Agave Rum Gin Vodka Brandy Liqueur Everything else Taste finder Brands
Early Times 354 Bourbon
Early Times

Early Times 354 Bourbon

Whiskey Bourbon Kentucky No age statement 40% ABV
$ Under $30 Budget Average whiskey
48 reviews raw average 3.03
87 critic score out of 100

About this bottle

In 1860, Early Times was founded in Shively, Kentucky by Jack Beam, uncle of Jim. They produced what was considered one of the best selling bourbons up until the early 1980s, when they decided to age it in seasoned barrels as opposed to the bourbon requirement of new charred oak and it had to be relabeled as "Kentucky Whisky." Early Times 354 is a return to the brand's roots, produced with all the label requirements of a true bourbon. The "354" is a reference to the distillery's permit number, which is one of the longest held in Kentucky. Note: This brand was discontinued in 2014.

How it tastes

Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.

Sweet 70
Rich 60
Full Bodied 60
Fruity 35
Vanilla 20
Spicy 15
Tart 10
Smoky 10

Reviews

Showing the most detailed of 14 parsed reviews.

Tango66 3.0

Early Times 354 Bourbon is a faithful recreation of the previous best-selling bourbon discontinued in 1983. Rich aromas of tobacco, caramel, baking spices, and toasted oak greet the nose. The smooth entry reveals a prominent palate of charred oak with a background of toffee. The finish features baking spices with a hint of vanilla. This bourbon is a prime example of old-school sour mash whiskey that excels as a mixer, especially in whiskey sours.

composersdg 3.0

Super cheap, but it's a surprising bang-for-your-buck flavor. Considering other whiskeys in this price range, there's not a huge amount of alcohol burn - just decent, predictable bourbon flavor. It's not a particularly memorable dram, but maybe that's not an altogether terrible thing. Not every sip needs to make you ponder the universe.

grayblue 4.0

Honestly, when i picked up a bottle of this, i'd assumed it was going to be terrible. But, well, sometimes you have to get a cheap bottle. lo and behold, it was actually quite good! great flavor, and very smooth. for a bottle under $20, it's solid.

KyleCBreese 1.0

The nose is full of alcohol and the slightest fruitiness. The taste is one note, just oak. There is no finish to speak of. I can see why this was discontinued.

Localdrinklax17 4.0

Mellow sipper. Classic caramel, kettle corn aromas. Packs a nice punch for being 80 Proof. They don’t make this one anymore folks. If you see it, buy it!

mcharper 2.8

Nothing crazy on the nose but a surprising spice at the beginning and a very sweet vanilla finish.

8 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.

Tastes like this

Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.

All Bourbon