Early Times Kentucky Whisky

Rating: 10/23 I've read good things about this in places and it's been weirdly unavailable recently, so I figure there might be some people out there who have discovered a big secret. I saw this next to Ancient Age on the shelf today after they were both absent for some time and thought about getting both, but decided to go with just this since I've had poor experiences with bottom shelf bourbons (heck - bottom shelf anything) in the past. N: Light. Lots of mineral, light caramel, a hint of musty wood or cardboard, a dash of cinnamon. Something kind of fruity and oily that reminds me a little bit of Irish whiskey. Not a very impressive nose, but there isn't anything offensive about it either. P: Very smooth and sweet. Nothing objectionable here, but nothing interesting either. It tastes young, but not so young that the white dog flavor starts coming through. There's a standard caramel flavor that maybe borders on butterscotch at times, along with some vanilla, anise (nothing at all close to that Jim Beam Black licorice though), a bit of cinnamon, and some mild tartness. There's a bit of woody richness that borders on milk chocolate at moments as well. That Irish whiskey oily fruit comes through here as well. There's definitely an alcohol flavor as well. It isn't bitter, harsh, or laced with chemicals, but it definitely makes me think of vodka. It's also kind of watery from the low proof and young age. Side by side with Wild Turkey 101, the ethanol really does come out and I get more of the vodka character. It has less heat than Ezra Brooks, but also less character. It's oilier and smoother. There's a sort of nectar quality that makes this surprisingly enjoyable, but far from great. F: The anise comes to the fore here, along with a bit of black pepper, and the alcohol of course. There's a lot of mineral and the caramel and other sweet flavors vanish fairly rapidly. Not great, but there still aren't any bad flavors in here. It's sweet and smooth, so it's as an intro and works OK for mixing. I tried it in a boulevardier and the result was pretty good. In this case though, I think that it might be a somewhat uniquely suitable choice because a boulevardier is just a slight variation on a negroni, which is lighter in the usual bourbon dimensions because, well, it uses gin. Side by side with Ezra Brooks though, this is just as light and is also less complex. Ezra is probably not as good as an intro bourbon, but it's definitely better overall. In a boulevardier, Ezra also adds more complexity. Given that the prices are so close, I don't see a reason to take this over Ezra. Wild Turkey 101 is absolutely better neat, but I can understand someone taking this instead in a boulevardier because it's so much sweeter. The Wild Turkey is more complex and herbal, but that does blur a bit with the Campari, so it's at least challenging. I actually might take the Ezra Brooks boulevardier over either of them. The more I have of this, the more it grows on me as an easy sipper. I still don't like it, but it's quite unobjectionable, so I don't mind having it around. At the end of the day, this is not at all challenging to sip, but it's boring. If I'm consuming stuff this bad for me, I want it to actually taste good (or at least be a small quantity and provide a unique experience). For a little bit more, Ezra Brooks (and probably also Evan Williams Black) is a slightly better choice in my book - though I can see how some will disagree. Even those though, I generally wouldn't buy because I can get Wild Turkey 101 for $20 or less. Yeah, it's twice as much as this, but it's quite sippable on its own. It isn't as easy of an introduction for bourbon novices though, so if that's what you're looking for, Early Times may be the right choice. Unless I'm trying to serve that specific situation of introducing someone to bourbon (or far less likely - putting cheap bourbon in a watered down mixed drink at a rager), I probably won't be buying this again. It's not awful (in fact, it's easy to down a dangerous amount of), but I'd rather pay up at least a little bit to get better quality. I'm going with a 10, though I wouldn't be shocked if I came back and increased that to an 11.

Appearance: The color was a caramel syrup amber hue. Thin and very oily legs griped the glass interior for all they were worth. Nose: On the nose, a heavy caramel note hit first, then notes of nail polish remover, oak wood shavings, and peanuts. Taste: The palate started out with a note of cinnamon sugar then a harshness that reminded me of Hot Tamales candy. There were notes of orange rind and cherry in there too. If you were to take too big a gulp, much like myself I’d be willing to wager you’d experience a burn and a bad case of “the willies” Finish: There was a medium lasting finish after those initial shivers then a hard to describe musty yet fresh aftertaste. Thoughts: Overall, this whiskey was not bad. It was a bit harsh, but in a kind of rugged way. I think as a mixer for sure it would be great, but as a sipper I won’t be asking for seconds. Brown-Forman, thanks for this product and its long history. I do hope it continues for a long time in the hands of its fans! Cheers!

Rating: 10/23 N: Kind of light and oily with a bit of apricot. Not quite a nose I'd expect rom a bourbon, but pretty close. P: Pretty smooth, light, a bit oily. I do taste the alcohol, but it's sweet with kind of a clean water flavor and some of that apricot with a dash of slightly light caramel flavor, something very faintly nutty, and of course some spices. Not super complex, but decent. It's actually a pretty solid palate, particularly for such a cheap whiskey. F: The oily fruit lingers. It isn't the best rendition, but it's fine. - Conclusion - This is a solid budget whiskey. I don't love it and it certainly does show its youth, but it's actually drinkable. I still prefer Ancient Age for its sort of cotton candy sweetness from the corn that just makes it its own thing, but this is not bad. I can see myself going to an 11 on this, but I think I'll be sticking with a 10 right now.

I am about to finish a bottle of Early Times and this is not a bad whiskey and a good deal for the price. For a whiskey that is about $10 a bottle if it is drinkable at all then this is a winner. I do not place this against W. L. Weller or E. H. Taylor but as a "well" whiskey or mixer, it is outstanding. When I sipped this neat it was rough and not pleasant. However, with a little ice, it was drinkable and smoother. I think for the money this is good but overall it is average at best and not as good as Ancient Age or Evan Williams.

Mini bottle poured neat into a Glencairn at home. Golden color. Nose has lots of baking spices with some popcorn at the tail. Fairly pleasant, actually. Taste is spiced bread, with some vanilla, and then that popcorn comes back into play. Not as nice as the aroma, but still not unpleasant overall. Not particularly good, but then not particularly bad, and better than I expected. 6/8/19

It doesn’t meet the requirements to be called “bourbon”. It is a stretch to even call it “whiskey”. Against my better judgement, I decided to try an ice cube to “enhance” the flavor. All it did was amplify the medicinal, chemical notes. My only positive is I purchased a 375 ml at $6.79, but I may end up pouring some of it down the drain.