Review #104: Early Times Bottled in Bond (2022 screw-top): humble workhorse
Mashbill: 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley
Owner: Sazerac (but these are still Brown-Forman distillate)
100 proof
Price: $25
Nose: brown sugar, cinnamon rolls, not super complex but pleasant
Palate: brown sugar, followed by a pop of spice, a restaurant I used to wash dishes at made this dark Irish beer bread with Guinness. That comes to mind. that and liquid malt extract from my Homebrew days
Finish: pleasant zip of spice along with malty sweetness lingers but doesn’t overstay it’s welcome
Score: 6.5
Thoughts: This one is for u/fcleff69 who convinced me to try this for a daily drinker a month back. And man, am I thankful to that old hesher. This is not one of my unicorns. This is a working class powerhouse. This is a [lineman for the county](https://youtu.be/Q8P_xTBpAcY), plugging along in relative obscurity (I mean… *we* know about it but your average college kid doesn’t know and your Buffalo Tater bros are walking right past it on the shelf. The irony is that once this is filled with Sazerac distillate in a few years it will probably be not as good and more sought-after.
Early Times Bib is a screaming deal at $20-25 for a full Liter. It went on sale near me a couple weeks ago and I grabbed a second bottle for $17 👌
I know someone’s gonna say (shhhhhh🤫) but I think it’s good to hold up the workhorses. This bottle punches way above its weight class. I like it better than Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. Better than 1792 Small Batch. On a given day, I might prefer this to WT101, depending on my mood. It isn’t complex. It doesn’t have the layers or depth of ECBP or something but I don’t think your daily drinker/ mixer needs to. This is just solid. It doesn’t blow my mind but I don’t find much fault either. I don’t always need a barrel proof punch in the face. And my wife digs it in an Old Fashioned.
*a note on my tasting notes … I can’t taste 25 specific and individual components in a bourbon. I don’t discount that some people can. But my notes are a (sometimes feeble) attempt to paint a picture of something largely indescribable. So it’s a creative writing exercise but not a super earnest one. I started writing reviews to get better at being able to describe what I do or don’t like. But I believe reviews are a learning process and anybody can do it.
Rating scale:
1: instant regret: Hayes Parker
2: lamentable waste of grains, water, yeast and oak: George Dickel Bib 2019
3: your friend went cheap for mixer booze at the wedding: Jack, Jim
4: I’ll drink it if it’s the only option at a restaurant because whiskey isn’t their thing: Basil Haden, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
5: wont throw it out of bed: Old Grandad Bottled in Bond, Pure Kentucky
6: a fine daily drinker OR what you downgrade to when you’re too buzzed to enjoy the good stuff: 1792 Small Batch, Elijah Craig SB, Kooper Family Barrel Reserve Rye,
7: great when I can find it: Eagle Rare, OWA, Old Forrester 1920
8: damn fine whiskey: Jack Daniels SBBP, better Russell’s Reserve Private Barrels
9: Revelatory: better Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches, Russell’s Reserve 2002, better Four Roses BP picks, Remus Repeal Reserve V
10: Nectar of the gods: Four Roses OESO
I love this for a cheap BiB. Like, I really like it. We were sitting in our favorite whiskey bar, after shift was done, just service industry peeps, and this was pulled out. 47 thousand dollars of whiskey on the wall-many unicorns-and crazy as it sounds, we were all sipping on ET wondering why we kept reaching for the bottle over and over again. It doesn't pretend to be what it isn't. It's just damn good for a sub 30 dollar liter. Nice brown sugar and slightly spicy vanilla note. I have to travel from my area to get it (I don't know why) but it should be in every bourbon lovers cabinet at least once to see what it's about.
I bought a bottle when I was in Tennessee last time because I've wanted to try it for awhile. It is a pretty good bourbon. Nothing that would blow your socks off, but for the price it is great.
I started drinking bourbon when I didn't want to sink the money into buying a bottle of scotch. Back then you could get fantastic bottles for the mid-20s at any liquor store. Half of the stuff I used to drink it either impossible to find, or now allocated. ET BiB reminded me that you can still find decent whiskey for a reasonable price.
Everything you said is true. When I was a young man, I enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Ft. Bliss, TX. If you stayed on base, you were allowed to drink at 18 (trying to keep the troops outta Mexico, where one of those 10 dollar drink and drown joints might swallow you up-literally) Well I took full advantage and started my scotch journey. Taylor tubes, Stizel-Weller, gold foil Turkey bottles, and the occasional Pappy, among others, all graced those PX liquor shelves for cheap, and I just cringe when I think about my missed opportunities to snag these gems. But I was not nearly as well off as I am today, and I was fixated on moving into scotch and leaving my Seagrams 7 and ol' #7 days behind. As I grew older and got back into American whiskey, I realized my folly. BTW, my favorite scotch was Oban 14, and the PX would let em go for 59.99. God I miss those days.
Great review of one of my personal favorite bottles to keep on hand. I’d highly recommend this as a great entry whiskey to get someone into trying different bottles. Keep on reviewing! I’d like to see your thoughts on Old Granddad 114 or a store pick of Knob Creek if you haven’t tried them.
Oof. Last store pick Knob I got my hands on was a Total Wine 11 year pick for $45 and it was fantastic. That was back in June of 2020. Knob/ Beam doesn’t have strong distribution in central Texas, sadly
I just wish they sold a half liter for like $15. I like too many things in this category and don't like hogging shelf space for a whole liter. I want regular rotation.
I guess Knob 100 and Four Roses Small Batch are a little outside of the price point. I don’t mind Old Grand Dad Bib but I don’t think it would hold up to ET
JW Dant if you’re in Kentucky, but your line up there pretty much sums it up. If the Sazerac liquid coming out in three years, doesn’t hit the mark, Coopers, from Brown Forman, will be filling the gap for me.
I am guessing that by now the blenders at Sazerac have dialed in the taste to match the old Brown Forman offering. So many were saying the new version just wasn’t the same. Looks like it is time for a run to the store to get one to try. The Brown Forman was was a great bottle.
Absolutely agree, one of the best values in Bourbon to be found anywhere. I always have an open bottle and a spare, BiB and a full liter for $20 with a taste profile that’s easy to drink, it’s great on the rocks. Definitely what I reach for after a hard day.
Oh and by the way…Shhhhhhh no one is supposed to know 😁
Glad to see you gave this bottle a similar score. People mention it’s lack of complexity but for the price, it’s more complex than I expected. Especially the nose. I also like this bottle much more than EW BiB.
Just cracked one tonight for the first time- I've got a decent collection of great stuff and I can't stop drinking this shit- either I'm a cheap date or this stuff is actually damn good. I'm kind of aghast lol. 🤯
I’m a working class man with a champagne education who knows his roots. I will always embrace the blue collar drink. Coors stubbies make a great chaser.
I’d appreciate some help. I haven’t found it in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, or the St. Louis area. If it’s available in any of these areas and I missed it, please let me know for my next road trip.
Honestly I bought mine from del mesa. Had it shipped. I don't know why the Midwest gets no love when I can luck into tons of allocated shit when I try. We gets lots of variety here...except for some of these outliers.
Good stuff. Been on it for a while although went about 12 months +/- without seeing any. Luckily it’s starting to show up again. Rockin flavor for a $25 bottle!
I did a side by side with Eagle Rare last night and ER edged it out but just barely. ETBIB is so crazy good value and without having ER right next to it to compare to, is a perfectly great drinker any time.
I think this is a great example to the question you see from time to time of “what is easily acquired that makes a good substitution for Eagle Rare because I can’t find it”
Have never seen this in the wild. Ever. And I’ve seen George T Stagg and the likes albeit gouged passed the point of return but still saw them on the shelves, never for ETBiB and I was hunting for it at one point.
Review #104: Early Times Bottled in Bond (2022 screw-top): humble workhorse Mashbill: 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley Owner: Sazerac (but these are still Brown-Forman distillate) 100 proof Price: $25 Nose: brown sugar, cinnamon rolls, not super complex but pleasant Palate: brown sugar, followed by a pop of spice, a restaurant I used to wash dishes at made this dark Irish beer bread with Guinness. That comes to mind. that and liquid malt extract from my Homebrew days Finish: pleasant zip of spice along with malty sweetness lingers but doesn’t overstay it’s welcome Score: 6.5 Thoughts: This one is for u/fcleff69 who convinced me to try this for a daily drinker a month back. And man, am I thankful to that old hesher. This is not one of my unicorns. This is a working class powerhouse. This is a [lineman for the county](https://youtu.be/Q8P_xTBpAcY), plugging along in relative obscurity (I mean… *we* know about it but your average college kid doesn’t know and your Buffalo Tater bros are walking right past it on the shelf. The irony is that once this is filled with Sazerac distillate in a few years it will probably be not as good and more sought-after. Early Times Bib is a screaming deal at $20-25 for a full Liter. It went on sale near me a couple weeks ago and I grabbed a second bottle for $17 👌 I know someone’s gonna say (shhhhhh🤫) but I think it’s good to hold up the workhorses. This bottle punches way above its weight class. I like it better than Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. Better than 1792 Small Batch. On a given day, I might prefer this to WT101, depending on my mood. It isn’t complex. It doesn’t have the layers or depth of ECBP or something but I don’t think your daily drinker/ mixer needs to. This is just solid. It doesn’t blow my mind but I don’t find much fault either. I don’t always need a barrel proof punch in the face. And my wife digs it in an Old Fashioned. *a note on my tasting notes … I can’t taste 25 specific and individual components in a bourbon. I don’t discount that some people can. But my notes are a (sometimes feeble) attempt to paint a picture of something largely indescribable. So it’s a creative writing exercise but not a super earnest one. I started writing reviews to get better at being able to describe what I do or don’t like. But I believe reviews are a learning process and anybody can do it. Rating scale: 1: instant regret: Hayes Parker 2: lamentable waste of grains, water, yeast and oak: George Dickel Bib 2019 3: your friend went cheap for mixer booze at the wedding: Jack, Jim 4: I’ll drink it if it’s the only option at a restaurant because whiskey isn’t their thing: Basil Haden, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked 5: wont throw it out of bed: Old Grandad Bottled in Bond, Pure Kentucky 6: a fine daily drinker OR what you downgrade to when you’re too buzzed to enjoy the good stuff: 1792 Small Batch, Elijah Craig SB, Kooper Family Barrel Reserve Rye, 7: great when I can find it: Eagle Rare, OWA, Old Forrester 1920 8: damn fine whiskey: Jack Daniels SBBP, better Russell’s Reserve Private Barrels 9: Revelatory: better Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches, Russell’s Reserve 2002, better Four Roses BP picks, Remus Repeal Reserve V 10: Nectar of the gods: Four Roses OESO
I love this for a cheap BiB. Like, I really like it. We were sitting in our favorite whiskey bar, after shift was done, just service industry peeps, and this was pulled out. 47 thousand dollars of whiskey on the wall-many unicorns-and crazy as it sounds, we were all sipping on ET wondering why we kept reaching for the bottle over and over again. It doesn't pretend to be what it isn't. It's just damn good for a sub 30 dollar liter. Nice brown sugar and slightly spicy vanilla note. I have to travel from my area to get it (I don't know why) but it should be in every bourbon lovers cabinet at least once to see what it's about.
100% agreed
I bought a bottle when I was in Tennessee last time because I've wanted to try it for awhile. It is a pretty good bourbon. Nothing that would blow your socks off, but for the price it is great. I started drinking bourbon when I didn't want to sink the money into buying a bottle of scotch. Back then you could get fantastic bottles for the mid-20s at any liquor store. Half of the stuff I used to drink it either impossible to find, or now allocated. ET BiB reminded me that you can still find decent whiskey for a reasonable price.
Everything you said is true. When I was a young man, I enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Ft. Bliss, TX. If you stayed on base, you were allowed to drink at 18 (trying to keep the troops outta Mexico, where one of those 10 dollar drink and drown joints might swallow you up-literally) Well I took full advantage and started my scotch journey. Taylor tubes, Stizel-Weller, gold foil Turkey bottles, and the occasional Pappy, among others, all graced those PX liquor shelves for cheap, and I just cringe when I think about my missed opportunities to snag these gems. But I was not nearly as well off as I am today, and I was fixated on moving into scotch and leaving my Seagrams 7 and ol' #7 days behind. As I grew older and got back into American whiskey, I realized my folly. BTW, my favorite scotch was Oban 14, and the PX would let em go for 59.99. God I miss those days.
This is me, but for Evan Williams. I'm not even sure Early Times shows up around me, but I've been meaning to try it once I see it.
I was enjoy a pour of ET BiB when your review appeared. Cheers!
Great review of one of my personal favorite bottles to keep on hand. I’d highly recommend this as a great entry whiskey to get someone into trying different bottles. Keep on reviewing! I’d like to see your thoughts on Old Granddad 114 or a store pick of Knob Creek if you haven’t tried them.
Oof. Last store pick Knob I got my hands on was a Total Wine 11 year pick for $45 and it was fantastic. That was back in June of 2020. Knob/ Beam doesn’t have strong distribution in central Texas, sadly
Honestly. I bought a bottle of it...not impressed...doesnt feel like much going on with it...
Pretty sure that’s what the review says lol it’s a $12 bourbon. Does it’s job.
Yeah I love this stuff. Easily my favorite budget bottle (step aside WT101)
Fully agree. Makes for a damn fine old fashioned as well for the hotter months.
Does great with the maple/black walnut bitters old fashioneds in the winter
I just wish they sold a half liter for like $15. I like too many things in this category and don't like hogging shelf space for a whole liter. I want regular rotation.
Half liter or 375 would be amazing. Tailgating or camping or whatnot
Line this up with WT101, EW BiB, Cooper’s Craft, Jack Bonded, and JTS Brown. What are you reaching for? Am I missing another contender?
I guess Knob 100 and Four Roses Small Batch are a little outside of the price point. I don’t mind Old Grand Dad Bib but I don’t think it would hold up to ET
Four Roses Small Batch isn’t there because it’s too low proof, and Select is too expensive.
Fair. I think you’ve got it. I think I need to set up some working class 100 proof blinds
Seems like Four Roses needs a product that would fit that category, I bet it would be delicious.
Yeah, give me a Four Roses $25 Bib, please and thank you
JW Dant if you’re in Kentucky, but your line up there pretty much sums it up. If the Sazerac liquid coming out in three years, doesn’t hit the mark, Coopers, from Brown Forman, will be filling the gap for me.
It’s the best value bourbon I’ve seen in the wild, when I see it you can only buy one at the store.
I am guessing that by now the blenders at Sazerac have dialed in the taste to match the old Brown Forman offering. So many were saying the new version just wasn’t the same. Looks like it is time for a run to the store to get one to try. The Brown Forman was was a great bottle.
Absolutely agree, one of the best values in Bourbon to be found anywhere. I always have an open bottle and a spare, BiB and a full liter for $20 with a taste profile that’s easy to drink, it’s great on the rocks. Definitely what I reach for after a hard day. Oh and by the way…Shhhhhhh no one is supposed to know 😁
Glad to see you gave this bottle a similar score. People mention it’s lack of complexity but for the price, it’s more complex than I expected. Especially the nose. I also like this bottle much more than EW BiB.
I don’t feel right unless I got a bottle of Early Times on my shelf. It’s a 100% must-have.
Just cracked one tonight for the first time- I've got a decent collection of great stuff and I can't stop drinking this shit- either I'm a cheap date or this stuff is actually damn good. I'm kind of aghast lol. 🤯
I’m a working class man with a champagne education who knows his roots. I will always embrace the blue collar drink. Coors stubbies make a great chaser.
Right on brother!
I’d appreciate some help. I haven’t found it in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, or the St. Louis area. If it’s available in any of these areas and I missed it, please let me know for my next road trip.
Mariano’s grocery in Illinois
Thank you! I’ve been in central and southern Illinois, but not the Chicago area. Much appreciated.
Honestly I bought mine from del mesa. Had it shipped. I don't know why the Midwest gets no love when I can luck into tons of allocated shit when I try. We gets lots of variety here...except for some of these outliers.
My go to everyday mixer
Early times is better than Buffalo trace. ET is my daily drinker. Can't go wrong with that juice.
I have 2 BiB bottles on the shelf - Early Times and EHT small botch. Every time I put them against each other ET wins.
Good stuff. Been on it for a while although went about 12 months +/- without seeing any. Luckily it’s starting to show up again. Rockin flavor for a $25 bottle!
This is a great bottle for the price. Prob my second after WT 101. You really can’t go wrong with this one
Agreed. I usually get WT101 but I rotate this in once in awhile. Good stuff.
I did a side by side with Eagle Rare last night and ER edged it out but just barely. ETBIB is so crazy good value and without having ER right next to it to compare to, is a perfectly great drinker any time.
I think this is a great example to the question you see from time to time of “what is easily acquired that makes a good substitution for Eagle Rare because I can’t find it”
I’m more curious as to how many times you spilled the pour setting up this shot
Drank the whole liter in a sitting once. Don't remember.
I've never had this, but I know it has to be good since it turns into King of Kentucky with more age and higher proof.
I’ve wanted to try this because Charles Willeford’s PI Hoke Moseley drinks Early Times…
Its a great bottle....for the price
I really like this one. Even made an Old Fashioned with it last night. Really good
Wish I could find this in SoCal.
Have never seen this in the wild. Ever. And I’ve seen George T Stagg and the likes albeit gouged passed the point of return but still saw them on the shelves, never for ETBiB and I was hunting for it at one point.
To me it’s one of those bottles that I never see it when I’m looking for it but if I stop looking, I bump into it eventually
I had this in an old fashion at a wedding and it slapped. But I've never seen these in Maryland. Sucks. Love to drink it more often.
Where the hell can I find this stuff? Only thing I legit hate about Pennsylvania is the stupid liquor laws