Zachary-Robbins
Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
January 5, 2022 (edited February 6, 2022)
Open 11 months
Nose - Caramel, grain, dry cinnamon and allspice, salted and slightly sour peanut shells, light orange peel, and medium ethanol.
Palate - Caramel again, dry oak, peanuts and salty peanut shells, dusty grain, and light cherries. It tastes almost exactly how it smells. Finish is medium-short with drier and more tannic oak and baking spices, powdered caramel, salty bitter notes, and a harsher ethanol kick at the end that makes it seem young.
This one is hard to get in NC and also frequently makes lists as best value bourbons under $30. When I saw it I had to grab it, and it's been largely ignored over almost a year. It either goes into cocktails or I force people into tasting it blind out of my glass decanter. It's not bad, but clearly overhyped. I would just buy Old Forester, easier to find and a similar profile.
24.95
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@bigwhitemike Yeah, that's basically all I make in addition to Kentucky Mules when I have ginger beer. Rye is way better when diluting with sweet soda.
@Zachary-Robbins I’m in that camp as well (for the classics I.e. old fashioned and manhattans, at least)
@bigwhitemike It just never was a great sipper for me, so I took a while to get rid of it. i prefer rye in my simple cocktails because they're spicier and less sweet.
A totally fair take on this one. I like it enough to put on rotation as house bourbon, but it’s got just enough assertiveness that it doesn’t always fit the mood or cocktail. Just made an old fashioned last night that I struggled enough with I thought about tossing it. Naturally, cooler heads prevailed in the end (…and it the taste leveled off for whatever reason).