Review #479 - Early Time Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Early Times - this brand changed hands in 2020, moving from the Brown-Forman (owners of Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester) portfolio into the hands of Sazerac (owners of Buffalo Trace, 1792 Barton). The existing stocks of distillate were included in that transfer, meaning that most of these bottles contain bourbon that was distilled at Brown-Forman; they used a high-corn mashbill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley.

Early Times has a bit of a checkered past, but this current guise is generally well-regarded in the budget category. It's a bottled-in-bond product, meaning we get a strength of 50% ABV (100 proof), we know it's been aged for a minimum of 4 years, and there are no additives - all good signs so far. While it isn't available everywhere, there is decent distribution across a number of states; prices are good, too, with the 1 liter bottle generally selling for $25 to $30.

Early Time Bottled in Bond Bourbon

USA - Bourbon

Current Locally Available Price: USD 25 (2025)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 50% ABV

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 50%, 60%, and 20% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Quite sweet - a mixture of fruits and sugars. Dark cherry and brown sugar are dominant, but there's also orange rind, molasses, and even a hint of raisin. Soft grain notes and peppery spirit add a bit of youth, and the oak side is moderate - smoky oak chips, some tobacco leaf. At times, we got hints of pine nut and creamed corn.

Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; there's a bit more oak and some herbal notes now, along with a bit of corn grain. We do still find some sweeter notes in the mid-palate: cherry jam, white sugar, brown sugar, maybe a hint of chocolate. Almonds and mild floral flavors reside in the background.

Finish: Dusty and oaky, with a mix of vanilla and soft nutty character. It's a bit more mellow now, nicely balanced, with wood spice and brown sugar; the fruit is more subtle, but we get a hint of sweet cranberry. It's a medium length finish.

Final Note: This is a solid bourbon, especially for the price - nice sweet flavors, especially on the fruity side. The oak presence is medium; it adds some spice here and there, but often takes on a more subtle role. There was just a hint of youthful grains at times, but that was quite reserved, too. Good balance overall, a pleasant sipper.

Value is through the roof, because this is quite tasty, and it is also available at a very reasonable price, generally below the $30 mark for a liter. If you're in a state that stocks this, we think it's a great purchase.

Our Average Rating: 6.4 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 8.59

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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