Early Times Whiskey

This is a review of Early Times Whiskey, and not the recently introduced Early Times 354 Bourbon Whiskey. Early Times Whiskey is not a bourbon because it is aged in a combination of USED and new oak barrels. Early Times was many decades ago a bourbon, then was converted into this "American whiskey", and has recently been augmented by the addition of a new product Early Times 354, which is once again a true bourbon. This reviewed Early Times Whiskey is in recent years the fourth or fifth best selling American Whiskey within America, after Jack Daniels Old No. 7, Jim Beam White Label, and Evan Williams Black Label.

Early Times is a product of the Brown-Forman Company, which also produces the Jack Daniels, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve brands.

Early Times Whiskey has no age statement. It is generally thought to be 3 or 4 years old

Nose: vanilla, a little spice from rye, but thin in the wood flavours; a little perfumed of carnations, caramel. Not bad, but not great

Taste: relatively strong flavours, very sweet, weak wood flavours like the nose, moderate to strong spice, more so than with the nose. The quality is not horrible but not great

Finish: the weak wood flavours get thinner still on the finish; stays sweet, but a bit cloying, tolerable, but gathering a bit of sour at the end

Balance: Early Times Whiskey is drinkable, but is no great treat. Anyone used to drinking bourbon can identify how crappy these used wood flavours are in Early Times Whiskey.

Domestic whiskey is inexpensive in the US. Why anyone would choose this whisky over many good inexpensive alternatives is beyond my understanding. Taste it once or twice from a small sample to get the experience. That should be enough