Early Times

[TNbourbon]

Grab 'em! If they say 'bourbon' and not 'Kentucky whiskey', snatch 'em up -- Early Times bourbon is no longer available in the U.S., and hasn't been for some time. Thus, they are instant collectibles -- and eminently tradeable to others here -- so to get them at off-the-shelf prices would be quite a coup.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

That is an interesting idea. Does anyone know anything about the legality of mailing whiskey to the States from Japan? And any taxes that would be due? I need to find out about the opposite case as well. There are bourbons and other whiskeys that I would like to try but have been unable to find here.
Ed

[Ken Weber]

If you found the bottles in Japan, then Early Times is indeed a bourbon. All ET sold in the U.S. is called "Old Style Kentucky Whiskey". The bourbon, which I recall as being quite nice, did not have as good an ROI as the folks at BF required, hence it went to used cooperage and 36 months (rendering it a bourbon no longer). The bourbon version is still made for the Japanese market.

Ken

[wadewood]

Early Times Bourbon was also available in Tahiti, so it must ship to Japan and other export markets, but not to US.

[cowdery]

Although Early Times is not bourbon in the U.S., it is bourbon in all international markets. The current label was adopted in the early 1980s, if I remember correctly. Before that the brand had a very garish yellow label. It was in a round bottle then too (now it's square).

Brown-Forman, which makes Early Times, calls the U.S. product "Kentucky Whisky." Brown-Forman was the first to use that term, but others have used it since. The resemblance to "Tennessee Whiskey" is obvious and intentional. Brown-Forman also makes Jack Daniel's.

Early Times can't be called bourbon because about 20 percent of it is aged in used barrels. Bourbon must be aged 100 percent in new, charred oak barrels.

[mrt]

I couldn't find this thread until now, so I posted two new threads about ET. In the answers to the first one, ET is highly critised by the bourbon discussioners. For the second one, I'm waiting the answers still, but I found many here.

Well, I tried ET last weekend, and I liked it very much. Though the finish is not lingering as stated here, taste is sweet (IMO) and easy to drink. I tried it on the rocks, by the way. It's sold as "Kentucky Starigh Bourbon Whisky" here. I was just about to ask the reason for not being labeled as the same in the US, but-thank you- I learned here that it was due to the used barrels for the %20. But, isn't the legal definition of bourbon valid for the countries other than US? If it's a bourbon, it is, if not, then it is not, IMO.

Anyway, I like ET and will continue drinking it as long as I find here.

Thanks for all the useful info.

[Gillman]

See my answer on the other thread.

GAry

[JeffRenner]

I was just about to ask the reason for not being labeled as the same in the US, but-thank you- I learned here that it was due to the used barrels for the %20. But, isn't the legal definition of bourbon valid for the countries other than US? If it's a bourbon, it is, if not, then it is not, IMO.

Not to beat a dead horse, but rather to make sure that it's clear, there are at least three different ET products. One is aged partly in used barrels, and is therefore not a bourbon. It is this that is sold in the US, and not in other countries, as far as I know. Then there are the brown and yellow bourbons, which are, indeed, true bourbons in that they are aged in new barrels. These are not sold in the US.

Jeff

[boone]

Not to beat a dead horse, but rather to make sure that it's clear, there are at least three different ET products. One is aged partly in used barrels, and is therefore not a bourbon. It is this that is sold in the US, and not in other countries, as far as I know. Then there are the brown and yellow bourbons, which are, indeed, true bourbons in that they are aged in new barrels. These are not sold in the US.

Jeff

This is a old bottling (1979) of Early Times that my father in law gave to me Back then, it was "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey"...

This bottling is 4 years old, 86 proof.

[boone]

This is a old bottling (1979) of Early Times that my father in law gave to me Back then, it was "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey"...

This bottling is 4 years old, 86 proof.

Here is another bottling of ET that my father in law gave to me This one is not Bourbon...