What is Early Times?

[GoodDram]

On the bottle I saw that Early Times says that it is "Kentucky Whiskey." What is that? I know the differences between Bourbon & Tennessee Whiskey, but not Kentucky.

[TNbourbon]

Early Times is 80% bourbon, married with 20% whiskey that is aged in used barrels, thus can't be called bourbon.
Of course, they never really tell you that:
http://www.earlytimes.com/heritage/distillation.asp

[RoyalWater]

In this area (and I work in retail) Early Times is one of the better-selling shelf/store liquors (that is, liquor cut to 40 proof or lower). People buy it because they think it is bourbon and it is ridiculously cheap at 40 proof. In this respect it is in a class with Orloff and Kamchatka vodka and any McCormick or Paramount 40 proof or less product. Strangely, it does not seem to sell well in NW Ohio at full proof.

[TNbourbon]

In this area (and I work in retail) Early Times is one of the better-selling shelf/store liquors (that is, liquor cut to 40 proof or lower)...

Sorry, don't understand your reference to 40 proof -- ET is bottled at 80 proof, or 40% abv. Anything under 80 proof in the U.S. must be labeled 'diluted' or 'flavored' whiskey.
Where are you located? (your profile doesn't say)

[HighTower]

There's a bottle of Early Times on ebay in Australia, clearly labeled as Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Now the person selling it states that it is about 40 years old ( and also apparently gets better with age)
I have asked if there is a DSP no on the bottle, or if there is a date on the tax strip, the answer for both a No.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....1238&rd=1&rd=1

Is this bottle at all worth getting? The price it is at is what we down here pay for EWSB or EC12.

Scott

[mozilla]

From what I understand Early Times is the same as Old Forester until it is blended with the whisky that is in reused barrels. As far as "is the bottle of ET that's 40 years old", I can't say about value, but I believe you can find ET ksbw in Europe or duty free shops.
Jeff Mo.

[boone]

From what I understand Early Times is the same as Old Forester until it is blended with the whisky that is in reused barrels. As far as "is the bottle of ET that's 40 years old", I can't say about value, but I believe you can find ET ksbw in Europe or duty free shops.
Jeff Mo.

That bottle on ebay looks like the "real McCoy". Made back in the day when Early Times (brand) was Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey---states it on the front label----I have one just like it in my bunker.

Bettye Jo

[cowdery]

ET and Old Forester are not the same. They use different yeasts, have a slightly different mash bill, and there may be some other specifications that differ too. They are both made at the same distillery, however.

In Ohio and, I think, nowhere else, the law says that anything that is more than 20% alcohol by volume (ABV) must be sold in a state-controlled liquor store, while anything below 20% ABV can be sold in grocery stores, etc.

So in Ohio, they sell all manner of "diluted" spirits, at 40 proof (i.e., 20% ABV). This is legal, as long as the word "diluted" is in big letters. You can buy diluted rum, diluted vodka, and even some major brands such as ET and Southern Comfort in "diluted" versions.

As I said, these are only sold in supermarkets and the like. The real stuff, including real ET, can be bought in any liquor store.

[mrt]

I want to remind that ET outside US is a straight bourbon, becouse they say that they do the %20-%80 (used barrel-new barrel) blend only for the US market, and what they sell outside US is aged completely in charred new oak barrels-my reference is ET itself, so I do not accept any responsibility

[cowdery]

Yes, outside the US ET is Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

But Ohio is inside the US, last time I checked.