Brown-Forman Cooperage

[OscarV]

I tried to put this in the "Industry News" area but was not allowed.

This is the next best area.

I read on the Chuck Cowdery Blog that Brown-Forman is now offering tours at their barrel making operation.

This is really different compared to Independent Stave. They seem secretive from what I hear.

But anyway below is a thumbnail of a PR photo that I snatached from Chuck's blog.

It shows four new barrels with different logos of the bourbons they produce.

I have a question.

Why do they have the Early Times logo on a brand new barrel?

Shouldn't they have that logo stenciled over an Old Forester logo on a used barrel?

And what about that Canaian Mist?

They don't use new barrels, do they?

[bourbonv]

Chris Morris has told me that only about 25% of the cooperage in Early Times is used cooperage. They use a lot of bourbon in the product and of course they have the overseas market for Early Times Bourbon.

Mike Veach

[jburlowski]

Joan and I are doing the cooperage tour next Friday (the 24th). I'll report back on what we experience.

[mobourbon]

Myself and some others toured the B-F coopersge a few weeks ago. It's a great tour! You see everything but the barrel toasting. It's well worth the time.

[smokinjoe]

Chris Morris has told me that only about 25% of the cooperage in Early Times is used cooperage. They use a lot of bourbon in the product and of course they have the overseas market for Early Times Bourbon.

Mike Veach

Interesting. That could mean a lot of things. Does it mean that 75% of Distillate destined for Early Times is for the bourbon that goes export only? Or, does that imply that at least some of the domestic Early Times could, in fact, be called KSBW? Or, is there something else that can be deduced?

[bourbonv]

What it means is that only about 40% of the whiskey in the Early Times bottle is from used cooperage, but since if even one drop is from used cooperage it can't be called bourbon, you have Early Times Kentucky Style Whiskey instead. Before 1938 it would have been called "Bourbon" even in its present form.

Early Times Bourbon does have a good overseas market as well, so they make a lot of Early Times Bourbon and the Kentucky Whiskey has Bourbon as old as nine or ten years old in it, but because the youngest is only three years old, that is the age statement.

Mike Veach

[OscarV]

the Kentucky Whiskey has Bourbon as old as nine or ten years old in it, but because the youngest is only three years old, that is the age statement.

Mike Veach

OK that does it, I'm going to get some Early Times.

I've never had it.

[Josh]

It's not terrible, but it's very light even for an 80 proofer. It does come in plastic travellers though.

[Josh]

OK that does it, I'm going to get some Early Times.

I've never had it.

It's not terrible, but it's very light even for an 80 proofer. It does come in plastic travellers though, so dropping it isn't an issue.

[bourbonv]

I prefer it to Jim Beam White. It is very light without a lot of depth of flavor, but very palatable.

Mike Veach

[gblick]

I had an Early Times & Coke in a bowling alley once, and I thought it was good.

[jburlowski]

I had an Early Times & Coke in a bowling alley once, and I thought it was good.

[cowdery]

Up until a few years ago, Blue Grass Cooperage played down the fact that it was owned by Brown-Forman, as it regularly sold barrels to other distillers. Then, mostly due to the growth of Jack Daniel's, they stopped selling to others and devoted their production entirely to their own brands. Changing the name to the corporate name and touting, rather than hiding, the brands that use its barrels was a natural next step. Part of the efficiency is having ample places to use their used barrels. Daniel's, Woodford, Forester and 4/5 of ET use new barrels. Those barrels then go to Mist, Herradura, Appleton, Korbel Brandy and 1/5 of ET.

They also put a tiny amount of bourbon into Southern Comfort.

That change also explains why it makes sense for them to give tours, as it's a way to promote their many brands. Maybe you go there to see where the barrels for Jack Daniel's are made, but you get a subtle pitch for all of their other products.

[gblick]

Which, the Early Times or the Coke?

The combination of both. I didn't even know until much later that the Early times was just a blend.

[bourbonv]

Early Times is not a blend. They just make some with used cooperage so they can not call it bourbon. It is Kentucky Style Whiskey, which maens 100 years ago, they could have called it bourbon.

Mike Veach

[TBoner]

Before I knew anything about whiskey, I remember having some Early Times on hand. I liked it better than blends, though I couldn't have said why except that it had more flavor. I haven't had any in some time, but I'm curious now. I like to keep an 80-proofer on hand for my mother-in-law and for football season, when I can drink a few without much effect. My standbys for this are AA and EWBL (yes, 86 proof, but still...). The B-F flavor is one I like, and is a bit less sweet than BT bourbon and a bit less corn oily than HH juice. I guess I need to give ET a whirl again.

Regards,

Tim

[Bourbon Geek]

They also put a tiny amount of bourbon into Southern Comfort.

Last time I had anything to do with Southern Comfort, there was not even a smidge of bourbon in it. They would like you to believe it is so ... but Southern Comfort is a cordial. It doesn't even belong on the shelf with the bourbons ... yet that's almost always where you find it.

Not only did they change the name of the cooperage, they also changed the name of the distillery where ET and OF are made ... also to reflect a more corporate image.

[callmeox]

Last time I had anything to do with Southern Comfort, there was not even a smidge of bourbon in it. They would like you to believe it is so ... but Southern Comfort is a cordial. It doesn't even belong on the shelf with the bourbons ... yet that's almost always where you find it.

Not only did they change the name of the cooperage, they also changed the name of the distillery where ET and OF are made ... also to reflect a more corporate image.

This is probably for another thread, but...

Not to initiate a "me too" response, but I thought read that So Co was switched to a rum base. I've searched for that reference, but I've been unable to find it.

I believe that the marketing materials refer to a whiskey or bourbon taste, but not whiskey/bourbon component.

[gblick]

Early Times is not a blend. They just make some with used cooperage so they can not call it bourbon. It is Kentucky Style Whiskey, which maens 100 years ago, they could have called it bourbon.

Mike Veach

[cowdery]

Last time I had anything to do with Southern Comfort, there was not even a smidge of bourbon in it.

[TBoner]

Picked up a bottle of ET today out of curiosity. It tastes, no surprise, like bourbon. It is light, but that is mostly owing to its proof, I think. It's clearly got young whiskey in it, but interestingly, corn oil is balanced by a rye snappiness that I've gotten in some of the better Canadian whiskeys I've had (read: Lot 40). It has excellent balance and a good creme brulee thing going from light char and vanilla it has picked up in the barrel. I believe it will do well as a "display" whiskey in vattings, and it will be excellent mixed with Coke or consumed, as I had hoped when I bought it, in a session while watching football. Nothing to contemplate too deeply, but much better than most things in its price/proof range, at least among whiskeys available here.

Regards,

[jburlowski]

Joan and I took the cooperage tour last Friday. Just the two of us and the general manager. Fascinating and highly-recommended for those of you who haven't had the chance to see a working cooperage.