squire Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 A group of us were traveling through Louisville about 35 years ago and decided to take a distillery tour. We got some directions and stopped at the one that had a huge liquor bottle on top of a water tank. Old Forester.Our tour guides were three or four fellows who worked there. We just followed the grain through the facility and they would trade off. I believe they really were on duty and thats just the way they did tours back then. Tour finished up after the brick barrel house where it was explained the environment was artificially changed to make the whiskey age faster. The guide said four years would be equal to eight and six equal to twelve. Don't know if it really works that way but thats what the guy said. We were told the whiskey there was Old Forrester and Early Times. I asked the difference between Forester and Times and was told Early Times was shipped to Indiana for two years of its aging cycle because taxes were lower there so the whiskey could be sold for less. That and Times was aged four years in the temperature controlled houses whereas the Forester was aged for six. Any other difference I asked? "Nope", he said, "ones four years old and the others six. Other than that they're exactly the same".Again, I can't vouch for the accuracy of this information but thought I'd pass it on.Regards,Squire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigthom Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 That may have been the case back then, but around twenty years ago or so they started aging Early Times in used barrels. It's no longer bourbon.Does Brown Forman own any warehouses in Indiana? Are there any other than the now-Angostura-owned ones in Lawrenceburg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Yes, they still produce Early Times as a Bourbon but sell it in the overseas markets. For the domestic market approximately 20% of the output is aged in used cooperage so the product is labeled Old Style Kentucky Whiskey rather than Bourbon. Aged 36 months, it is a much lighter style but no cheaper. Darn stuff costs as much as EW black, at least in my local store.I've never seen the research but apparently there is a perceived market for a crossover, lighter style Bourbon to appeal to the Canadian/Scotch blend crowd. That or a well Bourbon but it is a little high priced for that.Regards,Squire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 That may have been the case back then, but around twenty years ago or so they started aging Early Times in used barrels. It's no longer bourbon...Early Times is a blend of 80% 'what-would-be-bourbon', aged in new barrels accordingly, and 20% whiskey entered into used barrels as new-make. It's not all, or even much, aged in used barrels.It continues to puzzle me why B-F would come so close to making Early Times bourbon, then lose the benefits of that designation by adding that 20% non-bourbon. Do the tax advantages amount to that much? (I have some Early Times bourbon, and realize it doesn't make all that much difference to the taste:skep:.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcheer Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 (I have some Early Times bourbon, and realize it doesn't make all that much difference to the taste:skep:.)Even remembering back almost 40 years ago, when I first started dabbling in such things and Early Times was a fairly popular brand of real KSBW, it could not hold a candle to Old Forester. ET was about as cheap and cheap tasting as you could get, while OF was pretty close to being a premium brand.Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Thirty-Five years ago, there was still an active distillery at the site you visited, as well as a couple of barrel houses. They also had the Early Times Distillery in Shively. I believe they distilled Old Forester at the Louisville distillery and Early Times at the Shively one that bears its name. I can't speak to what the formulas were 35 years ago, but I know that now the mash bills and yeast for the two are different, with Forester containing more rye. They closed the Louisville distillery in 1980 or thereabouts and moved the distilling operation out to Shively, as well as most of the barrel stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 Chuck I wasn't up on the curve, so to speak, at the time but I didn't entirely buy the guys statement that both brands were the same except for age. I felt at the time they were promoting Early Times by making the comparison.Regards,Squire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts