Early Times 354

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Early Times 354 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$15 to $17
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Experience where bourbon begins.

A little bourbon history: Early Times started out as a bourbon back in 1860, and remained so until the early 1980s.

It all started with our founder, Jack Beam (Jim’s uncle), who began working at his family’s distillery at the tender age of 15. In short order, he was running the operation and in 1860 built his own distillery at Early Times Station, Kentucky.

Beam named his whisky Early Times, both as a tribute to its place of origin and as a nod to the old-world craftsmanship that goes into making it. He believed in the early times method of whisky-making: mashing grain in small tubs, boiling the beer and whisky in copper stills over open fires. It’s an abiding belief that has stayed with the Early Times brand ever since.

By 1953 Early Times was the best-selling bourbon in the world. As the vintage advertising from that era proclaimed, Early Times is “the whisky that made Kentucky whiskies famous.” Steeped in bourbon history, Early Times Distillery’s federal permit, No. 354, is the longest held in Kentucky.

Today Early Times pays homage to its rich bourbon heritage with Early Times 354 Bourbon.

This classic, full-bodied bourbon honors that philosophy – delivering superior taste and exceptional value. In fact, Early Times 354 Bourbon was preferred by Jim Beam drinkers in a national, independent taste test.*

Crafted with pure water, select grains and proprietary yeast, carefully distilled, matured for four years in select oak barrels and bottled at 80 proof, it’s the newest (and in a way, the oldest) member of the Early Times family.

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber

Aroma: Spicy with sweet fruit, fresh oak and delicate corn notes underscored by a layer of vanilla and caramel

Taste: A lively entry with spice, caramel and vanilla that melt into a mixture of fresh and dried fruit notes

Finish: Warm with subtle hints of apple and corn

What Richard Says:
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, oak, a hint of pipe smoke, and fruit.
Palate: A little vanilla, and fruit but it’s pretty bland, yet harsh. More than anything it tastes young.
Finish: Oak and a little tart.
Comments: This is much better than regular Early Times. Even still, this is still a little too young. I think it makes a fine mixer or on the rocks but I’d pass on drinking this straight.
Rating: Probably Pass

We want to thank Brown Forman for providing us with a bottle for review.

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Early Times

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Early Times Kentucky Whisky
40% ABV
$13 to $15
Available damn near everywhere

What the Distillery Says:
Early Times Kentucky Whisky is distilled, aged a minimum of three years and barreled in used oak barrels at the Early Times Distillery in Shively, Kentucky. We are the only company to own its own cooperage and make its own barrels, which allows us to control how the barrel contributes to the taste characteristics of Early Times. Early Times Kentucky Whisky is known for being a high-quality whisky that delivers a consistently smooth taste and flavor profile while still being offered at a value to our consumers.

Color: Light, bright honey

Nose: A fresh, sharp oak note ripens into a dry clove spice and hay, hints of leather, dill spice and fruit add complexity to a subtle foundation of white chocolate.

Taste: Smooth and creamy malt character with a light oak sweetness and herbal grass notes.

Finish: Mild and clean, and fulfilling with a very pleasant, soft, apple peel character.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Woody, vanilla, peaches, and a light caramel sweetness.
Palate: Very smooth and lightly sweet. It’s almost like it’s not there.
Finish: The finish is a little short and bland. There’s just a bit of oak. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Comments: Brown-Forman sent us a bottle of this with their new 354 Bourbon so that we could compare and contrast. For those that don’t know, the reason why it’s “Kentucky Whisky” and not bourbon is because there’s some aging in used barrels going on. More likely than not, when you order a well drink containing whiskey you’re likely getting Early Times. It’s cheap, plain, and unoffensive. There’s nothing wrong with drinking this straight it just doesn’t bring a lot to the party.
Rating: Probably Pass

We want to thank Brown-Forman for providing us with a bottle for review.

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Isle of Jura Prophecy

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Isle of Jura Prophecy Single Malt Whisky
46% ABV/92 Proof
$75
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
The latest in Isle of Jura’s range of expressions, Prophecy is a solera-style compendium of casks with varying levels of peating and age. Chill filtration was not used by Isle of Jura in order to preserve the malt’s unique nuances and character. The distinctive bottle features the “third-eye” of a fabled seer who purportedly predicted the end of Clan Campbell some 200 years before it occurred.

Color: Burnished, old gold
Nose: Abundance of peat smoke upfront yields to clean, briny/iodine close, rounded-out with traces of vanilla, orange zest and spices
Taste: Rich, velvety mouth-feel; profound core of smoky peat at attack and carried throughout; the mid-palette offers an intriguing mix of
heather honey sweetness and dried fruits before turning drier with more intense pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon spice.
Finish: Peaty flavors linger, drying back to a long, slow close.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh cut pine and campfire smoke. Slightly briny.
Palate: Oily yet very clean. More wood smoke than peat. Fruit and honey hide behind the first hit of the smoke.
Finish: Very smooth finish with just a hint of smoke.
Comments: This is kind of like Superstition’s more refined older brother. I like this a lot. Oddly enough, it doesn’t really taste like a Jura but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case. While but Superstition and Prophecy stand out, I like this one a little more.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to than Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us samples for review.

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Isle of Jura Superstition

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Isle of Jura Superstition Single Malt Whisky
45% ABV/90 Proof
$53
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Jura Superstition – individual yet mysterious. Crafted from a selection of the finest aged Jura single malt whiskies, this spirit has a unique style and character. A reflection of the past, the present and a wonderful Island. A single malt to be sipped and savored with respect.

Color: Deep, intense, rich mahogany with glittering golden highlights.
Nose: Firm and positive, yet forcibly mellow. The long maturation in American White Oak has nurtured this noble spirit although subtle accents of complex phenolic aromas drift attractively in the background.
Taste: These dramatic, complex aromas are carried onto the palate as the warmth of the tongue slowly releases its many mysteries. Spice, honey, pine and peat aromas with a whisper of smoke make a dramatic impact. Thanks to the different ages selected 13 and 21 years old the mystic spirit has been tempered and tamed. Even the driving rain and biting cold winds which are part of the island’s heritage have made their own mark.
Finish: Long, lingering, tantalizing finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little sharper and more aggressive on the nose than regular Jura expressions. Peaty and vegetal.
Palate: Jura meet Caol Ila. The delicate Jura nature is still there but there’s and Islay overlay. More Caol Ila that Laphroaig or Lagavulin. Lightly smokey with a sweet toffee creaminess.
Finish: Pine, smoke, and a little salty spice.
Comments: This no age statement Jura is a mix of whiskies between 13 and 21 years old. It’s clearly not an Islay but the peat kicks this dram above and beyond the standard Jura offerings.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to than Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us samples for review.

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Isle of Jura 16 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Isle of Jura Single Malt Whisky Aged 16 Years
43% ABV/86 Proof
$69.99
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
The heart of the matter.

Allow this noble spirit to drift over the palate – having lain for 16 long years in American White Oak, the warmth of the tongue will assist in raising the true depth of the spirit’s quality.

Color: Glassy golden highlights.
Nose: Full and rich. The hand of time has moulded this unique Single Malt into an array of intense notes – each aroma has been
beautifully crafted to reveal harmony at its best. Silky marzipan honey with a hint of ginger spice and sweet chutney encompass this floral bouquet.
Taste: Soft peaches and honey with tones of chunky orange peel and marzipan will slowly arise. Hints of aged Napolean cognac drift
lovingly in the background yet the backbone of its heritage continues to ebb away on the aftertaste, leaving the palate rewarded and satisfied.
Finish: A memorable finish only an island can bring.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fruity sweet with a little bit of brine.
Palate: Orange zest, a lot of oak, and a little vanilla sweetness.
Finish: All oak with a little salty sweetness playing at the edges.
Comments: I can’t really say the age appeals to me on this one. It has some of the harsher elements of the 10 Year Old without the delicate youthful charm. I would pick the 10 Year over this without hesitation.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us with samples for review.

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