Back in June of 2020 when the announcement broke that Sazerac had acquired the Early Times label from Brown-Forman, there was a lot of consternation about what would become of ET's wonderful bonded expression bourbon. A lot of folks (myself included) were not optimistic about a favorable outcome for this high value bottling under Sazerac ownership. After nearly a year of radio silence, Sazerac announced last spring that production of ET would move to their Barton 1792 distillery in Bardstown come summer of 2021. The announcement went to great lengths to stress that ET bonded would be produced "using the same recipe and mashbill". OK, sounds reassuring.
Having read this announcement, and knowing that bonded bourbon must be at least four years old, imagine my surprise when I picked up a bottle of ET bonded the other day and saw on the label that some of this whiskey was distilled at DSP-KY-12, which is the Barton 1792 distillery. That means that this batch of ET bonded contains juice that was made no less than four years ago at Barton, meaning it is Barton make that was already in the barrel at least two years before Sazerac bought the ET label. So much for the "same recipe and mashbill" BS.
When I brought the bottle home, SWMBO and I conducted a side-by-side with a bottle of all-Brown-Forman ET bonded we had in reserve. My worst fears were realized. It really was no comparison: the all-Brown-Forman version was the usual dark, rich stuff that punches way above its $20 price point, while the version with the Barton juice tasted thin, young and hot. While my wife and I don't always share the same taste in whiskey, on this one we were unanimous: the current release of ET bonded is a pale shadow of its former self. So if you are lucky enough to have some original ET bonded in reserve, savor it knowing it has gone the way of the Dodo.
Early Times Bottled in Bond, may you rest in peace.
Having read this announcement, and knowing that bonded bourbon must be at least four years old, imagine my surprise when I picked up a bottle of ET bonded the other day and saw on the label that some of this whiskey was distilled at DSP-KY-12, which is the Barton 1792 distillery. That means that this batch of ET bonded contains juice that was made no less than four years ago at Barton, meaning it is Barton make that was already in the barrel at least two years before Sazerac bought the ET label. So much for the "same recipe and mashbill" BS.
When I brought the bottle home, SWMBO and I conducted a side-by-side with a bottle of all-Brown-Forman ET bonded we had in reserve. My worst fears were realized. It really was no comparison: the all-Brown-Forman version was the usual dark, rich stuff that punches way above its $20 price point, while the version with the Barton juice tasted thin, young and hot. While my wife and I don't always share the same taste in whiskey, on this one we were unanimous: the current release of ET bonded is a pale shadow of its former self. So if you are lucky enough to have some original ET bonded in reserve, savor it knowing it has gone the way of the Dodo.
Early Times Bottled in Bond, may you rest in peace.
