Review: Early Times Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon

By Sam Slaughter August 1, 2017

bottled-in-bond bottled in bond Whiskey on the rocks — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’ve had Early Times, it’s probably because it was the whiskey that you could steal from your parents’ liquor cabinet as a teen and not get caught. The brand, compared to some of the other whiskey reviews we’ve done here, isn’t considered top shelf (or, to be honest, middle shelf). The perception of the brand, though, might be changing, however, with a new release, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond.

This bourbon (already different than the Kentucky whisky that is Early Times), is made from 79% corn (with 11% rye and 10% malted barley as well) and, as you might guess from the name, conforms to all the standards of being Bottled-in-Bond.

But what, you may be asking, is Bottled-in-Bond, exactly? We thought you’d never ask.

Bottled-in-Bond (created in 1897 in the Bottled-in-Bond Act) signifies that the bourbon contained within the bottle be from one distillation season, one distiller, and one distillery. That product then needs to age at least four years in a federal warehouse then bottled at 100-proof (50% ABV, which is what this release is).

early times old style bourbon whisky — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Appearance: Early Times Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky is amber in color.

Nose: A mix of sweet corn and honey are underpinned by dry oak notes and vanilla.

Palate: The primary flavor in this is caramel corn. This works with the oaks notes and a little bit of baking spice on the end.

Finish: The dry oak and spice that you get towards the end of the palate turns into dark chocolate, and a little bit of menthol.

Final Thoughts: It’s hard, sometimes, to get past the assumptions you have about a specific brand, bourbon, et cetera. This Bottled-In-Bond is a limited release that was pleasantly surprising. What makes this worth it, though, truly, is the price tag. Despite being a limited release, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond retails for less than thirty bucks for a liter. Yes, a whole liter. Even if you don’t like drinking it straight, it’s a great buy to have on your shelf for when you want to mix up some cocktails for you and your friends.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…

Food & Drink

How to make Frosé for a heat wave cool off

Your guide to making this staple summer drink

Bar Primi Frose

It's hot out there, people. And one of the absolute best ways to cool off is by way of a great frozen cocktail. So, let us introduce you to the pink wine-inspired Frosé, an ideal drink for the next heat wave.

But first, a little history. The Frosé was allegedly born at Bar Primi in NYC. The drink is very much as advertised, a rosé wine-centric frozen cocktail (hence, the name). The Italian joint's general manager, Justin Sievers, came up with the drink, treating guests to an ice-cold pink concoction that's all the better during the middle of summer.
How to make Frosé

Food & Drink

Dry aged steak: Everything you need to know

Just like wine and cheese, steak just gets better with age.

Dry aged steak

If you're anything like us, one of your go-to happy places is likely a dark and moody gourmet steakhouse, complete with mustachio'd barkeeps and their impressive list of extravagant steak and bourbon pairings. If this is a scene that sounds familiar to you, you probably know a little something about dry-aged steaks. Until just recently, these incredible pieces of meat were only available in upscale steakhouses, very high-end grocers, and specialty butcheries. Thanks to the passage of time and whispers of praise, however, word eventually got out about how incredible dry-aged steaks are, and now they're much more widely accessible online and even at some mid-level grocery stores.

Food & Drink

Fat Tire teams up with skatewear brand Vans for its summer packaging

It's also creating a pair of Fat Tire branded Vans slip-ons

fat tire vans collab social tool with hands 0486 jpg

One of the OGs of the U.S. craft beer scene, Fat Tire, is teaming up with skateboard brand Vans to create new summer packaging for its beer and a range of merch including some branded Vans slip-ons. Known originally for its amber ale which has been reformulated (somewhat contentiously) over the years, Fat Tire is one of the important brands in craft beer history and has recently pushed for a more sustainable approach to its beer brewing.

The brand is partnering with Vans to use its iconic checkboard pattern, known as "Off the Wall" on cans of its ale for the summer. The merch collection being released alongside the limited edition packaging includes hats, shirts, a cooler, and most enticingly, a pair of slip-ons that have the Fat Tire logo and slogan on the back of the heel.