Nine Decades, Nine Whiskies

Prohibition Era whiskey.

Those are three words that will easily secure a spirits journalist presence at a liquor event.

The other day, the folks at Brown-Forman invited a select group of booze journos to taste through a collection of whiskies from their library, the earliest dating from the 1930s. The event was meant as a way to publicize the distillery's latest release—the return to full-Bourbon status of Early Times. (I've written about this everything-old-is-new-again product here.) But the tasting had a historical appeal all its own.

The seven whiskies pulled from the Brown-Forman stores were: King Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the 1930s; Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the 1940s; Old Forester President's Choice Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky from the 1950s; Old Forester 86 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the 1960s; Frost 8/80 Dry White Whiskey from the 1970s; Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 from the 1980s; Woodford Reserve Distillers Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the 1990s; Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Seasoned Oak Finish from the 2000s; and the new/old Early Times, representing the current decade.

Early Times Is a Bourbon Again

In the early times, Early Times was a Bourbon.

Then, in 1983, Brown-Forman, which purchased the old label back in the 1920s (that's right, during Prohibition), started called the stuff "Kentucky Whiskey." This is not because the formula had changed at all. Rather, Brown-Forman began aging the liquor in used barrels, rather than the new charred American oak barrels required by law if one is to use the name Bourbon. No doubt this was a cost-saving measure.

Now, Brown-Forman is rolling out the new barrels again. There will soon be two Early Times whiskeys on the shelf: the Kentucky Whiskey we all know; and  Early Times 354, a full-fledged Bourbon with a flashy new bottle. 

One can easily tell the difference between the two. The old Early Times is smoothly and more innocuous. The new stuff has more spark, spice and depth. The 354 is not exactly Earth-shattering, simply a decent bench-level Bourbon. But I definitely prefer it, and it makes a decent Manhattan or Old Fashioned. 

Back in 1958, Early Times was actually America’s number one selling straight Bourbon whisky and Brown-Forman’s biggest seller. Don't know if history will repeat itself itself now, but anything's possible.