Oh Taste & See: Early Times 354 Bourbon

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the release of Early Times 354 Bourbon a few months back. It's the first time since 1983 that the storied Early Times name has appeared on a bourbon available in the U.S. Early Time's only domestic-market product for the past 28 years has been labeled "Kentucky Whiskey" - a bourbon-like whiskey aged in some used barrels instead of all new ones, a minor distinction that meant it couldn't be legally called bourbon. I never thought much of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey, but the 354 bourbon isn't bad at all, and even earned a starring role in my Derby Day mint julep this year.

This new bourbon is a value-priced whiskey (about $16) that packs a decent punch for the price. It also has a very cool bottle that gives it an old-time, small-batch look. It's definitely one of the best-looking bourbons in the under-$20 price bracket, so not a bad option if you're looking for an affordable bourbon to take to a party or to give your whiskey shelf a little color.But it's always what's inside the bottle that counts.

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It's Mint Julep Time Again

Tomorrow is Kentucky Derby Day, the one day a year when you just must drink bourbon, most likely in the form of a mint julep. Last year I gave you my go-to mint julep recipe which you can check out here. That recipe makes an awesome drink, but it's also a bit complicated, especially if you're trying to make juleps for a whole party full of people who are all drinking like racehorses.

So this year, I offer a simple, more scalable recipe for a quick, easy, and awesomely refreshing Mint Julep. You can use this same recipe to make one mint julep or fifty, and it should be quick and easy either way so have fun with it.

You'll need:
1. Bourbon. I'm going to use the new Early Times 354 Bourbon this year. Early Times Kentucky Whiskey is what they use at Churchill Downs for their standard mint juleps, but now that ET is selling an honest to goodness bourbon in the U.S. why not use that? It's affordable and pretty tasty to boot!
2. Ice - lots of it.
3. Mint - leaves, fresh, cleaned...picked from your garden if possible.
4. Simple syrup - boil 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water until dissolved, refrigerate until you need it.

Put the mint and the ice in a blender, blend until it has a nice snow-cone consistency. Fill your glasses (6-8 oz. old fashioned glasses are perfect) about 2/3 full with the blended ice/mint mixture. Pour in a couple ounces of bourbon and a dash of simple syrup. If you have a few mint sprigs left over use them for garnish. Enjoy while watching the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports!

Interesting Developments from the Big Boys of Whiskey

There have been a few interesting announcements from some of the big Kentucky-based distillers over the past few weeks. First came news that the Early Times name would be returning to the American bourbon bottles. For the past 30 years Brown Forman has produced Early Times Bourbon for overseas market, but limited the brand to the "Kentucky Whiskey" label in the U.S., the distinction being that the Kentucky Whiskey product spent some time in previously-used barrels, a no-no for bourbons. The new U.S. market Early Times Bourbon will be called Early Times 354 in reference to the Early Times distillery's original distilling license number. It is being launched first in select markets, and is competing in the $15-$20 price range. I'm not a huge fan of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey, but I'm hopeful that the bourbon will be an improvement and I look forward to sampling it.

The next piece of interesting news also comes from Brown Forman. The company is launching a new Canadian whisky to be called Collingwood. It's coming to market in four states (KY, FL, LA, and TX) in February with a target price of $26.99. After maturing in oak this whisky will be finished in maple wood, and Brown Forman claims it will be the only maple-finished Canadian whisky on the market. I think the increase in more distinctive Canadian whisky bottlings is a great development, and I look forward to comparing Collingwood with Forty Creek and Pendleton, two surprisingly good Canadian products that have come out in the past few years.


Finally, it's not a new product, but Old Pogue Bourbon is looking for a new home. To be more accurate the Pogue family is looking to move production back to its original home in Maysville, KY. Old Pogue, a Heaven Hill brand, is currently distilled in Bardstown, KY, but if everything goes according to plan Old Pogue could be made in Maysville starting in as little as one year. The town in Northeastern Kentucky is where the Pogue family originally began distilling in 1876.

Whiskey Jim's Perfect Mint Julep

The mint julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, and although I'm about a month late for Derby Day, I think mint juleps are a great drink any time the temperature starts to creep into the 80s or 90s. Here in Philadelphia we've had a couple weeks of scorching hot temperatures, so mint juleps certainly seem appropriate. The mint juleps that I make for Derby Day, and any other time I can get my hands on fresh mint, are loosely based on a recipe from The Bartender's Guide by Peter Bohrmann.

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