A solid American whiskey with a name that sounds no less capacious and beautiful in Russian – “Old Times”, experts call the same standard of American alcoholic products as Jack Daniel’s and Four Roses. Classic Early Times bourbon is now successfully sold in 42 countries and has an eventful history of almost two hundred years.
Historical reference. A small town in Kentucky – Airlie Times Station in the 1946th century was chosen to build a distillery by Jack Beam, the brother of the founder of Jim Beam, who gave the world one of the most popular bourbons. By the way, a hundred years later, in XNUMX, the talented heir of the Beam brothers – Earl left the family company Jim Beam Company and took the position of Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. Since then, this position has been inherited, today one of the Beams, blending master Craig Beam, is engaged in the recipe of Heaven Hill whiskey. So in the world of whiskey, like in a big family – everyone is connected to each other, and Early Times can be considered the brother of the world’s best-selling whiskey Jim Beam and cousin to single malt Heaven Hill.
Airlie Times Station was famous for its soft, iron-free water. Jack Beam considered water to be the most important ingredient in a good bourbon. A small enterprise began to develop rapidly, but due to the Prohibition that broke out at the beginning of the last century, the distillery was closed. And in 1935, with the remnants of alcohol, they sold Brown Forman Corporation for a very small amount.
The nostalgic title of the Early Times took on a new meaning, reminiscent of a time when even small businesses could thrive and be considered successful.
Brown Forman Corporation is known to hard drink lovers as Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Finlandia vodka. Jack Brown and John Foreman bought up bankrupt enterprises for nothing, and after the repeal of Prohibition, they were able to quickly restore capacity and start production. Then they brilliantly conducted an advertising campaign, thanks to which the whole country learned about their success.
In 1939, the Brown Forman Corporation achieved the enviable status of a government liquor supplier, and over the next 10 years, Early Times became America’s favorite bourbon. The fact that the Airlie Times is today the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, a significant event in the United States, can also be considered recognition.
Reasons for success
Created by Jack Beam, the recipe was so successful that it became a bourbon classic. Soft spring water, 71% corn malt, rye and wheat as secondary grains, and three years of aging in new oak barrels charred on the inside remain indispensable conditions today.
On the territory of the Early Times distillery there is a workshop of coopers who not only monitor the condition of the barrels, burn them, but also make containers of any size with their own hands. This is convenient for the company and serves as an additional reason for trust in the brand on the part of lovers of strong drinks.
Brown Forman Corporation is expanding its Early Times product line with bourbon-based drinks. This is how the “fire eater” was created – Fire Eater, with a strength of 33% and a pleasant smell of cinnamon. The blend combines a spicy cinnamon-based liqueur with a minimum of three years of Early Times whiskey. The drink has a mild, slightly sweetened taste of bourbon, thanks to which even women who are prone to low-alcohol drinks love and drink Fire Eater with pleasure.
Early Times bourbon producers keep traditions, but do not neglect innovative developments, regularly updating equipment. Also in the corporation is a careful selection of personnel. For almost 40 years, Lincoln Henderson, a legend in the world of whiskey and alcohol in general, worked at the Brown Forman Corporation, until in 2004 he was replaced as Master Distiller by a new star – Chris Morris, one of the world’s most famous blenders.
The benchmark for all bourbons
Early Times is a three-year oak barrel-aged blended honey-golden drink that has a smooth, creamy taste thanks to selected maize. Notes of spices and cocoa are explained by the presence of rye and barley in the composition. Bourbon, unlike Scottish molts, is drunk not only before or after dinner, but also during a meal.
The Airlie Times is best paired with oysters, smoked fish and game. In 2005, the drink received the title of the best-selling whiskey in Japan. This is a significant achievement, since Japan is the second country in terms of the number of fans of bourbon after the United States.
