The BEST Budget Bourbon? | Early Times vs Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond BLIND BOURBON REVIEW

[@877-MASH-NOW]

WHISKEY CHEERS 😎😎😎😎. Wait a minute. Have you posted this video before?🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Had some rendering glitches in the previous upload that were pretty bad. We didn’t notice at first because of the hustle and bustle of the holiday but we couldn’t live with the quality issues so we pulled the previous video down, fixed the glitches, and reuploaded. You were one of the few who saw the initial upload last week. Let’s call it a sneak peek, haha! Cheers Jay! 🥃

[@877-MASH-NOW]

@@stuffandwhiskey now my secret is out of being a Super Fan of the show😋

[@69CamaroSS]

Early Times BIB is A FULL LITER which is 1/3 MORE…..far superior and easily the best value in all of bourbon, period!!! Pour something expensive for your first pour of the tonight…..then pour ET BIB for the rest of the night and make your allocated/expensive stuff last WAAAAAY longer!!

[@Josh_Stringer]

Early Times is my favorite budget bourbon. I've never been able to get into the EW. Always has a finish that tastes like dirt (to me).

[@bo_mccroskey]

I always have both of these on hand because they are great for the price. EW BiB mostly tastes like peanuts and peanut shells to me, so I understand Erin's straw notes. Early Times BiB is more balanced and pleasant overall. It's my preferred daily sipper, if I could always find it, but since it's become more rare, I don't drink it as much as I used to.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It feels like it's been a year or more now that we've all collectively been waiting to see what happens with Early Times given the transfer of ownership but it's still fairly plentiful around here. Feels like the lack may have been due to lots of folks buying it up because they were worried about it disappearing? Hard to say but it'll be interesting to see what happens to it in 2022.

[@drgallup]

I think this is one of your best blind head to head episodes ever. Both of these are very readily obtainable in my market, can buy either 6 days a week (no Sunday sales). I mostly use them as mixers given the low prices. I think I have a slight preference for the Early Times. But for ultimate value, grab a handle of Evan Williams BiB, $29 for 1.75 liter is equivalent to $12.5 for a 0.75 liter. You can't beat that with a stick. Old Forester signature is another comparable product but a few dollars more and no age statement.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Old Forester gets left out of the conversation a lot but it's a great one too. Always appreciate you watching and commenting Ferd. Thanks buddy. Cheers!

[@TRob_1964]

Great comparison. Love Early Times BiB, one of my go to daily pours. Much more balance of flavor than the Evan Williams BiB, and the price is great!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Hard to beat the price on either of these. So glad the market has both on offer. Cheers Tim!

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

I can't find Early Times BiB, but tonight I had my second glass of Evan Williams bonded, and I like it better than I expected. I put a review up on Distiller.

[@robertstrickland2121]

I’ve noticed the EW gets a lot better when the level gets down to the label, first few pours are seem to be single note

[@eviltrain24]

Just reviewed Evan Williams for myself and discovered I liked it more than the EWBiB which confused the hell out of me. Going back to the EWBiB, it had a slight bitter note on the tale end of the palette and into the finish that didn't work for me. i proofed it down with a little water and enjoyed the dram a couple notches more. The bitter note went away, and the flavors got sweeter and more fruity and the peanut note became more apparent (which I don't really find in the regular Evan Williams) EWBiB became one of those bottles that I'm going to water from now on.

[@tragic504]

I love y’all channel I wish I was into bourbon when I lived in New Orleans. As many times as I hung out on bourbon st I actually never drank any my 30 plus years living there. In Texas where I currently live Early times is around 23 bucks and I’ve seen the Evan Williams BETWEEN 12 - 17 bucks.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much Tragic! Cheers buddy!

[@matthewhall8790]

I like both of those, but I would pick the ET over the EW. The ET was difficult to find in Colorado, but has become easier to find lately.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Interesting it seems like Early Times is a LOT more available here as well. Maybe they're ramping up distribution. That would be great for folks who are big fans.

[@JaredHardwick]

I'll give this video a thumbs up. Love your non-bias reviews. :D

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much for the kind words Jared! Glad you're enjoying them. Cheers!

[@r2skyvader]

I recently compared the EW BiB to Henry McKenna BiB. They are the same mash bill etc., and you can tell that on the palate. The nose on EW BiB was somewhat astringent compared to the McKenna though. Early Times is a great pour for the money if you find it. I hope Sazerac will do a good job with it.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Here's to hoping Scott. Thanks for watching!

[@cardinalj]

Josh. I noticed you are into watches also. Whats in the collection?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Yessir! I've been into them since grade school years. The lineup has grown, shrank, and changed many times over the years but I'm to a spot now where I've got some lifelong keepers and may add 1-2 more pieces in the coming years to mark major milestones. Currently I have a Casio calculator watch, a DW5600MS-1 G-Shock, a SRPE93 Seiko Turtle, a 114270 Explorer, a 14060M Submariner, and a 16013 Datejust plus a few other kickaround Casio digitals just for fun. I'd like to add a nice travel watch with a GMT complication and a nice dress watch that features some exceptional craftsmanship and finishing.

[@aidenravy]

With EW, bib I always get a black pepper note in the finish.

[@Matthew_M1821]

Just subscribed to your channel after you commented on my Facebook post. I like to join whiskeytube channels that have similar pallete profiles as me, so I know after the reviews I can purchase a bottle without worrying if I like it or not. I've binged 4 of your blind videos so far today and you both literally like the same bottles as I do! Love your content and love the originality. Subscriber for life now! Looking forward to your live video tomorrow.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much for subscribing and for joining in on the livestream chat last night, Matthew. Cheers!

[@Yankees07ny]

Another great blind review. I’ve always liked both of these as they hit above their weight class. Especially when you factor in the retail. But that Evan Williams BiB, try that in an old fashioned as it’s excellent in that cocktail. Cheers 🥃

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers JP and thanks for watching!

[@bdwilcox]

Early Times BiB is a unicorn in my state. I've heard rumors it exists, people swear it does, but I'm withholding judgement. Evan WIlliams on the other hand is like acorns in the fall. I can't stand EW or EW BiB as a sipper ("burns all the way down") but its value lies in its use as a mixer where its harsher flavor profile keeps it from disappearing into the cocktail. And with its ridiculously low price, it even makes a first class well whiskey for your bar without the chance of poisoning your guests with the usual rotgut bars often stock as their well whiskeys.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Solid points on Evan Williams BiB. It's not one we find ourselves reaching for to sip neat very often (we don't do that with Early Times either to be fair) but it does go great in a cocktail. Cheers!

[@blakeanderson1214]

Good dynamic on the reviews. Quick question though. What makes you say “pour”?The cost associated to the “pour” is the cost of the bottle. NOT the pour(i.e. a drink of something). Cheers

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Good question. We're a couple of former photographers who are much more at home behind the camera rather than in front. We do the channel for fun and because we feel like our blind tastings bring something of value to the space. We definitely meant "bottle" during the reveal and the "pour" thing is just one of those slip-ups that happen from time to time unfortunately. Hopefully with some more time in front of the camera those will become less frequent as we get more comfortable. Cheers and thanks for watching Blake!

[@89sooner]

An extra week in the waiting. Drew P. Whiskey talks about Elijah Craig as his benchmark bourbon, I use Early Times BiB as my dial-in (maybe Rare Breed if proofier). I know you've said before that it isn't y'alls profile, but glad you dug it in this instance....also $25...for a liter!!! I remember once in a review or something, Sara from It's Bourbon Night called the Evan Williams BiB the perfect bottle to take to a party...affordable, approachable, on-profile enough, and you don't mind leaving it when you leave. Honestly, if I were at an earlier point in my journey, that's the bottle I would gladly take...I'm more frivolous and fancy now. I'd forgotten the Blanton's v. Early Times BiB battle. Also consider me a vote for missing the "Stuff."

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Great comment David! Ultimately we don't find ourselves reaching for either of these to sip neat very often, and often land on Evan Williams SiB as our "calibration pour" most of the time, but we're happy both of these are out there on the market (well, in most markets at least). Cheers!

[@_Slicedbread]

Great comparison. Thanks.

[@anarchy1610]

When you gave the score did you consider that early times is 1 L vs evan Williams is 0.75 L? So you need to correct for amount or whiskey vs price. In my opinion ET is more bang for your buck considering the volume difference really good review.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We'd have to rewatch to be sure, but price correcting Early Times to what you pay for 750 mL puts them right around the same price point, which we did take into account. Early Times is definitely outstanding value for sure--one of the best on the market if you ask us. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@aryfrenkiel8641]

love the format. Early Times is unavailable in Gibraltar . EW BiB available from amazon spain for $34 and someone has to bring it over the border. good juice is super expensive and impossible to get here.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Oh wow, that's interesting. Appreciate the kind words and thank you for watching!

[@russd2888]

This was a great match up. I am a big fan of the ET, probably my favorite budget BiB bottle. Considering what may be an uncertain future with its sale, I always will pick one up when I see it. I was wondering, since you seemed to be on the fence with the 1 vs 2 thumbs on the flavor...is there a 1 and Half thumbs? Don't know I have seen one yet, but seemed like a good spot for one, so was just curious. The math would still apply. Enjoy the match ups...and enjoy the thought you have put into the pairings. You have some really intriguing and equally paired matches. Nice job!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

GREAT question RD! We don't have a 1 1/2. We did consider it, but ultimately decided that we needed to be decisive about how we rated things. If we love it, it gets two thumbs up. If we like it--even if we REALLY like it--but don't love it, it gets one thumb up. Sometimes we'll speak to a "soft two thumbs up" or a "strong one thumb up" if there's a real need for nuance but those occasions are pretty rare.

[@bizzaam1]

I was just going through some reviews on Early times bottled in bond and stumbled across two of yours! The first one was the comparison with Blanton's and then this one. I don't know much about your sample bottle system but seems like early times bottled in bond was both sample number 43 and 45. You guys do this with most of your whiskeys to get different comparisons going?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks for tuning in Sachin! We regularly rotate our sample pool to keep things random. We have both a head-to-head sample pool that we draw pairs from for our Thursday videos and we also have a single sample pool of things we've never tried before that we also draw from at random for our "First Sip" segments. Cheers!

[@billj5645]

Your ratings of these 2 bottles is similar to the average among many other reviewers. Erin's reaction to EvanWilliams is similar to my reaction in that it has a bitter finish to me. I haven't tried EarlyTimes because I haven't found it in my market.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers and thanks for watching Bill!

[@andyn8542]

Very enjoyable videos - down to earth and pro quality production.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Peter! That's exactly what we're going for. We appreciate you watching!

[@jjhassy]

you guys have similar vibe to Jeremy Siers and Big Al I love it

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s a great compliment! I’ve always felt like Jeremy and Al are very authentic and very much themselves, and we certainly roll that way as well. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@detroyt232323]

I get ET for $15 here in Miami. So I guess that's a 7/8 for me 😎🎸

[@NorthWestBourbon]

I can find EW BIB everywhere, and have never seen ET BIB here in the PNW. Good to hear how they compare. Cheers

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Early Times is good value but it's not so unique that you're missing out on much by not having access to it. Lots of other great, comparable pours out there. Cheers and thanks for watching NWB!

[@sweetsinnndy5201]

Evan Williams was my first bottle, just ok, good mixer. Cannot get early times in my area of Illinois. Would never buy Williams again would like to try Early Times.

[@theswag5997]

Sadly, the Early Times BiB isn't available in my market. Maybe that'll change with its transfer from Brown-Forman to Sazerac...

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Hopefully so, but if not, it's not an outstanding enough of a pour to worry too much if you can't get it. Something like Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve or even Old Forester 100 proof are great stand-ins. Cheers Aaron!

[@theswag5997]

@@stuffandwhiskey Thanks for the insight. If I were to see it during my travels, would it be worthy of a spot in my suitcase for the flight home, or should I just look for it at a bar to try? Love the content you're providing.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@theswag5997 if it were us we’d just grab a Cooper’s Craft 100. Similar flavor profile. It’s pricier but also better. Once our Early Times runs out we wont be getting another specifically because of Cooper’s Craft.

[@DevinBellROCKS]

Can’t find ET BiB in NC sadly….. want to try it.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Definitely worth keeping your eye out for if you’re ever across state lines.

[@erictonn9976]

The Evan Williams is $20 in Detroit area and available everywhere. Never seen the Early Times but it is cheaper per the posted prices

[@toddalexander5517]

My palate is in line with the lady’s. I love the Early Times Bottled In Bond, and I really didn’t care at all for the Evan Williams Bottled In Bond, even for the much lower price. I just found it to be harsh.

[@chrisphillips909]

Is the Early Times the new Sazerac brand? Metal cap Sazerac vs Brown Forman plastic cap? One of our Michigan "junkies" thinks the Sazerac is different...metal cap.i still love EW bib and only have the plastic cap Early Times bib

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Plastic cap for ours. We've not yet seen the metal cap in our market but we're on the lookout. Cheers Chris!

[@Farwalker2u]

Hello, Just found your channel. I greatly appreciate you methodical approach to reviewing the pours. Obviously, your opinions are subjective (no way to avoid that), yet your presentation is both informative and entertaining. Thank you for your time, effort, and sharing. Oh, and I subscribed to your channel.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much Farwalker! The kind words mean a ton. As you said it is all subjective, but we really try to offer some helpful and informative perspectives to help viewers make informed decisions for themselves. Cheers and thanks so much for watching and subscribing!

[@jasonreinecke3569]

Any interest in trying early times BIB vs Old Forester 100?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We need to snag another bottle of OF100 and we'll make it happen!

[@cjvx7208]

I just picked up and Evan Williams bottle in bond for 13.99. someone mislabel one bottle and I spotted it

[@raulregalado3067]

I found 6 bottles the old bottle and bond of Early times. do you want any

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Hey Raul, email us at [e-mail] if you don't mind. Appreciate the offer and appreciate you watching. Cheers!

[@raulregalado3067]

Do you need any old bottle and bond Ealy time

[@timsmith2193]

Should do old tub vs early times.

[@arashefi]

Problem in Evan Williams is that it’s not always the same, or even close. Sometimes it’s very good and sometimes not.

[@ericellis2729]

I enjoy both!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers to that Eric! Thanks for watching!

[@mr.mr.3301]

Got to do it again early times had changed. Lol

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We're on the lookout for the new Sazerac bottling but we've yet to see it in our market. As soon as we do, it'll be going into some blinds for sure.

[@southernoverdrive09]

Man gotta get my wife to do a blind tasting with me.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

If she likes to sip with you, they're a ton of fun. We're biased but we highly recommend it!

[@bendino9016]

never seen early times in my market... upper midwest... even williams i see almost everywhere

[@stuffandwhiskey]

There are some markets where Early Times isn’t distributed unfortunately.

[@tripp-hq]

I hated that evan williams bottle, but havent tried that early times bottle yet.

[@ricklaino6385]

Hasn't Early Times B.I.B.....been discontinued...?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s the speculation, but it’s unconfirmed. Ownership traded hands but it’s still in heavy supply around here. We’ve only heard of shortages in places from fearful buying as to what might happen with ownership change.

[@BoozeandNewswithTimandDut]

Early Times is by far the better budget bourbon. Evan Williams is to oaky, dry, bitter, and lacks sweetness. Early Times is chocolate covered cherries and creme vanilla and has a smoother mouth feel

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We tend to agree, but sometimes Evan Williams BiB surprises us. Our last bottle we started picking up this black coffee note which we loved. We need to get a replacement and see if we still feel the same way. Still, we do much prefer Early Times BiB.

[@hunter92356]

People call me crazy when i say Buffalo Trace gives me a green apple note on the nose

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It's definitely there! We usually get it in the form of green apple Laffy Taffy. It's like a combination of the green apple note with white table sugar.

[@hunter92356]

@@stuffandwhiskey my man! At least somebody knows what they are talking about 😆

[@johnparker9282]

Early Times vs Old Tub would be a great head to head....EW BiB is trash, IMO.

[@bdwilcox]

Old Tub is akin to the stagnant water you find sitting in the bottom of an old tub abandoned in the woods.

[@chipgar63]

Old Tub is one of those whiskeys that people either love or hate. I really like it myself. Kind of a poor mans Bookers. I happen to have both ET and Tub so I think I will compare. Thanks for the idea.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Evan Williams BiB and Old Tub seem to both be pretty polarizing among folks. The nuttiness is a love it or hate it thing. Cheers and thanks for watching John and Chip!

[@billnordrum8278]

Early Times is a liter for $25👍

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Hard to beat that value. Cheers Bill!

[@josephdennison4890]

The new Early Times is not the same as the older ET

[@stuffandwhiskey]

You’re right. It’s better. 😉 Our blue caps blow our black caps out of the water and it’s been verified in blind tastings by over 30 people now.

[@jamesbullard4897]

They taste almost too close to differentiate

[@mavrickmike16]

I’m not sure if I got a bad bottle but Evan Williams bib is gross

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Could be a bad bottle or could be your palate simply not agreeing with that profile. Erin likes EW BiB a lot more than I do for instance.

[@gabrieltorres5826]

Normal folks, probably like you. 😂

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We gotta bring that line back. It's one of our favorites. Cheers Gabriel and thanks for watching!

[@davidchandler9420]

Early times by a mile…

[@dunny2124]

Great review, in Michigan, 100 bottles in collection, ET is hard to find, bought to find out what all the fuss is, sells out quickly here, finally tried ET & very suprised, one of my favs & daily sipper along with my fav WIld turkey 🦃 101. EW is just ok

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Wild Turkey 101 is a pour we both prefer over either one of these, but it's always nice to have options. Cheers Dunny!

[@tonysarrio8940]

I think her first response to the Even Williams was correct. I am not a fan of Even Williams. Most people at my bar do not prefer it in blind tests, Early Times black cap is very good if you can find the older bottles.