Were We Wrong? | Brown Forman vs Sazerac Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

[@ozo012]

$16.99 for ET BIB here in FL. I've probably bought a dozen or more

[@arbeckWA]

Every batched whiskey has quite a bit of batch variation. No one really bats an eye at this in wine. The 2022 vintage is different from the 2023 vintage. The growing season was different. The grapes were picked at a different time. The oak barrels are slightly different (and had their own growing seasons). Whiskey is not much different. The grain could be varied. The oak could be slightly different. The weather over 4-5 years could be different and affect the aging. All of those combined differences could add up to a small or big difference. They try to get around this by making a large batch and pulling barrels from different locations to keep things as consistent as possible. But they might be pulling 500 barrels or more for a batch. If the flavor isn't quite the same as the last batch, they aren't going to pull another 50 to fix it. Especially because the average consumer of whiskey at that price point simply won't care.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Bingo! You nailed it. This is why batch variance is the hill I’m ready to die on this year. It’s not talked about enough IMO.

[@WhiskeyPop]

@@stuffandwhiskey We had a long discussion a while back that much like wine, there is a terroir in whiskey as well! Think that has a lot to do with that an distillers know this which is why were seeing more of those grain to glass offerings.

[@craiglsu72]

I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought of it this way but makes total sense! I’ve had a black cap and still have several blue but still enjoyed the black more. All that being said, thanks for the insight and I’ll definitely sip differently now.

[@paulyoshida1747]

This is an excellent point, and distilleries should acknowledge this by clearly identifying the batch on the label, so we don't have to go snooping around trying to decipher the laser code. Unfortunately, at least thus far, many distilleries go on and on about their batch consistency(Maker's mark, wild turkey, etc...) They won't even acknowledge that a dusty from a couple decades ago tastes different than the current iteration.

[@WhiskeyDearg-MichaelS]

Erin, thank you for making the nerd next to you clarify the song lyrics. The 1990s was a blur of military, marriage, and starting my career and I lost track of pop culture. MSRP? SRP? DSRP? Tomayto/tomahto, potayto, potahto…but Erin is always correct Joshua 😂

[@Brad_Boersma]

“It’s whiskey, let’s just have fun.” Sums this all up perfectly. Well said Erin.

[@lucasmartineau4003]

Finally found a store that had the black cap version and have picked a few up. Haven’t blinded them yet, but a side by side comparison against the blue cap and I think the black cap is better.

[@WhiskeyPop]

We loved the Brown-Forman version and purchased a bunch of those bottles before Sazerac took over....we need to do a compare again soon too!

[@reigningwhiskey]

Opening was top tier!

[@alexmayer9556]

REGULATORRRRRRRS!!!

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

You almost nailed that intro. Hhahaha.

[@rajrvis]

Metal top was $18 in Jacksonville, great buy and great value

[@89sooner]

What an intro, Josh. These came up in my (inspired by y’all) double blind pool maybe 3 months back, and the Saz beat the old bottle pretty easily…which hadn’t happened in singles after its release). I recently got a replacement Saz bottle to go with my two BF bottles. When I saw this, I did a quick single (saving most for a drink-a-long), and while it was very tight, the BF pour was my fave this time around…but it was flavor-drift close, and this is a different Saz bottle than was the sample in my pool. I agree with you both that the notes are mostly classic bourbon…awesome for a 24 liter here in OKC). Look forward to hanging again at your most favorite place for the BFH NBC pick next month my brother!

[@89sooner]

…and I’m with Erin on MSRP. It is definitely a manufacturing process.

[@89sooner]

…and I’ve gotta dig up y’alls guide to Nashville. Edit…and there it was in my Google Docs.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers to that! And we’ll have to update the guide. Places keep closing with “New Nashville” taking over.

[@DaveVogelsang-b8v]

I have 8 bottles of ET black cap bunkered. I like the new blue screw cap too, but prefer the black cap.

[@showenough]

Another great vid! Black cap always wins for me in blinds but as always nobody is wrong and nobody is right! A quote from Neat, “There’s no such thing as bad whiskey, just a difference of opinion” Cheers Josh and Erin!

[@umami0247]

This doesn’t come around my area but Coopers craft 100 does so I’m good. If I happen to travel to another state and see it I’ll get it for the cost but is it really that much better than Coopers. It’s certainly less expensive than Coopers which is 30 in my area and I believe the ET is around 20 something in most places. And honestly comparing these is not something really worth doing because the black cap is just gone unless someone bought a case when it was available. Again since it doesn’t come around not something I’ll miss. I’ve seen other reviews were they preferred the new bottling better than the old so it’s still a palate thing as all whiskey is. Enjoy!!🥃🥃🥃

[@89sooner]

The sale took place in 2020. What will be interesting maybe later this year or next year (sometime soon-ish anyway), when I guess the two DSP #s collapse to just DSP-KY-12 (I had to pull up the excellent Breaking Bourbon article and my bottles) for both production AND bottling at Barton. What will a different still and different house yeast mean…regardless of mash bill? Oh for that first post….will it be Drums and Drams, the Junkies, The Bourbon Wrench?…I’m a reactive Reddit reader. Then the recent OGD 114 hoarding frenzy (and the old Early Times one) will be back.

[@drgallup]

IIRC, the early Saz blue metal caps were still Brown Forman Juice. Surely by now it has to be Saz Juice. I really don't care one way or another, it's still one of the best buys in in whiskey. I can still buy these for $24 for a LITER. You can't beat that with a stick.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It's still all Brown Forman actually, but the shift to Sazerac distillate should start to happen soon as Sazerac acquired the brand in 2020 and it's not likely to be much older than 4-5 years.

[@justinvandee9428]

I agree on taste each day. Some days I like the Sagamore Double Oak Rye better on some days than others. Cheers 🥃

[@craiglsu72]

I’m sipping on this now! I’ve had 2 BF but can’t find anymore!

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

REGULATORS!!!!! Mount up! Love it! 😂

[@numanuma20]

I have only find one store that sell Early Times bottle in bound in town.

[@ianreynolds494]

"Bottled in Bond" by definition should have some variance as it will come from different seasons even if it is from the same distiller. Very interesting experiment. I think there is more batch variance than is generally acknowledged. Just have to keep trying more whiskey!

[@ianreynolds494]

I have also had dramatically different reactions to the SAME bottle just based on my mood, moon phase, humidity level, who knows. Really worth revisiting things to keep yourself honest. Great video.

[@danrudnick5252]

Lol, I was just thinking NERRRRDDD!!!!! at Josh and you're like guess I'm not cool like you 🤣.

[@ericepperson8409]

For some reason Early Times BiB isn't on the shelves in my area for the past couple weeks. I asked one of the guys at Total Wine and he said they hadn't gotten any in a month! Anyone have any idea if there is something going on with distribution?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

A lot of things ebb and flow distribution-wise. If it’s in your market I’d guess it will pop back up sooner or later.

[@robertlee6781]

I’m looking forward to the comparisons when the Sazerac distillate starts appearing on shelves.

[@SRVandDtrouble]

So you say the black plastic cap is what's available around you. Id love to have a Brown Foreman produced bottle let me know if you can hook me up.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Same. Sazerac acquired the brand in 2020. They should be nearly ready to start putting their own distillate into the bottles instead of the Brown Forman stores anytime now.

[@TangoSierra01]

@@SRVandDtrouble It's all Brown-Forman produced whiskey until next year. I had a press release from Saz saying they started distilling for ET in 2020 and would start releasing that product in Q1 of 2025...

[@SRVandDtrouble]

@@TangoSierra01 Yeah I misunderstood the first post. Thanks for the clarification.

[@SRVandDtrouble]

Folks talk about modern dustys the BF ET has to be one.

[@TheConnoissumer]

The early 2024 batch of ET blew me away. So good. The latest batch is awful. More of a mixer. The inconsistency is discouraging, especially because there are very consistent products at similar price points or just a few dollars more.

[@Lithanify]

Never gotten to try black top... but blue top tastes exactly like I'd expect a well regarded bottom shelfer to taste. It's fine. Good mixer... ok to sip... but its nothing special. The praise et bib has gotten makes no sense to me if the black top ISN'T wildly superior. Its basically interchangeable with ew white label with a little more spice in my opinion. Always thought it was SRP instead of MSRP because the state liquor control sets the price, not the distiller. Edit: Just had a glass of blue top. Its tasty. But refined would never come to mind. Its buttered popcorn/kettle corn. Its what i suspect mellow corn tastes like (what the name mellow corn makes me think of.... never tried mellow corn).

[@ChristopherNeeme]

Early Times Bottled in Bond was my biggest FOMO bottle because I really started the deep dive into whiskey in 2020 and everyone seemed to be raving about how great this bottle was at the time AND it was no longer going to be available, being replaced by a new "inferior version." I spent a lot of time searching for it because it had no distribution in my area and finally found a blue cap in another state and several blacktops on clearance. I did prefer the black top but not by a lot. And I found I preferred both the easily findable and inexpensive Wild Turkey 101 and Jack Daniels Bonded to either Early Times. You can only shake your head and laugh at something like that, lesson learned there. Mellow Corn is much more corny than Early Times. It's nearly an artificial corn flavored whiskey and nothing more than a novelty in my opinion because of how overpowering that is.

[@CharleyCarey]

I've always wanted to try that one but its apparently not sold in my area.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Distribution woes for sure. Wish it were everywhere but believe it’s just in ~13 states.

[@markvelazquez3893]

I tell you, these intros are legend

[@stuffandwhiskey]

🙏🙏

[@Birds-EyeBourbon]

‘2nd drink of the night’ 👀😜😜 Cheers, gang 🥃🥃

[@877-MASH-NOW]

WHISKEY CHEERS 😎

[@blakestah]

Great choice for a blind! The big difference here is "climate controlled warehouse" aging, which applied to the Brown-Forman but not the Sazerac. Note: the early Sazerac ET BiB was aged for some time in BF warehouses before being transferred. To me, the Sazerac simply tastes like a 4 year while the BF tastes like 7-8 yr.

[@MrFreethinkin]

Unless it had already been aged for four years at B-F, the whiskey couldn’t have been moved and then used in the ET BiB offerings from Sazerac. If the bottle has both DSP numbers, it includes whiskey that was aged for four or more years at B-F. Once the bottle only has the SAZ DSP number, the B-F BiB whiskey will no longer be in it. Additionally, saz can't use any whiskey they distilled and aged until it has spent four years in their own warehouse.

[@blakestah]

@@MrFreethinkin Interesting. By my reading of the bottled in bond laws (5.88), moving the barrels from one company's warehouse to another's is not prohibited, but the DSP of the distiller and bottler would both need to be displayed. Some of the first Saz bottles did that. It is curious the whiskey is not required to stay in the same, bonded, warehouse the entire time.

[@TangoSierra01]

AFAIK it was never transferred and still sits in B-F warehouses...Brown-Forman dumps the barrels, blends the whiskey, and delivers it to Barton by tanker truck for bottling. The Barton produced whiskey is supposed to start showing up on store shelves in early 2025.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

The info above about Sazerac acquiring Brown Forman stocks is correct. It’s really just batch variance across batches that’s at play rather than any specific cap color.

[@justintoler2110]

I too am a fan of the movie Young Guns!!! Regulators Mount up

[@mistermom310]

I was expecting Josh to rhyme funk with crunk.🤣 I've only had the Sazarac 🥃

[@robertbass151]

I just had to pour some early times bib...i only have the sazerac one...i still am trying to find the brown forman one

[@patrickbeck9807]

Saz one is still bf distillate. Takes 4 years min for the bib rules. We might start seeing some of the “new” Saz ET juice this year or next.

[@Aged_in_Oak]

Honestly, I think msrp and srp are mostly interchangeable.

[@BrianWoodruff-eo9ci]

Am I crazy or are those larger than normal glencairns?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Good eye. They’re not glens. They’re Viski tasting glasses.

[@MrCritterJohn]

Ive had two of the sazerac. The first was fantastic but the second doesn’t taste the same. There is lots of bitterness. Disappointing, as I felt I had found my favorite “daily drinker”.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We feel ya! Quality control on a $25 bottom shelf product isn’t likely top priority for the distilleries.

[@lionelg4648]

Finally found an early times, tastes like chocolate chip banana bread

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

Early Times BiB hasn't ever been here the almost three years I've been drinking whiskey, so this video is just Greek to me. 😂

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Distribution woes for sure. Wish it were everywhere but believe it’s just in ~13 states.

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

@@stuffandwhiskey 😭

[@Bourbonsouth47]

Might know where 6 of BF ET bottles are upstairs in a box :)

[@dhmig88]

Early Times BIB was readily available in my area for the past couple of years and now it’s completely unavailable, word gets out it’s very good and all the whiskey traders go out and buy them all up.🤨

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Is it bring resold locally to you at a premium? That would be wild if so.

[@dhmig88]

@@stuffandwhiskey i haven’t seen it in awhile, I would get a liter at Total Wine for $26.99, it wouldn’t surprise me that some local stores will jack up the price on there inventory. Also Coopers Craft 100 was one I enjoyed and available now that one is MIA.

[@caleb_clement_]

It doesn’t matter the color on the outside. It’s what’s on the inside that counts 😁

[@tylerboggs612]

So many people sleep on Early Times!!!

[@psilo110]

Josh Dog & Erin G had to regulate

[@justinwilliams7637]

MSRP, DSRP, SRP…doesn’t matter. I’ve never encountered any of them! 😂😂

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂

[@etheridgegray4125]

George strait!

[@davefabian2942]

So how many whiskies did you guys have before filming this segment 😂🥃

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂 funnily enough this was the first recording of the day. This is us au naturale, just hanging out and having fun.

[@trailn8tion875]

Awesome vid. I cannot compare since I never had black cap. I will have to agree with Josh to throw in the monkey wrench and say DSRP. lol

[@elknmuleys]

MSRP all day

[@bks7842]

I fear this is disappearing in the Nashville area...

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It definitely is getting thin on the shelves.

[@julianalgarin9733]

it’s MSRP lmao

[@ksredmill]

Team MSRP

[@ChadWinters]

MSRP

[@zacharyanderson6133]

Didn't know you guys were regulators..

[@edwardrice146]

Listen to your wife.....lol

[@Irod8181]

True regulator 😆

[@adamafseth4675]

It's MSRP. It's manufactured.

[@lolaj3932]

OK I love you guys, but I’m telling you this early time is utter Junk people shouldn’t waste their time. It is worse than military special. I’ve tried the brown and Sazerac. It is cheap whiskey

[@brianclick7080]

I get brown sugar all day on the Sazerac version.

[@ps138vs2cavi]

MSRP