Blind Battle of the BEST Budget Bourbons | Wild Turkey 101 vs Early Times Bottled-in-Bond 

While I get almost nothing beats this for value, what about all the stuff that comes in 1.75L bottles? Examples of real world prices I paid in 2024 for 1.75L; WT 101 $29.99.. Old Forester 100P $41.99.. EW BIB $25.19.. EW Black 86P $14.79. For 1L bottles; OF Rye $25.99.. OGD Bonded $23.99.

😂😂

I've never seen Early Times BiB, just the regular stuff. But the 101 Turkey is good, always available, and $25 or less here (IIRC my current bottle was $21).

If you’re ever traveling, it’s usually an easy find in the markets which it’s available and well worth picking up for a value bottle.

They’re always a surprise to her and sometimes even a surprise to myself. 😂

If you’re ever traveling, it’s usually an easy find in the markets which it’s available and well worth picking up for a value bottle.

@@stuffandwhiskey they have Early Times at Total Wine and More but not the same stuff. Seems to always to get good reviews. Thanks for the response. I know it's just a value Bourbon but can't wait to try it.

Definitely interesting. Single blind vs double blind adds a wrinkle in and of itself, and having those higher aged offerings in there to juxtapose against the Early Times profile would indeed make it stick out as younger, but with two whiskeys of similar age-and without knowing what you’re drinking-you have less context for age. Also worth noting that Early Times quality control is pretty loosey goosey and there are some great batches and some lackluster batches out there. Not a lot of effort goes into batch consistency on a budget product IMO. If you got one of the duds (as the Bourbon Junkies have a few times) that’s a bummer. Luckily all ours have been great. We even sent the Bourbon Junkies a double blind flight with our Early Times and the old Brown Forman Early Times and they both agreed our new Early Times is miles better than their new Early Times and our old Brown Forman Early Times.

Happy 4th!

Smooth for us both means a noticeable lack of spice or heat. It’s easy to be smooth and watery, which isn’t good, and conversely a pour with mouthfeel that’s smooth and silky is good. Smooth definitely doesn’t mean good in our book. It’s actually usually a negative term unless a lot of flavor accompanies the silky mouthfeel.

@@stuffandwhiskey I think smooth becomes contentious when that's the only descriptor someone gives...Oh, yeah...that's smooth! It doesn't really say anything or tell you anything. When used in context as one of several descriptors, or as part of a comprehensive review I've never had an issue with the term.

I usually don't get effervescence but I do have a Stagg that feels like pop rocks when you drink it - old school reference 😂

Randomly found a few at total wine in San Diego probably a year or so ago now. Had never seen one before and haven’t seen anymore anywhere here since.

Us too!

Excellent question! 😂

I had the old bottle of ETBIB (BTW, I did a double blind of old vs new ETBIB a couple of months back, and the new easily the old, so on that trial, I am with y’all…I wasn’t with a single blind or two…but those were tight). ETBIB beat WT101 pretty convincingly for me tonight. It was so good tonight. David

Metal cap Sazerac bottling

Metal cap Sazerac bottling

@@stuffandwhiskey wow, and you still liked it that much!

I've got a long opened plastic top and an unopened metal top. I'll have to do my own blind comparison.

100%

Somebody cue Cam! 😂

You and me both!