Do you recognize this bourbon brand?

The historical significance of many bourbon brands is often an eye-opening experience. Sometimes, a brand like Blanton’s can reach legendary status even though it is less than fifty years old. But what if I told you about a legendary brand founded by Jim Beam’s uncle, John Henry (Jack) Beam? A brand more than one hundred sixty years old that was owned by companies such as Brown Forman and Sazerac.

Founded in 1860

The legendary brand I am talking about became the largest-selling bourbon in America and, for some time, the largest-selling Kentucky whiskey in Japan. It was a medicinal whiskey during prohibition and later became the preferred bourbon whiskey in America during the 1950s. Sales faltered along with the whiskey industry during the bourbon downturn of the 1970s.

From Bourbon to Kentucky Whiskey

There are many ways to kill a brand, and this iconic brand suffered many deaths. From the top shelf in the 1950s to a bottom shelf product in the 1980s, the company lowered the proof from 100 to 80 and began cost-cutting by utilizing younger whiskey aged in used barrels. You read that correctly. This one-time favorite American bourbon lost its designation by using used barrels instead of a new charred oak container. Therefore, it became known as Kentucky Whiskey.

Named after a Railroad Spur

When the Louisville and Nashville Railroad expanded its lines in Nelson County, Kentucky, the location became known as Early Times Station. Do you recognize this bourbon brand? We are talking about Early Times Bourbon, created by a Beam, owned by Brown-Forman and Sazerac, with a 165-year history. That history was interrupted by Prohibition, but the Early Times whiskey stock was sold as medicinal spirits through the new owner, Brown Forman. When Prohibition ended, Brown Forman purchased the Old Kentucky Distillery in Shively and promptly renamed it the Early Times Distillery.

Churchill Downs and Mint Juleps

Brown-Forman contracted with Churchill Downs to make Early Times Mint Juleps the official drink of the Kentucky Derby beginning in 1987. This partnership continued until 2015, when another Brown-Forman brand, Woodford Reserve, replaced Early Times as the Mint Julep Bourbon partner of the Derby.

Failure and Rebirth of a Brand

In the early days of the 21^st century, an Early Times whiskey called 354 was released, and it did not sell well. It was sold to export markets but then permanently shelved in 2014. The 354 name was in honor of the distillery’s DSP code. Later, Early Times was reintroduced as a bottled-in-bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Released in 2017, it was well-received in a one-liter bottle. In 2020, Sazerac purchased the Early Times brand from Brown-Forman along with the Canadian Mist brand and Canadian Mist production assets.

The Future of an Iconic Whiskey

What Sazerac has in store for the Early Times brand is unknown. However, I eagerly await the day that some of these brands that led the nation in bourbon sales are revitalized to be essential players in the marketplace. Early Times and Old Crow are two legendary brands that should be elevated back to the top shelf, or at least closer to the top than the bottom shelf.