Early Times Kentucky Whiskey

Early Times Kentucky Whiskey is a Kentucky-made whiskey from the Early Times brand. The listing doesn't give an ABV, age statement or mash bill, so the notes below describe what to expect from this style and aren't a measured profile. Whiskeys in this lane usually lean on corn-forward sweetness. Expect caramel and vanilla up front, a light toasted-oak backbone, and a gentle grain note, without the heavy smoke or deep char of bigger, older bottlings. Because this is a Kentucky whiskey, the American oak influence tends to read as brown sugar and soft baking spice rather than tannic bitterness. Neat is the best way to find out what the bottle does. Pour a measure into a Glencairn glass. Its tapered rim concentrates the aroma, so you can pick out the vanilla, grain and oak before you taste. If the alcohol feels sharp at first, a few drops of room-temperature water will loosen it and bring the sweeter notes forward. Over a single large cube in a rocks glass it turns easygoing and slow-sipping. The chill tones down the sweetness and the spice, which makes it a simple everyday pour. A whiskey in this approachable style earns its keep in cocktails, where its sweetness and light oak balance citrus, bitters and vermouth. In an Old Fashioned, muddle a sugar cube with a few dashes of Angostura bitters, add two ounces of whiskey and a big ice cube, and finish with an orange peel. The whiskey's own sweetness means you can go easy on the sugar. For a Manhattan, stir two ounces with one ounce of sweet vermouth and two dashes of bitters, then strain it into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cherry. A Whiskey Sour (two ounces whiskey, three-quarters ounce fresh lemon juice, half an ounce simple syrup, shaken hard) shows off the caramel and vanilla against the citrus. For a Highball, pour one part whiskey over ice and top with two to three parts ginger ale or soda water. Add a lemon wedge and the result is long, cold and low effort. Use a rocks glass for the cocktails and for sipping over ice, and keep the Glencairn for neat pours and side-by-side comparisons with other bottles. Grilled or smoked meats, barbecue and sharp cheddar are all natural food pairings, because the whiskey's sweetness picks up the char and saltiness.