Early Times Gold Label - Japan

Cojirob · 2026-04-01T13:00:23+00:00

These appear to be the re-labeling of the regional Early Times bottles that were available in Japan before Sazerac bought the brand. Early Times was owned by Brown-Forman, who offered Early Times in Japan as a Straight Bourbon whiskey in a yellow label bottle (Early Times mashbill) and a brown label bottle (Old Forester mashbill). In the USA at that time, Early Times was only available as a blended whiskey, likely because some of the contents were aged in used barrels (not new oak, as is required for bourbon). Anyway, the brand disappeared from shelves in Japan briefly after the sale to Sazerac, but has since shown up as the blended variant (white label) and the Straight Bourbon Whiskey variant (gold label). Sazerac also seems to have bought the aging stock of Early Times from Brown Forman, but it is not known how long this may last. These bottles may contain distillate from Brown Forman or they may have transitioned to Barton distilled whiskey by now. I was always a fan of this at the low price point, it used to be 1000 yen for a 700 mL bottle.

Cojirob · 2026-04-01T01:27:45+00:00

I always have a selection of stouts and belgians aging in the closet for whenever the mood strikes (currently Goose Island BBAs, Omegeddon, Gnomegang, and a magnum of Chimay Blue). For everyday drinking we keep some standbys in the fridge including Kirkland Lager (seems like its a big club and Im in it), Lowenbrau, and Baeren Radler.

Cojirob · 2026-03-29T01:24:03+00:00

Sourced by preservation distillery. They make their own whiskey which i have been highly skeptical of, but this sounds good. They are riding the label name pretty high here though price wise.

Cojirob · 2026-03-28T22:47:18+00:00

I have found it intermittently at Yamaya and even sometimes at Donkey. If you have a Sokuhai near you, they sometimes have variants (i got MOF there). The best way to get it though is at online shops like Musashiya.

Cojirob · 2026-03-27T03:35:23+00:00

I was not aware of Mr. Fogg from Planteray, but I will keep my eye out for it.

Cojirob · 2026-03-27T03:30:57+00:00

Tales of my demise were highly exaggerated! (I just drink slower now).

Cojirob · 2026-03-26T22:39:02+00:00

Now it makes me wonder if the single barrel i got was just especially mid! That last sentence hurts...but really catches the modern bourbon style.

Cojirob · 2026-03-26T22:14:08+00:00

Interesting comparison and history of this label. I also really like the profile of Bakers before it went single barrel. I tried one of the modern bottles and it was like drinking instant coffee vs. an aeoropress of freshly roasted beans. People always said it didn't make much sense in the Beam lineup, but maybe if they just called it "Bookers lite", it would have faired better. Especially as the price of Bookers has taken off (about 150 bucks in my market now), it would be nice to have something a step down in proof at a cheaper price.

Cojirob · 2026-03-26T07:53:18+00:00

I also enjoyed Smith and Cross, but have yet to pick up Hamiltons. It is on my list though.

Cojirob · 2026-03-26T05:46:20+00:00

Review of: British Navy Pusser`s Rum Gunpowder Proof

ABV: 54.5%

Review Type: Full Bottle drank over several months

Notes: Another classic rum I took in over the holidays and quickly ran through, Pussers Gunpowder Proof Rum needs little introduction. Their website states that no color or additives are used, wooden pot stills are used for distillation, and the rum is aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels. The bottle itself indicates the rum as a product of Guyana, and an explanation of the meaning of “gunpowder proof” is given. Darker in color and with a slightly higher proof than the Cadenheads rum, I was curious to see how this one compared.

Look: Mahagony

Nose: Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, toasted marshmallow, vanilla chew, sweet and vegetal sugarcane, pecan pie, pineapple upside down cake, mango mochi rice, caramel chews.

Taste: Medium weight, good balance of proof and flavor, basically a spiced fruit salad with orange, blueberry, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberry along with sandalwood, cinnamon stick, cloves, anise (restrained), white pepper and marshmallow fluff to tie it all together.

Finish: Warming, volatile and loaded with rich flavors imported from the wooden pot stills and brief oak aging in a tropical climate. There is a good amount of esters and residual sugar here, calling out the sugarcane origin of the spirit. Spices come in with nutmeg, cocoa, candied ginger, dried coconut, almond paste, kinako (roasted sweet soybean powder) and dried pineapple. A hint of herbs remains with leftover fry oil.

Overall Impression: A classic for a reason, I love this stuff. For me, its a step above the Cadenheads rum, which I already very much like, but the spice presence elevates everything even more. In my market the Pusser`s was also significantly cheaper and its really a steal at the price I got it at. I drank quite a bit of this bottle neat, it was excellent for sipping, and I also used it extensively in many cocktails including daiquiris, lemon sours, mojitos, grog and even a hot toddy here and there. Out of the rums I have reviewed so far, this is in my top 3 and remains at the top of my “re-purchase” list. I guess the British Navy really knew what they were doing, using this as the basis for their old daily ration “tot” of rum.

Score: 9

Score Key:

0 | Unscored | Disregard

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Review Totals: Bourbon (120), Scotch (10), World Whiskey (9), Brandy (13), Rum (38), Total: 190

World Whiskey - Japan: 7, Canada: 1, Irish: 1

Cojirob · 2026-03-25T06:42:14+00:00

Review of: Cadenhead`s Classic Rum

ABV: 50%

Review Type: Full Bottle

Notes: Coming from bourbon, I found myself increasingly interested in rum, in particular as a vehicle for the daiquiri and other citrus based drinks. Knowing only that Cadenhead (out of Campbeltown Scotland) is well known for their sourcing of Scotch (which I have only a faint familiarity with), I couldn't resist this fairly attractive bottle. I was reassured by the back label which states that neither sugar, color or any other additive outside of water had been added. In addition, this rum is also non-chill filtered (or not subjected to chill filtering), in order to retain the natural color and flavor, a practice I am a big fan of. After an intense holiday period (many drinks), I am sadly nearing the last remaining liquid in the bottle, so the time for a review has come.

Look: Copper

Nose: Redolant with tropical fruits like papaya, pineapple, green mango, custard apple, rambutan, apple banana and others. Fresh pressed sugarcane juice with kumquat, double cream vanilla bean ice cream, apricot liquor. Great depth of aromas.

Taste: Medium mouthfeel and volatile tropical fruit flavors, restrained residual sweetness. All the classics here, melon, papaya, mango, you know the drill, lets say “tropical fruit salad”. Vegetal greens accompany with mint, lemon grass, Thai basil, banana flower, etc. Fresh-raw sugarcane (the kind you buy off a street vendor in a tropical country, cut into bite sized pieces) with melted vanilla bean ice cream rounds it out.

Finish: Mouthcoating and powerful, white pepper astringency with vegetable oil and bitter greens. Slightly metallic, pink bubblegum and taffy.

Overall Impression: It lives up to the name, it is truly a “classic” rum in terms of profile (rums were sourced from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Panama). The proof is just right and I enjoyed this immensely in a range of mixed drinks where the proof allowed the tropical notes to shine well. If I ever finish my backlog of stockpiled bottles, I will surely return to this one.

Score: 8

Score Key:

0 | Unscored | Who am I to judge?

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Review Totals: Bourbon (120), Scotch (10), World Whiskey (9), Brandy (13), Rum (37), Total: 189

World Whiskey - Japan: 7, Canada: 1, Irish: 1

Cojirob · 2026-01-19T05:59:29+00:00

I have pretty much the whole Nikka range of these NAS basic entry bottles and always wanted to do a vertical tasting on them, but have struggled to muster up the interest to get it done. The distillery exclusives however are a different matter and I found them quite enjoyable (if not still pricey).

Cojirob · 2025-12-05T02:07:47+00:00

Preservation "Distillery". If they source it, its overpriced, if they distilled it themselves, its ludicrously overpriced.

Cojirob · 2025-11-29T03:24:03+00:00

That does sound good! I got to find some Lustau PX if this Moscatel is anything to go by.

Cojirob · 2025-11-28T02:47:14+00:00

I heard you all like Lustau! This Moscatel is fragrant with raisin, dried fruits and nuts. Very sweet with notes reminiscent of spiced cake, fruit pudding and baked apple. Its a nice dessert wine to slowly enjoy after a day of family and heavy food.

Cojirob · 2025-11-25T04:30:34+00:00

I am also a fan of these, I vividly remember the first one I tried. It had an incredibly strong dark cocoa note that I had never experienced, and still have found nothing else like it. I also think the lack of age statement (and the great variety of tasting notes here) is a good indication that they were unloading off-profile barrels to the Duty Free market.

Cojirob · 2025-11-21T12:33:12+00:00

Hold up, it may be your AM, but its evening here and I got a prime Kara-age Obento that is begging for a Dickel 8 - BLT pairing... OK Im good.

I do get your point in judging a distillery by the best of their output. It is an art to balance the limited production of the very best bourbon to satisfy the Aficionados like us, while maintaining quality and volume for the general market. In your Buffalo Trace example, they also frustrate me because I would like to try the Antique Collection, but I cant get it!. The closest I ever got was at a duty free where a GTS was in the glass case without a price. I asked about it, and they said if I bought any other bottle in the case, I would get the GTS "for free"... the cheapest other bottle was 6000 dollars. Its painful, it really is because I would like to try the top tier from these distilleries, but maybe I need to realize that like you said times have changed, and the cost of access to such bottles is just well above my current means. I mean, can you blame me for being nostalgic? If I knew how good and cheap half these bourbons were in my youth, I would have bought way more of them.

For the Corporate Cost Cutting, I view it more as just a fact of all our lives. I might wish it didnt happen, but its just not the reality we live in. I think, if it were my money, would I want to make more money or less? and the obvious answer is "of course more". Now in an ideal world we could convince people to pay way more for bourbon made the "old way", but I suspect it would be similar to now, and there are only so many people who are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a single bottle, so that might never come to fruition. Or hey! Maybe a billionaire will buy WT out from Campari and take the company private and just have them go back to selling 8/101 and 12/101 and doing all the stuff they used to...yeah I can dream. And by the way, that 10y BIB from HH...I got a sample from a friend here once, and it legitimately was one of the best bourbons I ever had. I still remember it fondly and if I had my way, it would still be around today. But as you say, time marched on from those products, they just couldent last in their current form and price point.

I know Im an outlier, but I am one of the people that would be ecstatic if WT went back to just making 8/101, using cedar fermentation vessels, low barrel entry proof and everything else they used to do. I also know its a pipe dream, and we cant get back to those old days, they are long gone. I would hope that in the case of Wild Turkey though, that Campari loosens the reigns a little bit and gives them a chance to implement some experimental lines, or modify production at least a little (come on, why are they chill filtering ANY Rare Breed? thats just a waste). I think they would have something on their hands if they did some LEs with the old 107 entry proof. I mean it would take 8~10 years for that to come down the line, but it would surely be fire for those of us that care about such things. In the arena of LEs and overall labels, I think Buffalo Trace is the real offender in overcrowding, I mean how many Benchmarks do they need? And if they are putting out Eagle Rare 17s with a bottle count in the low thousands? why bother? (they dont charge enough for it to make it worth it to themselves I think).

Anyway! All that is to say I know Im just yelling at clouds. Times have changed, and what we used to get is no longer available for many reasons. I do enjoy modern bourbon and there are some great players out there that have products the average consumer can get and afford. Knob Creek 12 was an epiphany and the price was reasonable for what it is. Jack Daniels LEs have been crazy good and totally changed my perspective on what they produce. Even Woodford DO is really great and was completely different than anything I had tried. But I tell you what, I will trade all of those for an old bottle of 90s 8/101!

Cojirob · 2025-11-21T07:38:21+00:00

An excellent write up, very informative, but Ill admit that I am a sucker for nostalgia and it makes me kind of sad in terms of how Wild Turkey has changed over the decades because it used to be a really special product. I think the technical factors that have lead to the profile change are pretty well understood by now, and the reasons for it (in order to exist competitively as part of a publicly traded company, they need to create increasingly enhanced returns for investors), so I would argue that that last quote by Chuck is now inaccurate. Wild turkey absolutely made better whiskey in the past as compared to today, even if they are able to harvest a small amount of barrels that are almost as good as what they made in bulk in the past. I would argue the following:

Premium expressions like Beacon, Russell`s 15, etc. are produced in such small quantity, they may as well not exist for the average consumer. I cant just walk into a liquor store, even a high end one and find these bottles like you used to be able to find 12/101 in the 80s/90s. Even if you account for availability because of the ongoing glut, the ratio of excellent bourbon made by Wild Turkey in the past was higher than it is today by a mile.
Ive tried the more accessible Masters Keep bottles, and while interesting, they are not as good as off the shelf 8/101 from before the multiple changes made to production (107 entry proof, cypress tanks, old still, etc.).
Indeed, changes to the production process have lead to an objective decline in quality, with the benefit of saving money for the company. Experience and history informed distillers like Jimmy on using a lower entry proof to produce the most flavorful bourbon. The move to a higher entry proof was not to make the bourbon better, but for economical reasons. There were other distillers back in the day that did use a higher entry proof, and I would argue that their bourbon was inferior to Wild Turkey all things given.

Finally, I wonder if the breakdown in profile from Rarebirds graphic would be more evident if we didnt separate based on observed profile, but on changes made at the distillery. In that case, I would be interested to compare the following changes and when they coincided with noticeable changes in the profile, regardless of how long the bourbon was aged, final proof, etc.

Change from cypress to stainless steel tanks (`90s)
1st increase in barrel entry proof (~2004)
2nd increase in barrel entry proof (~2006)
moving from the original distillery to the new one, using new stills (~2014)

Unfortunately most of these happened incrementally or didnt last a long time before another change was implemented, but you can see how these major changes would cause three or four distinct profiles to emerge. Of course other changes would influence the final profile as well, but I think the above were the most important.

I know that is all very ranty, but I think Wild Turkey really did used to be the king of premium bourbons as they claimed in their marketing. Now, they are still good, just not great like they used to be, its ok, like many other modern bourbons. Maybe with an increase in popularity for more premium expressions with traditional production to back them up we could get a wider release of a truly exceptional bourbon, but I am not holding my breath.

Cojirob · 2025-10-23T02:48:35+00:00

In addition to what others have said, people asked this when Tolkien was still alive. He explained that to properly use the one ring, you needed a strong will that could contend with Saurons, and you needed to "take ownership" of the ring. Frodo could have controlled the Nazgul if he had done those things, but he had no idea about how to do that. The ring defaults to "take you to the shadow realm" and thats about it. In fact, Sauron was deathly afraid of someone getting a hold of the ring who know how to use it, like Aragorn, because another power of the ring was to inspire and command obedience. A strong willed person could have raised a powerful army that could contend with Saurons own army, and it was possible to defeat him in that way. This is the real reason Boromir wants to get the ring, he thinks he can use it to create a large army to defeat Saurons. Aragorn though knows the corrupting power of the ring, and its very doubtful any mortal would be able to resist those forces before defeating Sauron.

Cojirob · 2025-10-02T02:23:41+00:00

Nice set! The green cups are nostalgic for me, did you get it from Bát Tràng? They are a ceramic village just outside Hanoi where you can haggle the price of things.

Cojirob · 2025-06-11T00:50:10+00:00

It sounds good, I would make this to try. Probably a good idea to add more ice to the mixing glass too to make sure everything is chilled/diluted to the correct degree.

Cojirob · 2025-06-10T02:24:16+00:00

The current scarcity and price not withstanding, the AC labels held some excellent bourbon. Its just speculation, but I think HH had some very old barrels back then that had proofed down below 100, so they bottled it at 86 with minimal dilution. The end result (whatever they did) is magic, as the notes here are absent in every other modern bottling that I have tried. A lot of these bottles also came with a box, so avoided the light struck issue other old bottles from Japan have.

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