Review: Early Times Fire Eater
Review: Early Times Fire Eater
Early Times is a budget Kentucky whiskey, and recently the brand added its first flavored variety to its lineup. Early Times Fire Eater, as you might expect, joins the increasingly popular category of cinnamon-flavored whiskeys on the market.
There isn’t a lot of information available about the underlying spirit here — let’s assume it’s standard Early Times — but it is brought way down to 66 proof and spiced up with cinnamon.
The nose is milder than you’d expect — more candied apple and apple pie than Red Hots. The body builds up the heat a bit — here you get the Hot Tamales on the finish, but only after some caramel and Christmas spice notes do their thing.
At only 66 proof, Fire Eater barely tastes like whiskey. It barely tastes like booze. It’s more like a lightly alcoholic candy, mildly spicy and plenty sweet. I’m not a big fan of cinnamon whiskeys as a category, but Fire Eater is as good as any out there.
66 proof.
B / $15 / earlytimes.com
Early Times Fire Eater
$15
I’m a fan of cinnamon whiskey, but I think this is going a little too far. The only cinnamon whiskey I drink is Fireball. I’m not sure what EW is trying to do with this release just catch a little piece of the pie I suppose?
Not an Evan Williams product Eric, but Early Times (Brown-Forman). Maybe now it’s weirdness makes a bit more sense?
Please bring to Florida