Benchmark

In trying to make sense out of some threads I find several postings recently about Benchmark. I've cut and pasted two in here. If Jim has the time to do this the official way and get my name out of it, he's welcome to. I just was having trouble finding the relevant posts since they were under different headings

this one is from Ken in response to Linn calling Benchmark "Dumpstermark.


Linn, Linn, Linn,
I don't want you to think that I am somewhat prejudiced toward Benchmark, since I am the brand manager, but really now. I must admit that if you drank some Benchmark in the early 90s, I would be hard pressed to disagree with you. It seems that when we bought the brand from Seagram in 1989, they refused to sell us any bourbon. We bought bourbon from Heaven Hill for a few years and decided that it did not meet the taste profile we wanted. In 1992, we bought The Buffalo Trace Distillery (Leestown) and have since had complete control over the product. All I can say is that this product just won a gold medal and Best of Show at the International Spirits Challenge 2000 in London. So, while the taste was not up to our standards early on, it has been nurtured by Gary Gayheart until it has garnered international acclaim.

Ken

This was posted in a different place but clearly refers to Ken's comments.

By the way, I shall have to get a bottle of Benchmark

Greg

here's John's post:
Subject Re: Benchmark
Posted by J_Lipman
Posted on 12/27/00 2:40 PM
From IP 192.44.136.103


Okay all you distillers, brand managers, and such from the other distilleries who're lurking out there. Here's yet another example of why you should participate like Ken does. Besides helping to fill in some historical gaps and give a better picture of what goes on in this industry, Ken has managed to revive my interest in a brand I had pretty much written off.

Ken, I think the bottle of Benchmark that I have may be from the Heaven Hill period. It wouldn't win a Best-in-Show medal if it were the only brand entered. Not even in England, where (let's face it) things like persimmon wine and malmsy and even (choke) SCOTCH for heavens sake, sometimes take prizes!

Seriously, though, it's a bottle that will likely never be emptied, so there's been no incentive to replace it. Until now, that is. You can bet our next foray to the land of the Party Source will result in a brand new bottle of Benchmark! By the way, does the changeover to Buffalo Trace product correspond with the "McAfee's" now on the label? Ours doesn't have that, although we have a nice Old Fashioned glass with the Seagram's Benchmark label printed on it. We also have a bottle of Benchmark Single Barrel, and that's much better-tasting.

=John=
http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

Subject Re: Quick questions about two brands
Posted by Ken Weber
Posted on 12/28/00 08:20 AM
From IP 207.124.63.131


Linn, I hear what you are saying. I must admit that when reading anything from a marketing type, one must take everything with a grain of salt. Coming from some of us, an entire shaker is required! That being said, I would be interested to know if you have tried Benchmark in the last five years. We truly changed the bourbon in 1992. It may have taken a couple of years for all of the old stuff to clear the market, so what you find now should be very good indeed. If you can find the Single Barrel Benchmark, I am sure you will enjoy it. If not, I owe you one and will take care of you at next year's Bourbon Festival.

Ken

Noitce that prior to Ken's last posting about Benchmark. Linn had ribbed Ken with the following:

Subject Re: Quick questions about two brands
Posted by Linn
Posted on 12/27/00 2:28 PM
From IP 63.16.7.168


Yeah right Ken. The 1972 Chevy Vega won Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" award. It turned out to be the biggest lemon in post WWII automobile history. GM had the good sense to bury it. Motor Trend's reputation was seriously damaged. Why are y'all banging your heads against a brick wall on a label with such a seriously besmerched reputation as "dumpstermark"?

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

Hey, wait a minute. I bought a Vega in 1972. Jo says it was like sitting on a bench with wheels. The first version of "champaign" colored cars was my pumpkin colored Vega.

Hey, I'm a marketing guy, too!

Man o man. Running down my profession and my first new car!
Uh, the car was a piece of cr*p and there are bulls#*t marketers out there. So I know where you are coming from.

But I AM going to get a bottle of Benchmark. I'll trust Ken for a $9.99 risk.
[IMG]/wwwthreads/images/smile.gif[/IMG]

Greg

OK Greg buy that bottle, but be sure to post your tasting notes! Hey I think I saw you pushing that Vega into a service station if I'm not mistaken.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

Okay- Sorry Gregg. I went ahead and added to the posts you're trying to move over to here. So I'll help. Below is one you missed from Ken Weber and below that is one from me...

Subject Re: Benchmark
Posted by Ken Weber
Posted on 12/28/00 08:32 AM
From IP 207.124.63.131


Buffalo Trace is big on history. The site of the distillery happens to be the first settlement of the Frankfort area. A surveyor named McAfee laid out the first site and he placed an "offering" to the country into a "small, fresh flowing stream, (some arrowheads and a surveyor's benchmark). The name was significant and we highlighted McAfee to sort of stamp our brand on the brand, so to speak.
I must admit that the Single Barrel is the better product, but at the current price and positioning, sales of Benchmark have grown by about 60%.

Ken



=John=
http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

Actually, I can hardly wait to try a new bottle of Benchmark. In fact, I may just fight rush-hour traffic and go tonight... nah -- nothing's worth crawling through Covington/Erlanger/Florence at 5:30. But Saturday for sure!

...A surveyor named McAfee laid out the first site and he placed an "offering" to the country into a "small, fresh flowing stream, (some arrowheads and a surveyor's benchmark)..."

Well I can sure understand that. In fact, I've occasionally placed some "offerings" into "small, fresh flowing" streams at times myself, although I sure do hope the new Benchmark I'm about to purchase reminds me less of them than the one I've tried did :-))

=John=
http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey