Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

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05-04-2011, 10:22
IowaJeff

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

I think its a great project and the 'quest for the perfect bourbon' is laudable. BT is currently producing some of the best american whiskeys on the market and this shows that they are not content to just sit back continue the status quo--they want to make better products and different products. I seriously doubt BT is making much money off of it Of course the end goal is (or should be) to make money, but I think there is a genuine desire at BT to get a great product out of this project. Of course I would like to try all 192 and won't be able to, but we as consumers should feel lucky to be included in this type of experimentation at all. They could have done it on a smaller scale behind closed doors and only had BT and industry professionals involved. And since the goal, I assume, is to bring a product to market that appeals to a broad range of drinkers, solicting reviews from a broad range of drinkers makes sense.

It's a great time to be a whiskey drinker. With this project from BT in addition to their other products; HH's great line and annual PH collection; Jim Beam doing a 120 proof sb KC, devil's cut, and who knows what else in the works; MM46; etc, the big boys in the industry are really stepping out and trying new things.
05-04-2011, 12:40
chefnash51

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanSheen

Get this man an IBS shirt quick!

(Illinois Bourbon Society)

Size L ... for flexing purposes. :lol:
05-04-2011, 12:44
MacinJosh

When I initially posted this thread I had no idea it would take on a life of it's own. Everyone on both sides of the fence has raised some outstanding points. Again, thanks everyone for contributing!

Here's what I had in mind. As a member of a local whisky club, I've met a few other locals that share my passion for whiskey. Over time, I have developed a more personal relationship with a select few of them. I agree with the criticisms regarding price and the amount of bottles/releases. 192 is a lot. Most of us don't have $10,000-$15,000 of discretionary income to spend on a whiskey experiment. And if we did, most of us would find divorce papers next the the stacks of whiskey. :-) But I thought maybe a few of my buddies (6 or so) could each track down 2 unique bottles out of the 12, and then have a small, private sampling where we all taste and compare. That way you minimize the costs and the time spent trying to hunt these gems down. And even at $70 each, $140 isn't going to break the bank.

I've yet to share this "master plan" with my "6 buddies", but I see no other solution for anyone interested in this project. To try and acquire all 192 by yourself seems like a monumental task unless your first name is John and your last name is Hansell. I don't know about you guys, but BT isn't beating down my door with whiskey samples. For the average "non-whiskey writer/non-high profile enthusiast" out there, this seems like the best plan to me.

Now let's just hope Tom, Dale, Aaron, Pat, and Terry agree. *grin*

Josh

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05-04-2011, 13:18
BradleyC

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

It sure would be nice if they would package it as a set of 6 different minis or 200 mL bottles. Personally, I"m probably going to sit this one out. Paying $140/750ml for an "experiment" that no one knows is any good is crazy to me. I can't think of any other 10 year bottle that I would pay that for. If you go to a restaurant when a chef is trying out new things for a menu, those are either heavily discounted evenings or free altogether (minus the booze). I view this as a similar concept and don't understand the markup. The Antique Collection price hikes have been a hard enough pill to swallow. Then you throw in the BTEC (if you haven't given up on those already), then the EH Taylor Series, and now this. It is starting to feel overwhelming and would be too much effort to keep track of all of those.
05-04-2011, 13:48
callmeox

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

$140.00 per 750? The price keeps going up every few posts. At that pace I expect them to hit a C note each when they finally hit the shelf. :cool:

I believe the press release quoted the MSRP at $47.00. Can you blame BT for (assumed) retailer markup?
05-04-2011, 14:04
BradleyC

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

I just saw the $70/$140 in Josh's post above. I think he might have been saying "even if" they are $70/bottle. There is about a $20-$25 price swing on the antique bottles around here now, which leads me to believe there will definitely be retailer markup. Sorry to mislead with my pricing comments.

Even if they are $50, that would be a $100 750ml bottle. I could save $30 buy buying a 17.5 year Stagg that is 54 proof higher (assuming this project will be 90pf).

I like the concept, I just don't like the pricing or packaging.
05-04-2011, 16:13
MacinJosh

Yeah, I was assuming $70 each (or 2 for $140 for my "group/buddy experiment"). Each person would buy two unique bottles for $140. Then when all 6 people got together, you'd have all 12.

Most affordable way I can think of. Divvy up the cost.

Josh

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05-04-2011, 23:26
fussychicken

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

Quote:

Originally Posted by callmeox

I believe the press release quoted the MSRP at $47.00. Can you blame BT for (assumed) retailer markup?

Absolutely I can.
05-05-2011, 03:40
callmeox

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

Quote:

Originally Posted by fussychicken

Absolutely I can.

If you find the price to be a barrier to enjoying the program, perhaps you would be better served by a product on a lower shelf.

I think the whole exercise is damn cool and I am excited to participate with the 3 or 4 bottles that I will buy from the first batch.
05-05-2011, 05:12
TomH

Re: Does the ‘perfect’ bourbon exist? Buffalo Trace's quest for "The Holy Grail".

Quote:

Originally Posted by callmeox

$140.00 per 750? The price keeps going up every few posts. At that pace I expect them to hit a C note each when they finally hit the shelf. :cool:

I believe the press release quoted the MSRP at $47.00. Can you blame BT for (assumed) retailer markup?

Scott, I think Josh's call on pricing is about right. I think once released they will be priced from $47/bottle (where they will quickly disappear from the shelves) to $79/bottle (where you will find them on the shelves but where they will also finally disappear). This would duplicate the pricing of BTEC bottlings at retail.

I won't comment on the "who do blame for markups" since that post would probably belong in PRC where I don't play.

Tom

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