Attention All Collectors

I don't think Heaven Hill made any effort to duplicate or retain the McKenna taste. Current McKenna is just standard Heaven Hill whiskey.

There is an account from 2 sources , HH Kroll and The Regans. That say basically the same thing. That Stafford McKenna sold to Seagrams in 1941 , but did not sale the recipe. So The real McKenna Whiskey dies that year. If it was aged 5 or 6 years then the real charge may have taken place toward the end of the forties. Depending on how much stock was on hand at the time of the sale. The current product from Heaven Hill is in name only. However Seagram probably made a decent product. It is feasible that some of the pre 1941 exists somewhere, that would be interesting to try. Whatever Seagrams was making may still be in production and used to make blends with, how sad.

In response to your questions.
1.. Do you collect other things? Do you think you have a collector personality? What sort of satisfaction do you find in collecting? How does collecting whiskey differ from other kinds of collecting?
Yes, I consider myself a collector, and a packrat. I collect beer steins, coasters, microbrew beer bottles, porcelain insulators from high tension wires, motorcycle memoribilia, and most recently bourbon and bourbonobilia. I associate certain events or periods in my life with each holding. Its kind of like a photo album in several different media. My bourbon collection started when I moved to KY five years ago. (When in Rome) The fascination started when I saw a Maker's Mark bottle with white wax and started investigating. I have two distinct collections; My drinking (or Linn) Collection and My Keep for Posterity (Paradox) collection. Every so often something crosses over. I think the satisfaction comes in being more than superficially aware of a product. The deeper you get the more interesting it becomes and you get deeper and deeper.
2. How were most of your holdings acquired: (a) retail purchase, (b) purchase or trade with another collector, (c) purchase from private individuals who are not themselves collectors, (d) gifts or inheritance, (e) liquor store heists.

Most of my holdings were retail purchases. I have traded for some rare items or acquired as part of a benefit auction or fund raiser. (Tax deductible whiskey!!!) Some were gifts and none were heists.
3. What is the exact scope of your collection? (e.g., all whiskies, all distilled spirits, all American Whiskies, novel packaging, etc.)
Except for two JD special bottlings from the 70's and 80's, a 60's Old Overholt pint and bottle of Scotch my grandmother left in my possession, all whiskeys are bourbon. The largest portion of my collection are the early Maker's collectibles (Keeneland, Louiville Football, Tennessee, UK etc). I branched out to Woodford Derby and Breeder's Cup and have a few signed bottles of more recent bottles. (Jimmy Russell, Booker Noe, Jim Rutledge, Elmer T. Lee, Julian VW)

4. Your collection's statistics: How many bottles total? How many unique bottles? How many unopened bottles?

I have exactly 112 bottles. 73 are unopened and most are part of the Posterity Collection. If its in the LInn Collection, I usually open within 3 days of acquisition.
I don't have anything I would consider "rare", but many that are traded or sold as collectible. Its more the story of how I acquired it, when, why etc that makes it unique.

5. If there were a marketplace where you could trade with and buy from other collectors, would you use it?

I contemplate what a wonderful swap meet would occur if all whiskey fanatics could bring their tradeables and rares for review and trade. It would make acquiring 32 Makers Mark NFL bottles easier. (As some have done).
6. Is there anything else about your collection that you think is unusual or interesting?
I record each purchase date, location and price on a tag on the bottom of the bottle. I do this for my drinking collection as well. It helps my memory. I save (Pack Rat) my old empties, if they are anything but bottom shelf.
Finally, let me know if you are willing to have your name used or if you would prefer to remain anonymous.

You can use my name and PM if you have additional questions.

I have some of the Seagram-made McKenna product and it tastes like a Seagrams bourbon (think Four Roses) as opposed to a Heaven Hill bourbon. Usually when minor brands are acquired no real effort is made to preserve the taste profile. That's why so many of us were concerned when the Weller and Fitzgerald brands were sold because, as wheaters, they have a distinctive taste.