Before Makers' Mark, it was not OK for bourbon to taste good!

[Inthewater]

"Our stuff is allright, but you'd be better off buying our competitors product."

Sounds like a winner of an advertising campaign.

Joe - You put into much better words what I was thinking. It seems like people are more upset by the fact that they have had success, and that they personally don't think they are the best, than any huge problem with the product itself.

Sounds to me like they have just had good luck with their marketing schemes. Money well spent.

[SMOWK]

My favorite whiskey depends on the day of the week, the moon, the sun, and sometimes how the planets are aligned. Since I have no ambition to actually calculate where these things are on any given day, I usually just work my way around the shelf to find what I like. And by then, I'm definitely in no mood to calculate all these alignments and document what I liked, and how these things were all lined up at the time. I think Mars was inside of Orion the last time I really enjoyed some MM. Now, if I just had the patience, and the memory, to remember to drink MM then, I would be one smart bourbonian. But I'm not.

[Inthewater]

Hehe, I just need to drink more burbon and read the forums less, unless I am looking for information about buying more burbon to drink.

That is my problem.

Gonna have a big 'ol glass of Buffalo Trace tonight. After a free home brew event that a local pub puts on called Jimmy Carter Happy Hour.

Should be a good night, for me anyway.

[craigthom]

Really??? Budweiser is a good product? Really???

Yes, really. It's well made. It could be made less expensively, but it isn't. They make exactly the beer they want to, year after year, no matter which brewery, and it is a beer that millions of people want to drink.

It's not the kind of beer I prefer, but the light "American Pilsner" is solid style of beer that a lot of breweries make, and I don't think any do a better job than AB.

[pepcycle]

I think there is an innate need for people to have brand loyalty.
From a psychological perspective, it reduces the anxiety associated with selection from a diverse population of choices.
Once an association is made with a brand, team, model etc, it makes life easier because it no longer requires research, decision making, buyer's remorse etc. to play into the transaction

The logic and terms of loyalty are not easy to identify but we see them here all the time.
My dad drank it. An "expert" drinks it, it appeared on the table at the Gazebo, it makes a great manhattan, its a good value.

Many people here don't suffer the neuroses associated with making a bad choice. They can brush off having purchased something that was too expensive, doesn't taste right or even if the cork is hard to pull. MOST CAN"T. They have to make the best decision every time!!!! They pride themselves on never owning a car that was lemon, a toaster that was recalled or seeing a movie that had a bad ending.

Pride and intelligence are inextricably tied to "Good Judgement" in today's society. Heck, we even pride ourselves on voting for the guy who got elected, like that made them a better politician or leader. Wow, the getting pretty deep.


All this MM talk is nothing but posing about being on the winning team.

Some truly independent thinkers take joy in failure and the learnings that come with it.

Its not about winning and losing, being a fan of the championship team or having the car you own be the Motor Trend Car of the Year.

To me, its enough to try it, formulate an opinion and be willing to allow others their opinion.

[jburlowski]

I am lost in this discussion at this point, but did I hear someone mention somewhere that they think most beer drinkers don't like the taste of beer?

Well, if true, it would help explain the popularity of lite beer....

[fishnbowljoe]

I think there is an innate need for people to have brand loyalty.
From a psychological perspective, it reduces the anxiety associated with selection from a diverse population of choices.
Once an association is made with a brand, team, model etc, it makes life easier because it no longer requires research, decision making, buyer's remorse etc. to play into the transaction

The logic and terms of loyalty are not easy to identify but we see them here all the time.
My dad drank it. An "expert" drinks it, it appeared on the table at the Gazebo, it makes a great manhattan, its a good value.

Many people here don't suffer the neuroses associated with making a bad choice. They can brush off having purchased something that was too expensive, doesn't taste right or even if the cork is hard to pull. MOST CAN"T. They have to make the best decision every time!!!! They pride themselves on never owning a car that was lemon, a toaster that was recalled or seeing a movie that had a bad ending.

Pride and intelligence are inextricably tied to "Good Judgement" in today's society. Heck, we even pride ourselves on voting for the guy who got elected, like that made them a better politician or leader. Wow, the getting pretty deep.


All this MM talk is nothing but posing about being on the winning team.

Some truly independent thinkers take joy in failure and the learnings that come with it.

Its not about winning and losing, being a fan of the championship team or having the car you own be the Motor Trend Car of the Year.

To me, its enough to try it, formulate an opinion and be willing to allow others their opinion.

Nice post Ed.

My Colts lost in the Superbowl. I drive a Pontiac Aztek. I like Maker's Mark. I may not drink it that much anymore, but I'll always have a bottle on the shelf. It was my gateway bourbon, and it's always nice to go home for a visit once in a while. Joe

[Stu]

It seems that the consensus of opinion is that MM is an OK bourbon. I agree, not my favorite, but I won't refuse a pour (but I usually won't refuse a pour of anything). I actually have a hard time downing ABusch products (I can handle Michelobe, but would prefer a High Life). The St Louis brewery uses a lot of rice in their mash bill. I don't care for Japanese beer for the same reason - I like barley beer. I don't like wheat beer or rice beer. Likewise I like a high rye content in my bourbon. I know there are others who disagree with me. Each to their own. Madison avenue has a lot to do with sales. Marketing is great. I doubt that anyone on this board would agree that JD deserves to be the worlds best selling whiskey, but it is. They are in business to make money, not to satisfy connoisseurs. My 2 cents worth for what it is worth.

[CorvallisCracker]

All this MM talk is nothing but posing about being on the winning team.

Having reached the point where you're able to perceive and appreciate the complexity and refinement of a PVW 15 does not constitute "posing".

You're free to call it that. I'm free to say you're wrong.

Wow, the getting pretty deep.

On that we agree.

[craigthom]

It seems that the consensus of opinion is that MM is an OK bourbon. I agree, not my favorite, but I won't refuse a pour (but I usually won't refuse a pour of anything). I actually have a hard time downing ABusch products (I can handle Michelobe, but would prefer a High Life). The St Louis brewery uses a lot of rice in their mash bill. I don't care for Japanese beer for the same reason - I like barley beer.

You apparently like corn beer. The Milwaukee brewery uses a lot of corn in its mash. AB differs only in the adjunct they use, not the use of an adjunct. The adjuncts add very little if any taste.

A few years ago AB switched Michelob back to an all-barley beer. I haven't tried it since, but I keep meaning to. They did it when they switched back to the lava lamp bottles.

I am unaware of any beer Miller makes that doesn't have corn in it.