The Party Source to Build a Distillery

[mark fleetwood]

We live near and frequent PS often. Great place. This sounds great for PS, but wouldn't Beam, HH, Saz and all the other producers be upset that a retailer is producing something that only they had been producing? I guess just about every retailer does it now with their own generic brand -- especially groceries -- but distillers go through so many hoops and regulations that you'd think the absolute last thing they want to see is the place that sells their product start selling its own product.

[cowdery]

If you sell 10 million cases a year, as Jack Daniel's does, how worried can you be about someone who sells 20 thousand?

Remember that Sazerac, a big producer, is owned (through that same 'family member' runaround) by the same person who owns Republic, a huge distributor in Louisiana and Texas. Everybody has their fingers in everything.

I've often said that some store should up its game to become the retailer for whiskey tourists. I thought it would be someone closer to the distilling centers, but Party Source is convenient for anyone traveling into the state from the north via I-75 or I-71, making it a good place to begin or end a Kentucky visit. And it's not that far from Frankfort, the nearest distilling center.

They're in a good position to pull this off because they have a lot to sell even before they have actual product from the distillery. I assume a bar/restaurant will be next.

Let's hope Lewis has a big family.

[mark fleetwood]

In that case, have at it boys.
Plus, big $ investment like this to build a distillery might help the Newport/Bellevue area restore its former glory as sin city. Just need a casino or two and a few gentlemen clubs (... oh yeah, they have that already).

[wadewood]

It could take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to get everything built, installed, and broken-in, and because of the ambitious building I'm guessing it will be closer to 18.

Or if your KBD, then it could be 18 years.....

[OscarV]

I hate to be the killjoy here but who cares?
I have had some of the Party Source's seleted bottles and they were at best lame.
And it just ain't me. A lot of my fellow SB.com members have dissed their selections also.
So, the question is, are they going to make good or bad whiskey?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime skip Party Source and go see Brian at Cork 'N Bottle, he does a great job picking barrels for his store's private bottles.

[Bourbon Boiler]

Are they really cutting out a middle man? Don't they have to sell to and buy from a distributor?

[jburlowski]

I hate to be the killjoy here but who cares?
I have had some of the Party Source's seleted bottles and they were at best lame.
And it just ain't me. A lot of my fellow SB.com members have dissed their selections also.
So, the question is, are they going to make good or bad whiskey?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime skip Party Source and go see Brian at Cork 'N Bottle, he does a great job picking barrels for his store's private bottles.

We're usually on the same wavelength but I've got to disagree (at least a little) with you here, Oscar. I think you are being a bit harsh.

I've like some of Brian's (CnB) choices (e.g., OWA #49) better than others (which can be mundane). Same is true of Jay at TPS (e.g.; his EC18 choice is outstanding and I recall you liked his Bowman rye and at least one of his Willett picks).

But to broadly label either one as "lame" or "bad" is simplistic and, to some degree, inaccurate and unfair. FWIW, I'd hazard a guess that I've tried more of each store's selections then you have. Doesn't make me "right" or you "wrong" but perhaps gives a different perspective.

Whether it's new expressions or barrel-picks, the challenge for each of us is to pick what we like.... regardless of the source.

[cowdery]

If Jay is the person selecting barrels from the PS distillery for sale in the PS store in 2017-2018, you probably won't like them, Oscar.

As for 'cutting out the middle man,' they can't unless Mr. Lewis wants to make some other family member a distributor. They will (unless the law changes by then) have to do paper transactions from the producer to the distributor and then from the distributor to the retail entity, but the bottles won't have to physically go to the distributor.

In some states the law allows small producers to sell directly, but obviously distributors don't like that. I don't believe Kentucky allows that at this time.

[tmckenzie]

It does look like the outfit Steve Nally has. It will be interesting to see how the whiskey turns out. Aging will be the biggest difference between the ps distillery and Steve's place.

[OscarV]

We're usually on the same wavelength but I've got to disagree (at least a little) with you here, Oscar. I think you are being a bit harsh.

Just speaking from personal experience and reviews by others whom opinions I agree with.
Now then, am I right or wrong?
I don't know, again just opinions from my past experiences.