New Colonel E.H. Taylor

[Young Blacksmith]

What makes this rye-recipe bourbon so special? They produce rye-recipe bourbon all the time for their other products. I enjoyed the Sour Mash quite a bit, but after the Single Barrel I decided to not purchase another, even after the rave reviews on the Tornado.

I guess I've already made up my mind, and prefer chasing 4R products. My thoughts about bourbon are changing, and I'm narrowing down to a few products to focus on, stock at the house, and leave chasing the rest behind.

[clingman71]

Well, Booker's is probably the closest analog to this particular release and it's right in that $40-50 price range. And I always though Beam was a few bucks overpriced for the most part.

I said pretty much the same thing about the Tornado. $70 for a 10 year old BiB? A lot of people responded, "But it's really, really good." Well, okay, but that's a departure from the way bourbon has been priced in the past, thank goodness. Otherwise we'd be paying $50 for VOB, Dickel, and OWA.

On a different point, the "rye-recipe Van Winkle" notion is pure BS as far as I can see. The Van Winkles, love them or hate them, have developed a solid brand based on excellent product, consistent profiles, and brilliant marketing. The EHT releases, while good, don't do anything to build a coherent brand. And even the Van Winkles won't price a 10 year old bourbon over $40.

The Van Winkles may not price their 10y/o over $40, but plenty of retailers have. A few weeks ago I complained about $65 for 10/107 at CnB. Next time at CnB it was $59.99, wow!what a deal!

[sku]

I've actually never tasted anything from the EH Taylor series, but I tend to think that anytime a new barrel strength bourbon comes out, it's a good thing. There just aren't that many of them, particularly from the distilleries (as opposed to, say, Willetts, which offers a lot of them).

[AaronWF]

The CEHT line is a tool for BT to use to raise prices on bourbon across the board; considering it their rye-recipe equivalent to the VW line gives them away. It seems pretty clear to me that their priority with the brand has been to create a slot in their portfolio that is expensive. The bourbon has come after the price and branding.

I think I'd be less accusatory if they hadn't released the Single Barrel as part of the line: my bottle was so empty of charm.

I appreciate that the line is BiB, but I see bourbon prices all going up before the juice used in the brand becomes deserving of what $70 can buy you today.

That said, I'll still spring for the next release. At least a bottle.

[Brisko]

I've actually never tasted anything from the EH Taylor series, but I tend to think that anytime a new barrel strength bourbon comes out, it's a good thing. There just aren't that many of them, particularly from the distilleries (as opposed to, say, Willetts, which offers a lot of them).

Speaking of Willetts, I note merely for comparison that TPS has a 7 year old, barrel proof (presumably) Willett for $44.99.

/yes I am a cheap bastard, why do you ask?

[Brisko]

The CEHT line is a tool for BT to use to raise prices on bourbon across the board; considering it their rye-recipe equivalent to the VW line gives them away.

I wonder if it's more an attempt to decouple pricing from the factors of proof/age/relative scarcity and instead base it on perceived value?

Because that's the only way the EHT pricing makes any sense in comparison to the BTAC.

[Trey Manthey]

The CEHT line is a tool for BT to use to raise prices on bourbon across the board; considering it their rye-recipe equivalent to the VW line gives them away. It seems pretty clear to me that their priority with the brand has been to create a slot in their portfolio that is expensive. The bourbon has come after the price and branding.

I think I am OK with this. I'll still complain about the premium price with everyone else, but I think BT is doing the same thing I would do in their situation.

As their company's product is becoming more in demand, rather than just raising prices on the existing labels, BT is offering a new, high-end brand experience. I am assuming if CEHT bottles are going to be a regular release, BT will have to start aging certain earmarked barrels in a certain way, and in a certain timeline. As any smart business would, they've mitigated risk in their initial offerings, and are testing the market with products that don't require a huge up front investment. Time will tell if their subsequent releases meet the high standards that Pappy/BTAC have set in the marketplace.

[Josh]

Now that the boubon haze has lifted, what concerns me the most about this is that every release seems to be getting younger. Col. Taylor will be 4 y/o by 2014 at this rate. Age isn't everything, of course, and I believe people who've tasted it when they say it's good, but at those prices I expect something older. Even the best 7 y/o isn't going to have the complexity of a run of the mill 12 y/o.

[AaronWF]

I wonder if it's more an attempt to decouple pricing from the factors of proof/age/relative scarcity and instead base it on perceived value?

Because that's the only way the EHT pricing makes any sense in comparison to the BTAC.

rather than just raising prices on the existing labels, BT is offering a new, high-end brand experience.

I think Trey's got it with the new brand angle. BT will ultimately get much less slack for introducing a new brand at an elevated price than they would by dramatically increasing the prices on already established brands. BTAC prices have already gone up significantly since they were first introduced, but they can't tack on another $20 MSRP from one year to the next; even enthusiasts wouldn't stand for that, especially since so many of us have bunkered bottles from years past.

Starting the CEHT line at an already inflated price gives them the flexibility to keep the price steady for the foreseeable future. During that time, as bourbon prices rise in general, whiskey drinkers' expectations for what constitutes a $70 value will adjust. It's a shitty position to be in as a consumer, but thems the breaks.

[ShewDawg]

I think I am OK with this. I'll still complain about the premium price with everyone else, but I think BT is doing the same thing I would do in their situation.

As their company's product is becoming more in demand, rather than just raising prices on the existing labels, BT is offering a new, high-end brand experience. I am assuming if CEHT bottles are going to be a regular release, BT will have to start aging certain earmarked barrels in a certain way, and in a certain timeline. As any smart business would, they've mitigated risk in their initial offerings, and are testing the market with products that don't require a huge up front investment. Time will tell if their subsequent releases meet the high standards that Pappy/BTAC have set in the marketplace.

Well said. They make a high quality product at what they view as a discounted price. Their raising of the price has been justified by the demand increasing. I no longer see PVW/BTAC last more than a week on the shelf, which was not always the case. I know it's anecodotal, but seeing responses on here, many others are experiencing the same.

We, being the bourbon nuts, are our own worst enemy here. I doubt they have seen their sales drop over the last several years, in fact, they have probably moved more product than they ever have.