"Rare Breed -- BluesBassDad Bottling"

[bluesbassdad]

That subject line strikes you as phony and pretentious, right?

It's a roundabout way of touching on something that I think the folks at Wild Turkey didn't get quite right (no, I'm not talking about their bourbon or rye).

I sent in my application for The Rare Breed Society many months ago. I eventually gave up on ever receiving an acknowledgement. Then a few weeks ago I received my RBS material in the mail. There were some beautiful, color ads for the product, a motherhood-and-apple-pie intro letter, and a special offer of free, customized labels that I could affix on top of the factory label on future purchases of bottles of Rare Breed.

At first I thought that was rather cool, but the more I thought about it, the sillier I felt about actually ordering the labels. The problem was that I couldn't come up with any verbiage that didn't make me feel juvenile. (I'd go for "youthful", but "juvenile" is a whole different thing. )

Has anyone taken them up on this offer? What did you have imprinted on your labels?

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[Paradox]

I mailed that form out for the personalized labels back in January and still have not received anything. Honestly, after this experience with Wild Turkey and another I had with them via email on another matter, I am through dealing with them. I still love their bourbon and that will not change, don't get me wrong, but their prefessionalism on handling certain matters is sub-par. It even took me twice just to become a member of the Rare Breed Bourbon Society. The first application seemed as if it never got there. So when I contacted them explaining I mailed it in months ago, and have not received my password or welcome kit, the lady says "well you'll have to buy another bottle and mail the tag in again". I couldn't beleive it, when I asked jsut give me a username and password she wouldn't even entertain the idea, acting as if how could she do that perusing the idea maybe I didn't even buy a bottle and wanted free membership (like anything would stop me from stealing the tag off a bottle anyway)! Well, I had a tag from another bottle so it didnt matter, and when I got the kit I was happy. Then within a week I got the personalized label form, now I was even happier haha. Now this... Sorry for the 'rant', but I had almost forgotten about it until now haha.

So anyway to answer your question Dave . I had a hard time deciding as well, but I do have other bottles that are personalized like Makers Mark, Woodford Reserve, Distillers Masterpiece etc. On some I just simply choose my name, and on others I use my name and add below it Bourbon Enthusiast. (That was what I had put for the Rare Breed) I don't much care for the word connoisseur because it seems too snobby, something sc**ch drinkers call themselves, so I prefer to use enthusiast. Or in my case, maybe I should just use Extremist or Nutjob.

Ok, correction to the above ^... Some sc**ch drinkers.

[Speedy_John]

"I don't much care for the word connoisseur because it seems to snobby, something a sco**h drinker calls themselves."

A little story about scotch drinkers/connoisseurs:

A couple of years ago, a number of single malt enthusiasts began noticing a distinct and (in the opinion of many) unpleasant change in the aroma of several single malts produced and bottled by the Bowmore distillery. These Bowmore bottlings exhibited a strong perfume-like aroma; an aroma so strong it spoiled the entire drinking experience. Some wag called the aroma "French Whore Perfume," a tag that stuck and became so widespread that it is now known simply as "FWP."

One whisk(e)y enthusiast (whose opinions on whisky I respect) contacted Bowmore asking what was causing this new and off-putting aroma. The folks at Bowmore responded in a brusk, haughty tone claiming nothing had changed. They were miffed that a mere consumer would have the gall to question the quality of their product. In essence, their response was that they knew what they were talking about and we didn't, further stating that "self-styled whisky connoisseurs" (the term Bowmore used in its reply) should mind their own business.

Such a consumer-unfriendly reply riled a number of single malt enthusiasts. Now, they wear the term "Self-Styled Whisky Connoisseur" as a badge of honor...literally. A few had shirts produced with the term embroidered on the chest, and some attach it to their name (e.g., John Lovasz, SSWC)

These folks really don't consider themselves connoisseurs; they find that term just as pretentious as folks here do. It's all done tongue-in-cheek, and is way we can thumb our noses at some of the stuffed shirts in the business.

SpeedyJohn

[ratcheer]

If I could spell "connoisseur", I would add the term "Self-Styled Whisky Connoisseur" to my sig.

Tim

[cowdery]

That's okay as long as you pronounce it "Co-NOISE-ee-ur."

[kitzg]

I found their distillery tour the same way. For an outfit of their size it is still like dealing with Ma and Pa. The tour I took was rushed and not very personal.

[Paradox]

Well, they're at it again... I just got a thing in the mail to receive up to 3 personalized Rare Breed labels. I STILL did not get mine from last Christmas so needless to say I am not holding my breath again. This time, they are also throwing in another freebie, while supplies last: A deck of Rare Breed playing cards and leather pouch. It says to just have everything filled out and returned to them by Nov 17th. Well it is going in the mailbox right now so let's see if they get their act together this time around.

[Bob]

I got mine in the mail yesterday, so my request for the freebies is going out today. We'll see if we get anything!

[Paradox]

Holy Shit! After not getting them before last Christmas I thought they would never come. Well, they finally arrived today. I thought I'd never see these things...

[bluesbassdad]

They look good. Now I wish I had worked up the gumption (and the patience) to give it a try, too.

I guess it's not too late for me to get out my felt-tipped pen...

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield (The Original DaveM)