Rumor has it...

[boone]

On the bottlinghouse floor...

That Heaven Hill bought Kentucky Bourbon Distillers...

We wait to see if it's true.

Bettye Jo

[barturtle]

:bigeyes::bigeyes::bigeyes::bigeyes::bigeyes:

WHAT?????????

[SBOmarc]

Knowing full well how rumors on factory floors work, I would say 50/50.

To me, it would be a surprise, or am I too far away to have that opinion?

[boone]

Knowing full well how rumors on factory floors work, I would say 50/50.

To me, it would be a surprise, or am I too far away to have that opinion?

Ya know, they say it ain't over till the fat lady sings"

Several weeks ago I saw a legal mumbo, jumbo about a permit for distilling...and the hazards of such with distilling...Blah..blah..

I kept asking if they were going to build the distillery back and nobody knew anything...matter of factly many came to me asking the same question.

I would have "never" posted it here if I thought it was not so The source is pretty direct...but until I hear a announcement...it will be considered a "rumor"

[SBOmarc]

Well in that case, Good on ya HH!

[mozilla]

HH already ownes a non-working distillery. Why would they want another less than a mile away?

I think it would be nice if they rebuilt the old #31. That would be sweet.

[OscarV]

KBD is in the middle of building a distillery.

I assume it is/will be smaller than what HH operates now in Louisville.

Maybe HH would like to get it and make special products.

[Joeluka]

Maybe they just want KBD brands.

[OscarV]

Maybe they just want KBD brands.

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]

HH already supplies most of KBD's bourbon so yeah, maybe they want their labels to.

[callmeox]

With the credit crunch, perhaps KBD was running short on capital as the project progressed and they went a courtin' looking for an investor.

[barturtle]

Maybe they just want a showplace distillery to do tours.

Maybe they want to finally have enough distilling capacity to not have to contract out their rye.

I look forward to hearing their plans, if this does go through.

[cas]

Can someone explain the potential implications? I don't have enough history or perspective to quite know what this will mean.

Craig

[barturtle]

Can someone explain the potential implications? I don't have enough history or perspective to quite know what this will mean.

Craig

Honestly, it's hard to say at this point.

However here's a fun factoid:

KBD could have taken over the claim of "America's Oldest Family Owned Bourbon Distillery" due to the fact that HH's only operating distillery was built in the 90s and KBD's was built in 1937...though I doubt this is reason enough to purchase them.:cool:

[mozilla]

KBD is in the middle of building a distillery.

I assume it is/will be smaller than what HH operates now in Louisville.

Maybe HH would like to get it and make special products.

possibly

Maybe they just want KBD brands.

HH has tons of labels. So, I doubt this one.

HH already supplies most of KBD's bourbon so yeah, maybe they want their labels to.

Same as above.

Warehouse capacity could be one part.

KBD only has a very small still and they only have one pot still. They have been rebuilding slowly so it could be done their way...so, I am doubting that they would scrap the idea halfway through.

I am mystified by this one. The only idea that I can come up with.....is, someone at Castle Brands...who had put some money behind KBD has sold their share to another investor....possibly HH??? Which, might have been part of a deal that landed Castle Brands a stash of 17 yr old bourbon recently. Who knows?

[BourbonJoe]

Wow BettyeJo that IS a real scoop. We'll have to wait and see.

Joe :usflag:

[OscarV]

If I were to bet on it I'd say HH wants the KBD distillery for tours and special bottles, like a boutique bourbon.

[mozilla]

For the money they would spend on KBD...they could just rebuild DSP 31. Wouldn't that be a better plan? What is the Willetts name and history going to do for Heaven Hill?

[barturtle]

For the money they would spend on KBD...they could just rebuild DSP 31. Wouldn't that be a better plan? What is the Willetts name and history going to do for Heaven Hill?

Are you sure they could do it for the same cost? How long would that take? How much would have to be rebuilt and would they then have to bring it up to current OSHA standards?

As much as I would like to see all the old distilleries rebuilt and operating, sometimes it just doesn't pay to do so.

[mozilla]

KBD is not that complex. They will only have two fermenters and their still capacity is very small.

I would think that HH could make something similar without blinking an eye. HH has much deeper pockets than the Willett family. Also, KBD is mostly potential. I don't see where HH could profit off the Willett farm by using the Willett name. When they could do the same thing on their own proporty. Minus the warehouses, as I previously stated.

ps. The warehouses at KBD have to have alot of barrels in them already, right? So, HH wouldn't be able to really use the extra capacity....right off the bat. It would take some time to empty them and refill with Berheim juice. And would HH really want to buy a bunch of their old juice back? Maybe, so?

[OscarV]

For the money they would spend on KBD...they could just rebuild DSP 31. Wouldn't that be a better plan? What is the Willetts name and history going to do for Heaven Hill?

I am sure that these Willett releases have got the attention of HH.

And Willett/KBD is very small stuff to someone as big as HH.

But what has HH got in the way of "specialty" offerings?

Fighting Cock?

Big beer breweries buy small independants in hopes of getting the "enthusiasts" purchases because they can't come up with these types of brands on their own.

And in this age of bourbon being on the up-swing it wouldn't be bad to have more varieties to sell.

[mozilla]

I don't think HH is having any trouble selling their specialty bottlings. They don't need KBD to sell interesting bourbon. A good portion of bourbon bottled by KBD is HH to begin with. So, HH already wins.

[OscarV]

Yeah, right, that is exactly what I am saying to.

Willett has already got a below the radar following, I think HH wants it to be well above the radar but with them(HH)as the owner.

[barturtle]

Here's a question: Is DSP-31 more valuable as a tourist attraction as a burned out hulk, showing pictures of the fire and telling "rising up from the ashes" stories, or is it more valuable as a working distillery?

I would vote the former. Add in a beautifully restored distillery right down the road for tours and I think you have a much more interesting visitor experience.

[Joeluka]

The Willets labels, Vintage 17 , 21, 23 and Vintage Rye 21 ,23 and Black Maple Hill Brands sell for way more bucks than most every brand of HH. Is it really so hard to imagine HH wanting all those labels so they can sell THEIR product in established brand names. Maybe I'm wrong but I bet it would cost more to market a new brand. HH's Rittenhouse Rye 21 and 23 has not received the kind of buzz that all the Willets do. Black Maple Hill brands already exist in extended ages that HH doesn't sell in the US.

I bet it would cost way less to buy KBD than it would to promote and dist rube any of their old forgotten labels.

Just my 2 cents

[OscarV]

Also I wonder how many times Max Shapiro has seen KBD sales numbers and thought, "That used to be my bourbon."

And how many times Parker Beam has heard the positive reviews of KBD brands and thought, "Damn, that is my bourbon."