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Allocation News From Templeton Rye


silverfish
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Whisky Intelligence posted an entry with Templeton's Dec ‘10 - Dec ‘11

preliminary allocation and why it's so hard to find their product in Iowa.

"As you can see, we sent nearly 80% of our December allotment to Iowa

and will continue to do our best to supply our home state while balancing

the future growth for our company."

but

"What we want to make clear is that once we sell product to the ABD we

do not control where it ends up or the price on the shelf. We have a lot

more influence on those items in other states and quite frankly, if Iowa

were not our home state we would probably allocate much less product

here."

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"We have a lot

more influence on those items in other states and quite frankly, if Iowa

were not our home state we would probably allocate much less product

here."

And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle.

I guess it's intended as a criticism of the Iowa ABD. Still an odd thing to say.:skep:

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I guess it's intended as a criticism of the Iowa ABD. Still an odd thing to say.:skep:

That's the impression I got after reading the piece.

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An interesting (maybe) side note on Templeton......I have a brother-in-law who's family had been in the grain business during prohibition in that part of Iowa. So I asked if the family had supplied any grain for the distilling. He said they hadn't supplied grain but they were "distributors", they would get the whiskey in 5 gal containers and break it down into flasks, pints etc.

As they were the grain elevator it was common for the locals to stop by on a regular basis. No whiskey exchanged hands at the elevator, someone would come in and pay and a drop would be arranged like the third telephone pole north of a road intersection etc.

Once Templeton was back in production his dad always had a bottle or two on hand.

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They're definitely trying to deflect some criticism onto the ABD (which does deserve criticism). There are a lot of complaints about allocation around the state and price increases. Allocation is up to the ABD, any price increases are primarily retailers-neither are Templeton's fault. I think Templeton also ges some grief about allocating to Chicago and NY when the demand is still so high in Iowa. There may be many criticisms levied against Templeton, but IMO that's not a real good one. They clearly want to expand the brand beyond Iowa and to do so they have to give other major markets a taste.

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Small semantic point. Iowa ABD controls distribution to retail and thus a kind of "allocation" but as the term is used the "allocation" in question is how much product Templeton is allocating to Iowa out of their total production.

Templeton has itself in a box of its own making. Demand outstripping supply may seem like a good problem to have but in Templeton's case, they keep promoting, promoting, promoting, but then people go to the store and can't find the product. They get mad, retailers complain, and the ABD has complained and been very critical of Templeton. Getting in a pissing match with the ABD may be satisfying and it's always easy to blame the government for anything, but in the long run I think Templeton is in trouble.

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"They get mad, retailers complain . . ."

That's true, many of the retailers I've talked to here in Des Moines are annoyed at the constant calls and questions about TR. I know some mark it up quite a bit out of spite, or 'compensate themselves for the annoyance.'

In other TR news, they are starting to sell used barrels. I have a friend who's going to go get one today. Nothing like sticking your face in a used whiskey barrel-great smell.

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Small semantic point. Iowa ABD controls distribution to retail and thus a kind of "allocation" but as the term is used the "allocation" in question is how much product Templeton is allocating to Iowa out of their total production.

Templeton has itself in a box of its own making. Demand outstripping supply may seem like a good problem to have but in Templeton's case, they keep promoting, promoting, promoting, but then people go to the store and can't find the product. They get mad, retailers complain, and the ABD has complained and been very critical of Templeton. Getting in a pissing match with the ABD may be satisfying and it's always easy to blame the government for anything, but in the long run I think Templeton is in trouble.

Templeton is really in trouble when you think about the introduction of Bulleit Rye coming next month. That's gonna suck up all the extra LDI juice. Bush may have to actually make his own Whiskey!!:shocked: :shocked:

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Templeton is really in trouble when you think about the introduction of Bulleit Rye coming next month. That's gonna suck up all the extra LDI juice. Bush may have to actually make his own Whiskey!!:shocked: :shocked:

Shall we start the betting...

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I have no idea what goes on in Iowa but it can be found rather easily around Chicago. Is it really that hard to find or is this just a PR stunt telling people "It's so hard to find so buy it if you see it"

Anyone know if the Templeton people are involved with the Iowa bourbon I've seen lately...comes in the same bottle.

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Anyone know if the Templeton people are involved with the Iowa bourbon I've seen lately...comes in the same bottle.

Hey Tommy!! The Iowa Bourbon is from Cedar Ridge. Different place.

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Is it really that hard to find or is this just a PR stunt telling people "It's so hard to find so buy it if you see it."
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I have no idea what goes on in Iowa but it can be found rather easily around Chicago. Is it really that hard to find or is this just a PR stunt telling people "It's so hard to find so buy it if you see it"

Anyone know if the Templeton people are involved with the Iowa bourbon I've seen lately...comes in the same bottle.

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The small town I live in the local store always has it on hand but you should have seen the look on the face of the owner when I told her it wasn't made in Iowa. I proceeded to tell who does make it she had an absolute look of betrayal on her face as this is the only rye they sell.

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I have no idea what goes on in Iowa but it can be found rather easily around Chicago.

Same for NYC, it's becoming strangely ubiquitous. But I don't see it jumping off the shelves. For the money, you can get two bottles of WT101 or Ritt101.

A friend of mine bought some and I had a bit neat, and then some in a Manhattan. Both were fine drinks, but not remarkable. But I didn't think it was better than Ritt BIB, and probably not $35 better than Old Overholt, IMHO.

I hate to pile on here, but I'd be bummed too if I was one of those Iowans who'd been told this was an Iowa product, made in Iowa, by Iowans, just like they made it in Iowa back in the day, only to find out that its not made in Iowa, and that fact was being in any way concealed. I love supporting local products, especially ones that are steeped in the history of a place, and it'd feel pretty awful to me to think a company was trying to trade in on that desire without actually delivering on the implied promise.

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The small town I live in the local store always has it on hand but you should have seen the look on the face of the owner when I told her it wasn't made in Iowa. I proceeded to tell who does make it she had an absolute look of betrayal on her face as this is the only rye they sell.

You're just a Big Meanie, Paul. I suppose you also tell five year olds that there isn't a Santa Claus.

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Templeton avail seems to go up and down in the Quad Cities. Prices range from $32-$40 that I have seen. Most places have it around the $36 range.

I do know a guy who owns a grocery store and his stock sells out in about 6 hours at a one per customer limit.

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I've had some tastes of the different "batches" they have had, but have never actually purchased a bottle.

It just isn't good enough for what they charge for it.

My opinion, of course.

Also, I get into arguments all the time with drunk know-it-alls that demand it is a 100% Iowa product, and try to astound me with their whiskey knowledge. One dude tried to argue with me that Jameson Irish Wiskey was single malt Scotch...then demanded that TR was Iowa through and through.

Meh.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks to the Iowans and others setting me straight. I saw a bottle today that was approaching $50 if my memory serves me right... I grabbed a VWFRR instead.

If anyone in Iowa needs some, come on down to Chicago.

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  • 2 weeks later...

And I saw a few bottles a day ago with a little sign saying it was allocated and hard to get and "Are you worthy?"

I decided I wasn't and grabbed something else.

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And I saw a few bottles a day ago with a little sign saying it was allocated and hard to get and "Are you worthy?"

I decided I wasn't and grabbed something else.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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  • 1 month later...

I saw Templeton Rye in the West Des Moines, IA COSTCO last year for $28 a bottle. They haven't had any that I've seen since last summer.

The Iowa distributors are a bit weird though. I can find Michelob Amber Bock everywhere but I can't find Michelob Classic Dark anywhere. I think it's still made but at a big grocery store chain the guy in charge of the liquor department said it's just not available through the distributor for the Des Moines area. On the surface it's odd but perhaps there is a reason.

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