No Maker's 46 in the UK until 2014????

[MacinJosh]

Hey all,

I was talking to Dominic Roskrow yesterday and he had just finished tasting the Maker's 46 for the first time.....of course he was a fan. He then went on to declare the UK would not be receiving any until 2014!! Ouch! He was even under the impression the Whisky Exchange couldn't even get any but I have since received a tweet from them stating "@whiskytasting @iMacinJosh @TheWhiskyWire We'll definitely have it before then TWE not being able to get stuff is only ever temporary..."

Dominic decided to blog about it late last night. A good article and thought I would share.

http://thewhiskytastingclub.co.uk/Blogs/domblog/2011/03/30/is-bill-samuels-having-a-laugh/

Cheers!

Josh

[NeoTexan]

It was my understanding that the just added staves to the inside of the used barrels and refilled, not breaking them down and rebuilding with the new oak.

[smokinjoe]

And, wasn't the 46 name in reference to the 46th experimental test-batch that they did with the cooperage, not just to be whacky?

[Rutter]

I've seen it in some of the bars in london so it is available, but its very pricey!

[callmeox]

And, wasn't the 46 name in reference to the 46th experimental test-batch that they did with the cooperage, not just to be whacky?

Joe, you have that wrong. Bloggers are correct and SB is where misinformation comes from.

Please don't make that mistake again.

[nor02lei]

This just show what has happened in the last year or so. The gap between the available American whiskey between Europe and USA has escalated almost logarithmic. Very frustrating indeed!

Leif

[NeoTexan]

Joe, you have that wrong. Bloggers are correct and SB is where misinformation comes from.

Please don't make that mistake again.

Although bloggers are not always the most reliable souces of information, I would take Dominic's word over most folks here. He probably has more experience in the whisky world than 90% of the folks on this board. In addition to other achievments he is a member of The Keepers of the Quaich.

[OscarV]

And, wasn't the 46 name in reference to the 46th experimental test-batch that they did with the cooperage, not just to be whacky?

Joe, you have that wrong. Bloggers are correct and SB is where misinformation comes from.

Please don't make that mistake again.

Scott I think Joe is correct.

Seems to me I read that is just about exactley what Bill Samuels Jr said about it.

[callmeox]

Although bloggers are not always the most reliable souces of information, I would take Dominic's word over most folks here. He probably has more experience in the whisky world than 90% of the folks on this board. In addition to other achievments he is a member of The Keepers of the Quaich.

Does his extreme experience give him the right to make shit up as he goes?

According to the press release at the time of the 46 launch, you and Joe are correct about the derivation of the name and the change in the process and the Queef keeper is not.

Perhaps the original "oak planks" information is vague, but the tearing down the barrels angle is definitely different.

[callmeox]

Scott I think Joe is correct.

Seems to me I read that is just about exactley what Bill Samuels Jr said about it.

Your sarcasm detector needs a tuneup. :grin:

[OscarV]

Your sarcasm detector needs a tuneup. :grin:

[smokinjoe]

Your sarcasm detector needs a tuneup. :grin:

[cowdery]

Dominic simply got it wrong. They do not "take new French oak staves and ... break down the casks, rebuild them with the new staves, seal them, and refill." I've been there and watched them do what they do, which is empty the barrel, remove the top hoops so they can remove the head, then they restore the hoops and install four plastic railings, one on each side, one top and one bottom. The French oak -- which is really planks, not staves -- is then hung on these racks and the head is put back on. The barrels are refilled and then sit for however long it is, six weeks if I remember correctly. He just made some incorrect assumptions. It happens.

[callmeox]

The entire premise of the piece is flawed.

Regarding the name 46, he says:

The joke here? That normal Maker’s has an alcoholic strength of 46% ABV – 92 proof – but 46 is at 47%.

“I think Bill did it deliberately,” says MM’s Jane Conner. “I certainly wouldn’t put it past him. You can just imagine him doing it. Right, we’ve got this great new whisky. We’re gonna call it 46. What strength shall we make it? How about 47?

“I mean it’s not as if one percentage point makes a lot of difference”

-------------

The normal strength of Makers is 45% ABV, not 46%.

[jburlowski]

IMHO, if you don't get MM46 until 2014 (or even much later), you'll do just fine.

[NeoTexan]

Does his extreme experience give him the right to make shit up as he goes?

According to the press release at the time of the 46 launch, you and Joe are correct about the derivation of the name and the change in the process and the Queef keeper is not.

Perhaps the original "oak planks" information is vague, but the tearing down the barrels angle is definitely different.

I'm sorry, he got something wrong.

I should know better and always take your posts as "word from above".

[callmeox]

I'm sorry, he got something wrong.

I should know better and always take your posts as "word from above".

I don't place myself out there as an expert while writing a blog. You can bet your ass that if I did take up a blog, I would check my facts before publishing.

[smokinjoe]

I don't place myself out there as an expert while writing a blog. You can bet your ass that if I did take up a blog, I would check my facts before publishing.

I agree. It was an absolutely careless and sloppy story, for someone who apparently has such a fine reputation writing about whisky. I guess, the wrong whiskey. We as laymen, can get it wrong on this subject, and make those type of blatant incorrect assumptions. But, those mistakes were Titanic. If he paid any attention to the American whiskey market, he would most definitely not have made such errors. To finish, I don't know Bill Samuels from Adam, but I couldn't help but get the impression that Roskrow's story portrayed him as some sort of Carnival barker. Much to my dismay.

[cowdery]

While Dominic got a lot wrong, the Bill-Samuels-as-carnival-barker portrayal is pretty much dead on, and I'm sure Mr. Samuels would agree. It's the image he cultivates.

I'll admit I'm surprised by the mistakes, as Maker's has a very good and complete press kit for 46.

I wouldn't make such a big deal about this. He takes comments on his blog. Call him out.

[smokinjoe]

While Dominic got a lot wrong, the Bill-Samuels-as-carnival-barker portrayal is pretty much dead on, and I'm sure Mr. Samuels would agree. It's the image he cultivates.

I'll admit I'm surprised by the mistakes, as Maker's has a very good and complete press kit for 46.

I wouldn't make such a big deal about this. He takes comments on his blog. Call him out.

Without question, you know Bill Samuels better than I. So, if you say he cultivates, promotes, or endorses a carnival-barker image, then that must be part of his shtick. OK. My from-the-cheap-seats-view didn't hit on that.

[cowdery]

I can't find the picture of him in the pimp suit with the feather boa so his lawn jockey outfit will have to do.

[NeoTexan]

I can't find the picture of him in the pimp suit with the feather boa so his lawn jockey outfit will have to do.

That was actually a cardboard cutout. He could not attend so they placed that at the party so folks could get a picture "with" Bill.

And here is a shot of what you were looking for, the theme that year was Mardi Gras:

[cowdery]

That's one of my favorites but there's another one with a pink feather boa that was more pimp-like.

He does tend to reserve the wildest outfits for family.

I love Bill. How many business executives have a personal costume budget?

[NeoTexan]

That's one of my favorites but there's another one with a pink feather boa that was more pimp-like.

He does tend to reserve the wildest outfits for family.

I love Bill. How many business executives have a personal costume budget?

I think that was a Flappers and Dappers event .... I may have it also. I will look.

[NeoTexan]

Couldn't find the pink boa but did find: