Stranahan’s only in Colorado?

[silverfish]

According to this WhiskyIntelligence post, Stranahan's "...was

purchased by a “big dumb company” about six months ago and,

in their infinite wisdom, they’ve eliminated distribution and any

access to Stranahan’s Small Batch Whiskey outside of Colorado."

Last I heard they were bought up by Proximo but this is the first

I've heard about CO-only distribution. Anyone have any info?

edit to add: The WI post is dated June 11, 2011

[ThomasH]

I don't know about the change in ownership but I did see a few stray bottles of it in my area a few weeks ago!

Thomas

[DeanSheen]

Does not make any sense.

It's still on the Ohio list.

[silverfish]

I don't know about the change in ownership ...

[HP12]

As of today, Stranahan's remains on the Virginia ABC special order list.

[cowdery]

The Proximo sale is old news. The more recent news is that they will be distributing only in Colorado for the time being, no reason given. There is something weird going on as the usually chatty Jess Graber has dropped out of sight for the last six months. No one seems to know what's going on or what happened. This leads to lots of rumors, of course, so be wary of statements that begin, "I heard..."

[ebo]

I guess that means I have to nurse the only bottle I have.

[T Comp]

I like Stranahan's but not enough to have ever bought a bottle at its north of $50 price. I go to Colorado every year and get my fill at a pizza joint that has generous pours at a reasonable price. Certainly seems like an irrational, even insane business decision, at at time when other craft distilled products are quickly multiplying and they have the head start of recognition and praise.

[Guest wripvanwrinkle]

At the moment it is fairly difficult to get locally. The large stores are on allocation and sell out in a day. What is odd, is there is plenty of older stock in the smaller stores...so it's not really like other markets need to be completely cut off to satisfy our demand.

This is completely fictional, but I would like to start the rumor that Colorado is retaliating in response to our measly Sazerac allocations for limited editions.

[HP12]

Maybe Proximo's plan is to create demand while also holding more barrels for later releases with age statements?

[ILLfarmboy]

I like it but I'm guilty of not buying it often enough.

They used to have their wort made next door and piped to them, then they starded having it shipped in from elswere, now this.

I'm disapointed.

[cowdery]

If anyone is going to be in Frisco, Colorado this weekend, Jake Norris is supposed to participate in a BBQ event there, sponsored by Stranahan's.

[Guest wripvanwrinkle]

I like it but I'm guilty of not buying it often enough.

They used to have their wort made next door and piped to them, then they starded having it shipped in from elswere, now this.

I'm disapointed.

I was suspicious about the wort being shipped in...but didn't want to challenge it without more information. I took my family on the Stranahan tour today.

When Oscar Blues moved, (iirc) the wort was indeed shipped in for a while. The equipment though stayed on site, and once they hired the brewers to do so, they again produced the wort on site.

The barley comes in pre-malted (if you want to get stressed about that.)

Today they were putting in a new wash kettle, and a third Vendome was being assembled.

If your "disappointment" comment is related to distribution, then I feel for you. If it is somehow related to the process, then I think that your disappointment is misplaced.

[tmckenzie]

I was suspicious about the wort being shipped in...but didn't want to challenge it without more information. I took my family on the Stranahan tour today.

When Oscar Blues moved, (iirc) the wort was indeed shipped in for a while. The equipment though stayed on site, and once they hired the brewers to do so, they again produced the wort on site.

The barley comes in pre-malted (if you want to get stressed about that.)

Today they were putting in a new wash kettle, and a third Vendome was being assembled.

If your "disappointment" comment is related to distribution, then I feel for you. If it is somehow related to the process, then I think that your disappointment is misplaced.

Yes, when I was out there in January, they were indeed making there wort there. Everybdy uses premalted barley. I studied there process closely, I like there stuff, but I just cannot imagine how much better it would be if they skipped the boil, and filter and used a wash more like a scottish distillery.

[Guest wripvanwrinkle]

Yes, when I was out there in January, they were indeed making there wort there. Everybdy uses premalted barley. I studied there process closely, I like there stuff, but I just cannot imagine how much better it would be if they skipped the boil, and filter and used a wash more like a scottish distillery.

[tmckenzie]

Ask anything you like. I will tell you best I can. There process I think came about because they needed beer to distill, because the must not have had the equipment or know how. Adi pushes this big time, to buy you wash from a brewery and leave corn alon at all costs. Their whiskey was popular and i think when they started making there own wash, they took a if it ain't broke don't try to fix it attitude. No way in the world I would fault them for that. They did it their way and it has paid off. My hats off to them.

[cowdery]

Jake Norris, the distiller at Stanahan's, recently made some posts about this on the ADI Forums board. He mentioned that they used to get wash from a brewery but now do all of their own fermentation and he's happy to have control of that process.

Although everyone there is still tight-lipped about what happened with 'the sale,' Jake now seems willing to engage about the product itself. Anyone can participate on the ADI boards. You don't have to be a distiller.

[cowdery]

That didn't take long. Jake Norris has now decamped as well. Good article about Stranahan's today on Westword.

[Bourbon Boiler]

FWIW, I saw bottles available at two different stores in Indy last weekend. I have no idea how long they were there.

[tmckenzie]

Jake's leaving does not surprise me at all. When I spoke with him last he was very unhappy with the situation, but was trying to make the best of it.

[DeanSheen]

Well that didn't take long. A company making premium small batch product with premium pricing get's snapped up and (on it's way to being) screwed up by a company that see's all that profit potential out there in expanded sales.

The punk rock analogy seems apt. Will retaining their original fans matter or are they popular enough to grow the fan base? I'm guessing that these little details of ownership, process etc. matter to people who spend that much on one bottle of whiskey. Time will tell.

[moose]

AFAIK the only state's Stranahan's distributes to is Colorado and New York. Kind of bittersweet to see them come and go so quickly (in terms of ownership). The allocation here seems to be fairly tight as well, my store can only bring in a half case once a month or so, and we sell that in less than a week. Should start hoarding it to have a lot to put on the shelfs for the holidays.

Thanks for the articles posted as well, interesting reads.

[cowdery]

My prediction is that Stanahan's is going to quickly wither and die. Proximo has totally blown it. Other micros, beware.

[T Comp]

Almost makes me want to spend the $60 shelf price (plus all the other Cook County taxes and fees that bring it closer to $70) on the few that still linger here. Right now though I'm still at almost.

[moose]

My prediction is that Stanahan's is going to quickly wither and die. Proximo has totally blown it. Other micros, beware.

Maybe in terms of quality, due to the new ownership and the absence of the original passion from the owners, but seeing as how they were bought up as an investment I don't see them just falling off the face of the earth. Seems like they are going after a new placement strategy, pulling out of states they were in, to increase demand, then maybe going back to more states if production levels can increase.

Who knows, pure speculation, and I am not the world's number one fan of Stranahan's. We'll see.

Almost makes me want to spend the $60 shelf price (plus all the other Cook County taxes and fees that bring it closer to $70) on the few that still linger here. Right now though I'm still at almost.

Get the original stuff while you can, if its been sitting on the shelf for a while, talk to the owner and see if he'll give you a little discount to get them off the shelf?