Makers White

[NeoTexan]

Anyone seen or tried this yet?

[StraightNoChaser]

Probably not long until we see more distilleries offering their white dog for sale

[sku]

I didn't know that they were bottling white dog and I haven't seen it, but Makers has featured the white dog as part of their tasting classes for years.

It tastes like white dog.

[cigarnv]

Has to be the most profitable product a distillery can sell.....

[cowdery]

What's interesting to me about this is that they're really putting it to the micro-distilleries and their so-called white whiskeys. Now you can compare them side by side and decide if the micros are on to something or not.

Also, I know a lot of sophisticated mixologists who love white dog for creative cocktails. That has to be where a lot of this is going.

[craigthom]

What's the proof of this? If it's 90, then, yeah, I guess I've had it: part of the tasting at the end of the new(ish) tour is a shot of "bourbon-eligible spirit" (white dog), watered down to Maker's proof.

[ethangsmith]

I can see why mixologists would like it. It probably reacts similar to vodka or other neutral spirits when mixed. Takes a lot of the guesswork out of having to predict what aged bourbon or rye will do to the cocktail.

[NeoTexan]

What's the proof of this? If it's 90, then, yeah, I guess I've had it: part of the tasting at the end of the new(ish) tour is a shot of "bourbon-eligible spirit" (white dog), watered down to Maker's proof.

I asked and found....It is indeed 90 proof.

[Bourbon Boiler]

I'm hardly a talented or experienced mixer, but I really struggle to get the BT White Dog to mix well with anything. Maybe the lower proof and the wheat mashbill will work better for MM.

[smokinjoe]

Two new things from Maker's, in the last 2 years. Will this trend continue??? Maybe, a change of attitude, in Loretto??? Maybe, more new things on the horizon???? Maybe, jump on the ultra-premium train???? Maybe, fire up the black wax vat??? Maybe,......??? I really hope so. Maker's is an incredibly important brand to enthusiasts in Bourbonia. Too important to sit on the sidelines while others grab the ultra-premium segment.

[dmarkle]

Two new things from Maker's, in the last 2 years. Will this trend continue??? Maybe, a change of attitude, in Loretto??? Maybe, more new things on the horizon???? Maybe, jump on the ultra-premium train???? Maybe, fire up the black wax vat??? Maybe,......??? I really hope so. Maker's is an incredibly important brand to enthusiasts in Bourbonia. Too important to sit on the sidelines while others grab the ultra-premium segment.

I certainly hope so. My opinion FWIW is that before Maker's, a lot of the people just thought of bourbon as Beam White, and that's where it stood, because that was pretty much the only bourbon to be found at any given bar. Maker's upped the ante back in the day and POOF, there was something you could at least drink at every bar. Now that bourbon is well rebooted, they're kind of getting left behind. It's kind of sad to think that they don't have any 15 year old stock laying somewhere in wait. It would likely be fantastic.

[Gillman]

Is it possible this is a vodka?

Gary

[doubleblank]

As Wade mentioned elsewhere, Houston has a full-time Makers "brand ambassador". She is hitting the bars and pouring three things right now.

The white dog shown here.

Their standard bottling.

An "over aged" sample at about 10 years of age.

The stated purpose of pouring the samples is to show their standard bottling is the "sweet spot" in age and the 10 yo stuff is too woody. We all know that any of us could rummage around a rickhouse and find a woody 10yo sample. But the point is that they are making a large effort to dissuade the consumer from wanting an older version of Makers Mark. So it would seem unlikely that they are going to be introducing an aged product while currently showing their aged product is too woody.

Coincidentally, she and I had a heated discussion about the possibility of products for the "connoiseur" missing from the Makers lineup. Higher proofs.......longer ageing.....etc. Clearly, in her mind, not going to happen anytime soon.

Randy

[DeanSheen]

Thanks for that report from the field Randy.

Selling bottles and selling bourbon are two different things.

Still, they are savvy enough sales people that I wouldn't put it past them to have an aged product in the pipeline.

[HP12]

Coincidentally, she and I had a heated discussion about the possibility of products for the "connoiseur" missing from the Makers lineup. Higher proofs.......longer ageing.....etc. Clearly, in her mind, not going to happen anytime soon. Randy

It would certainly be reasonable for MM to launch a high premium line. By not doing so, it seems like they are missing out on a popular niche. Even if it were highly limited in availability, a high proof, longer aged MM makes sense...but what the hell do I know.

[bgageus]

Seems to me that MM has hit the sweet spot with the method of barrelling they use. For something aged longer it would have to probably be stored in a more moderate (temperature) area of the rickhouse. From what I have heard the ultra premuims are usally aged there, so they age a little slower and longer and loose less to the angel's.

(I realized I might be taking this off topic). So to try and get back on, I can say I have had the White dog off diluted down to about 90 proof, I think it does have a unique flavor that other Dogs dont have, but that may be because it is the only Wheated white Ive had. I dont think there are any other wheated whites out?

[Tucker]

I dont think there are any other wheated whites out?

Buffalo Trace has bottled their wheated white dog but I don't believe it's available for sale, only used for samplings.

http://www.thirstysouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSC_0242.jpg

[Lost Pollito]

Buffalo Trace has bottled their wheated white dog but I don't believe it's available for sale, only used for samplings.

http://www.thirstysouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSC_0242.jpg

Heaven Hill has their Wheated White on the way as well. Tri-box series.

[Gillman]

This is a good question for Chuck, but anyone should feel free to answer: why are the producers "playing" with white dog in this way (if, as I gather, this new MM product is bourbon mash spirit and not GNS or vodka)? Surely the market for such things will be very small.

Why don't they put the bourbon name on a vodka? Isn't the sales potential far greater? I'd buy an MM- or HH-branded vodka...

This used to be done years ago, e.g., the Bellows name was used for multiple spirits, and perhaps still is.

Gary

[mosugoji64]

This is a good question for Chuck, but anyone should feel free to answer: why are the producers "playing" with white dog in this way (if, as I gather, this new MM product is bourbon mash spirit and not GNS or vodka)? Surely the market for such things will be very small.

Why don't they put the bourbon name on a vodka? Isn't the sales potential far greater? I'd buy an MM- or HH-branded vodka...

This used to be done years ago, e.g., the Bellows name was used for multiple spirits, and perhaps still is.

Gary

I just saw HH vodka and gin earlier this week. First time for me.

[Gillman]

Okay thanks, I hadn't realized they were doing that. Is it new?

Gary

[doubleblank]

Gary, many bartenders are developing cocktails that use white dog in them. That's not a big market, but that's how I've seen them used. I have seen both HH and Barton branded London Dry Gin and Vodkas.

Randy

[Gillman]

Interesting. Maybe there is scope for growth here (white dog market), but I would doubt it. It is good to see the HH and Barton names on white spirits, but I guess they are an exception (or partial for Barton) in that the related bourbons are not the high end of the shelf, whereas Maker's is. In other words, would it matter to MM if it put the name of its premium bourbon on a vodka?

Gary

[cowdery]

As Wade mentioned elsewhere, Houston has a full-time Makers "brand ambassador". She is hitting the bars and pouring three things right now.

The white dog shown here.

Their standard bottling.

An "over aged" sample at about 10 years of age.

The stated purpose of pouring the samples is to show their standard bottling is the "sweet spot" in age and the 10 yo stuff is too woody. We all know that any of us could rummage around a rickhouse and find a woody 10yo sample. But the point is that they are making a large effort to dissuade the consumer from wanting an older version of Makers Mark. So it would seem unlikely that they are going to be introducing an aged product while currently showing their aged product is too woody.

Coincidentally, she and I had a heated discussion about the possibility of products for the "connoiseur" missing from the Makers lineup. Higher proofs.......longer ageing.....etc. Clearly, in her mind, not going to happen anytime soon.

Randy

This was the gist of Dave Pickerell's presentations at WhiskeyFest and other events.

[cowdery]

First, I'm not so sure this Maker's is a real product. I haven't heard a word about it from them or their PR folks. Could be they've packaged it with an approved label and all so it's easier for them to distribute to brand ambassadors and such, but they're not actually going to sell it at retail.

Why are the major producers selling their white dog? A couple of reasons: (1) they can (i.e., they're making it anyway), (2) people like us have encouraged them to, (3) mixologists do like the stuff and will buy it for their bars, (4) they don't want to let microdistilleries capture the 'white whiskey' market such as it is, (5) it does contribute to consumer information about bourbon and how it's made (i.e., the importance of aging).

As for whiskey makers making vodka, the only Kentucky distillery that actually makes vodka is BT with Rain. Heaven Hill, Sazerac (for its other brands), and everyone else who sells a vodka buys the grain neutral spirit from one of the major ethanol producers such as ADM. So for Heaven Hill, for example, the spirit comes to Bardstown in a tanker and goes directly to the bottling line. They might do some charcoal filtering and, of course, what's in the tanker is 95% abv, so they also add water.