Rockefeller Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I've been reading up on the production of various bourbons/ryes and have come across several instances where a distiller will tank the whiskey to arrest the aging process (read that this was done for VWFRR or the Sazerac 18). I was just wondering why they would tank the whiskey instead of simply bottling it. Are they saving the stock to create blends with whiskeys that are still in the cask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwilly019 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I was actually wondering about this myself the other day. My guess, and it is just that, a complete guess, is that the distillery doesn't have to pay taxes until the whiskey has been bottled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLfarmboy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 In the case of Saz 18, BT can claim each year's release is that year's release. I just figured that's why anyone would tank a whiskey without bottling it; to arrest the aging process and to stretch the stocks out over time.Their might be tax advantages and if pallets of bottles sat in a warehouse for several years while the distillery released them in dribs and drabs, cork issues may crop up to-wards the end?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFerguson Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Plus, it's much easier to store it in a large tank rather than thousands of bottles. Space issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazer Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 supply and demand my friends. supply and demand. If we drank more, there wouldn't be any tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_elliott Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 supply and demand my friends. supply and demand. If we drank more, there wouldn't be any tanks.There is plenty of demand for what is in those tanks they just don't want to sell it all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 For flexibility, you don't bottle until it's ready to sell. Bottling doesn't trigger the taxes. Also, tanking is not common. Any extra steps like that are to be avoided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luther.r Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 It also seems like the producers would want the option of changing bottle designs/labeling down the road. If they bottled up 5 years worth of product now, but changed to a new bottle two years from now, the markers wouldn't be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmckenzie Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 It has been my experience that storing spirits that have flavor in bulk is tricky. Whiskey will imporve if aged. But stuff like corn whiskey will change, sometimes it will loose its nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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