White Dog Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I don't remember Baby Saz ever having an age statement.What I lament is the stratifying of brands into top shelf extra aged and lower and bottom shelf 'value' brands with no age statements. You just know the product will be degraded over time. It's like going into a grocery store and only being able to buy cheese whiz in a can or spending 8 bux for 6 oz of fancy imported Dutch Havarti. Damn it man. I want an in between option!Does this make me an unusual consumer, someone the marketing folks don't wish to court? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bad_scientist Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Someone else posted that somewhere on here, but I can't find the thread. I think the thought was that more and more barrels will go towards the main brands - mainly BT and Stagg - since they all have the same higher corn mashbill. Someone please jump in if I'm off base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Re: Baby SazI think you guys are right, maybe it never did have an age statement. However it's been referred to casually as a six year old, even in Hansell's review of it. At least, I can't find a photo of a label with an age statement visible.Here's the thing. Somebody started the rumor that Baby Saz is 6 years old, whether it's on the label or not. No different than the claim that Buffalo Trace is "about 9 years old." Or any number of other such unsubstantiated claims from various producers.Bottom line, is that age is used as a marketing point even if it's not officially stated. I think that's BS. If you're going to work that angle, I think you should put it on the label. Otherwise, I have no reason to believe you.And yes, I agree that more age doesn't always equal a better product, BUT: 7, 8 or 9 years is almost always better than 4 or 5, or 4 with a little bit of 8 year thrown in for seasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Re: Saz's age statement, I think a new thread is in order... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpstylz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 But for some reason with Bourbon it seems that the automatic assumption (at least here) is that removing the Age Statement automatically means an inferior product. But if everything else as to quality of ingredients, materials, etc. stays the same and the taste remains unchanged, does it really matter if it is 7.5 years rather than 8 or 9? There is plenty of crap out there that is aged... it just makes it old crap. The Good Stuff may be aged more, but it is the fact that it is good to begin with that makes it important, not the age stated on the bottle.I agree. I would much rather see distilleries barreling at a lower proof and also distilling at a lower proof than just adding a few years to a bottling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I agree. I would much rather see distilleries barreling at a lower proof and also distilling at a lower proof than just adding a few years to a bottling.Fun fact: Popular SB.com whipping boy Maker's Mark barrels at one of the lowest proofs in the business, perhaps as low as 110. Do with that knowledge nugget what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Lamplighter Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 To tell you the truth, I have not seen a WSR with an age statement in at least a year & maybe two years in my wandering/hunting region. I found an old dusty WSR Louisville today and talked to the store owner a bit. He said WSR had no age statement starting with the new bottle design 1-2 years ago. The only reason he still had the old one I purchased was the 1L size just doesn't sell he said.I guess that is why this thread kinda caught me off guard initially. Maybe there were still a good many old bottle design WSRs out there and a lot of folk are just now seeing the new ones. Or, maybe there was an age statement on the new design and us non-observant folk here in TN never noticed(?). If that is the case and it has now been removed, I need to get new glasses before I screw up further...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nblair Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Fun fact: Popular SB.com whipping boy Maker's Mark barrels at one of the lowest proofs in the business, perhaps as low as 110. Do with that knowledge nugget what you will. Recently did a blind taste test of WSR and MM (WSR NAS unbeknownst to me, I went back to check the bottle and sure enough it said 90 on the neck). My Wife poured while I was looking the other way, so I had no idea one way or the other. It was obvious which one was which. Could pick it on nose alone, but tasted to confirm. I enjoyed the Maker's more. I've always told myself if someone paid the extra expense to barrel at a lower proof, I'd pay the extra cash for a bottle. I just can't do it for Maker's, though. Maker's goes in at 110, Weller goes in at 114. A 1.75 of Weller is $22.99, Maker's is pushing $40 I believe. I applaud Wild Turkey more than Maker's, because they barrel at much lower proof than most ryed bourbons (around 115 I think). Even then, I really want to get a bottle of Tradition, but can't talk myself into forking over $100. Maybe I need to change my stance to: If you pay the extra expense to barrel at a lower proof, I'll pay more cash for the bottle (minus marketing fees and pretty packaging fees). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Dog Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Fun fact: Popular SB.com whipping boy Maker's Mark barrels at one of the lowest proofs in the business, perhaps as low as 110. Do with that knowledge nugget what you will.Too bad it's only 4 years old.:grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Too bad it's only 4 years old.:grin:4 yrs? Are you....sure...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpstylz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 To tell you the truth, I have not seen a WSR with an age statement in at least a year & maybe two years in my wandering/hunting region. l I think they're there- its just up on the neck where nobody notices it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpstylz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Maker's goes in at 110, Weller goes in at 114.I'm pretty sure Maker's increased it to 115 or so IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpstylz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Too bad it's only 4 years old.:grin:Yeah, I was pretty sure it "averaged" about 7 or 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Lamplighter Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think they're there- its just up on the neck where nobody notices it.You are right...I either never noticed or was so used to "7" being there on older bottles that I did not pay particular attention. A lot of this one in west TN. I will have to pay better attention from now on...thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanSheen Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think they're there- its just up on the neck where nobody notices it.Man, that reflected image is scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyboy38 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 When will Weller 12 year become Weller Old No. 12? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Dog Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 4 yrs? Are you....sure...?No. IMHO, it tastes like it's no more than 5, but hey, why should I believe any producer in regards to their NAS bottlings. All I can say for certain is that they're all 4 years old. Does anyone think that Baby Saz is really 6? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcg9779 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 To tell you the truth, I have not seen a WSR with an age statement in at least a year & maybe two years in my wandering/hunting region. I found an old dusty WSR Louisville today and talked to the store owner a bit. He said WSR had no age statement starting with the new bottle design 1-2 years ago. The only reason he still had the old one I purchased was the 1L size just doesn't sell he said.I guess that is why this thread kinda caught me off guard initially. Maybe there were still a good many old bottle design WSRs out there and a lot of folk are just now seeing the new ones. Or, maybe there was an age statement on the new design and us non-observant folk here in TN never noticed(?). If that is the case and it has now been removed, I need to get new glasses before I screw up further...lolI have some of the new design bottles with the age statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 We have a right to be skeptical of age statements that aren't on the bottle, but MM claims their product is 5-6 years old.Same deal with WSR, but I've been advised that if you have a problem with it, you should take it up with Kris Comstock, the brand manager. I should remind you that Kris was an offensive tackle for the UK Wildcats (1995-1998), 1998 First Team All-SEC, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1999, and for his draft class was listed at 6'8", 319 lbs.You might want to take that into consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpstylz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Man, that reflected image is scary.Haha yeah, I just googled it and got it randomly out of the images section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Okay, according to my sources......Weller SR and OWA have lost the age statement, but they are still 7 years old. (I know. This has been stated by others.) The ERSB isn't going away. There's a chance that BT may actually market it a little more heavily. Maybe the BTAC ER 17 is going away???? (A little conjecture here.) The Weller 12 is safe. However, it will only be released on a limited basis. Once a year like the BTAC and VW products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Dog Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Okay, according to my sources......Weller SR and OWA have lost the age statement, but they are still 7 years old. (I know. This has been stated by others.) The ERSB isn't going away. There's a chance that BT may actually market it a little more heavily. Maybe the BTAC ER 17 is going away???? (A little conjecture here.) The Weller 12 is safe. However, it will only be released on a limited basis. Once a year like the BTAC and VW products. Come on, Joe. If they were really 7 years old, it would be very easy to put it somewhere on the label. But they don't, do they. And don't get me wrong, I also love every version of Weller, but removing the age speaks volumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Lamplighter Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I also love every version of Weller, but removing the age speaks volumes.Reluctantly, I must agree. It has always been said that changing a label is not an easy process (e.g. VWFRR 13yo) and something companies don't do on a whim. There is a reason to no longer have it there...it is no longer 100% seven (or more) years old, plain & simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Typically, when they remove an age statement, it's not because they immediately plan to start using younger whiskey, but because they want the option to do so in the future. On one level, at least, it's not evil, as if they can match the brand's flavor profile using some younger whiskey, nobody gets hurt, and it's usually done with a brand where they don't want to raise the price, because that's what hurts volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkersback Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Okay, according to my sources...The Weller 12 is safe. However, it will only be released on a limited basis. Once a year like the BTAC and VW products.With requisite price hike, presumably? I feel like I should pick up a case right now while it's still $20 a bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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