MM Proof Change

[BourbonJoe]

I pick up my 2 bottles of "anniversary" whiskey that I picked out 6 years ago soon. This is a special bottling with your name on it to celebrate your whiskey being in the bottle. I e-mailed them and said that if they put 84 proof in those bottles, I did not want it.

Joe :usflag:

[Enoch]

There appears to be a fair amount of hording of the 90. Total wine was down to about a dozen bottles. The manager said she expected to be out by days end. 17 cases sold in three days.

[Bourbon Boiler]

I was at MM yesterday, and the tour guide got asked (not by me) about the proof change. He stuck to the corporate line pretty well; no one can tell the difference, it was done for our loyal customers who wouldn't want a price change, it's because our brand is just so popular, etc. Like all the tour guides, he was about 80% accurate with his statements. He mis-interpreted what sour mashing meant, but was otherwise pretty well-educated. I get the feeling hte questions has been asked a lot this week.

[MyOldKyDram]

And did you get to taste the 42?

[Bourbon Boiler]

^yes, but I don't drink MM enough to really be able to tell a difference when it's not side-by-side. We sampled the white dog, the new MM, and the 46. I tend to think they're right when the say people won't tell a difference, it's just that the 3% of people they're wrong about are their most loyal customers.

[msk2718]

Tastes great! --> Less filling!

[squire]

Next thing they'll tell us lower alcohol is healthier.

[macdeffe]

Makers Mark posted this on their facebook site today

Steffen

Edited February 17, 2013 by macdeffe

[Kodiak]

And they just posted a statement that they're reversing the decision, and resuming production of 90 proof.

[SmoothAmbler]

I wonder if any of this was planned from the beginning. Do you think they really listened to the consumer or just used this all as publicity? It would be brilliant if it was all for the publicity. Brilliant.

[Gillman]

This is extraordinary. Did anyone buy a 42% ABV version? Fastest dusty I ever heard of!

Gary

[smokinjoe]

Regardless, of the hows, whys, and what-not, I salute MM for this move. Maybe, they do hear us?

[Gillman]

Fully agree Joe.

Gary

[stevegoz]

Ha! Saw the 84 proof at a Binny's this morn. Now I have to pick up one of those collectibles!

[squire]

New Coke, New Coke, New Coke.

[ChainWhip]

I think it'd be funny if MM suddenly reversed course and collectors/flippers started buying all the MM-Lite off the shelves to sell on CL as "collectors items" (at heavily elevated prices of course).

Ha! Saw the 84 proof at a Binny's this morn. Now I have to pick up one of those collectibles!

C'mon... I should at least get a gold star!

*grin*

Regardless, of the hows, whys, and what-not, I salute MM for this move. Maybe, they do hear us?

All joking aside, this is encouraging news. I do still hope for a premium product from them (higher proof/older age statement/BiB/etc) though.

Edited February 17, 2013 by ChainWhip

[LostBottle]

Mediocre Mark reversed course, huh? For those that enjoy the 90 proof version, you got lucky - once Beam got used to the quick-hit profit boost the watered-down version would have generated, the 90 proof version would have never come back.

Edited February 17, 2013 by LostBottle

[stevegoz]

C'mon... I should at least get a gold star!

*grin*

You're up for Bourbonian of the Year! :toast:

And the Psychic Friends Network may be enlisting you as well. :grin:

[ChainWhip]

You're up for Bourbonian of the Year! :toast:

And the Psychic Friends Network may be enlisting you as well. :grin:

Just having a little fun - I don't mean to infer that you were a flipper ;/)

Now if I can get my retirement portfolio to look anything other than depressing, maybe I'll consider enlisting =]b

[SmoothAmbler]

Regardless, of the hows, whys, and what-not, I salute MM for this move. Maybe, they do hear us?

Agreed. I didn't mean to come off as snotty, actually, I feel the other way. I like MM and the people I've met from there. There's a bottle in my office all the time. I just thought that if this had been the plan all along, it worked to perfection. Either way, glad it's staying the same.

[macdeffe]

Personally I am not to fuzzed if MM is 42 or 45, albeit prefering 45, but it's not likely to find a MM in my cupboard anyway. For that to happen I'd like to see some older shit bottled or something at full strength

Steffen

[soad]

I'm actually going to go out and buy a bottle of MM now. I will show my support of this decision with my wallet.

[GaryT]

Regardless, of the hows, whys, and what-not, I salute MM for this move. Maybe, they do hear us?

Me too. This sets them up to raise the price in the not-too-distant future (supply/demand), and might have been a brilliant PR scheme (I mean - Maker's was in the news . . . so how much free publicity was that?) I'd like to think it wasn't that - but in any event, glad to see they responded to the outcry from their fans.

[MyOldKyDram]

Wow. High-larious. I only hope that other distillers were paying attention.

[fishnbowljoe]

I'm glad they reversed their decision too.

Does anyone want to buy a couple of Maker's Mark 90 proof gift sets?