Why is Bourbon getting worse?

[squire]

Dusty hunting is a good way to get the SO involved. Tell the girl to pick a destination, garb a bag and camera and off we go. That way she doesn't mind when you occasional stop at 'interesting' places.

[White Dog]

Thanks Chuck, will do.

I'd love to hear your thoughts once you do. I recently bought current WT101(new package) and found it very disappointing. I can buy BT, FC, OGD114, and FRSmB for the same price, and all are leagues better, IMHO. Don't even get me started on current WTKS.

[brettckeen]

Anyone else sick of the lies people tell especially about origin of the juice? It's exhausting.

[squire]

Brett I'm only mildly amused by the tall tales but will speak out against NDPs who use puffery to claim their bought whisky is so special as to command a premium.

[brettckeen]

Brett I'm only mildly amused by the tall tales but will speak out against NDPs who use puffery to claim their bought whisky is so special as to command a premium.

Squire I'm not amused when a sales person from an NDP almost weekly comes into my job insulting my intelligence and proficiency in my occupation by alluding to some tall tale of their grandfather, a back porch, and a distillery which does not exist.

[squire]

Brett in that context I would have to agree with you. As a non speaker of BS myself I have a low tolerance to listening to it.

[HighHorse]

I find it difficult to enter a liquor store and get out without having bumped into some damn fine bourbon or rye.

Hey ... in those golden ages back in the 60's and even a bit of the 50's .. 70's and 80's .. I only remember a handful of brands ... and who the hell knew or cared anything about which distillery they came from. We didn't blog .. a get-together was at an Elvis or Muddy Waters Concert ... and you were a hot shit if you pulled out a bottle of Jack and Black which everyone promptly mixed with a coke. Ginger ale was for pussies.

Today ... and for the last several years ... it's great to get to know the master distillers ... pick up wonderful juices ... pour them neat into a Glen Cairn .. to sip neat or with an ice cube. It's fun to get a blind flight ... to vat a few different spirits .. to pick up on nuances ... and the nose ... ahhhh, the nose ...

Trust me guys ... This beats the hell out of the old days. Although it would be kind of fun to catch Elvis again!

Bourbon ain't getting worse. Not the stuff on my shelves.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I find it difficult to enter a liquor store and get out without having bumped into some damn fine bourbon or rye.

Hey ... in those golden ages back in the 60's and even a bit of the 50's .. 70's and 80's .. I only remember a handful of brands ... and who the hell knew or cared anything about which distillery they came from. We didn't blog .. a get-together was at an Elvis or Muddy Waters Concert ... and you were a hot shit if you pulled out a bottle of Jack and Black which everyone promptly mixed with a coke. Ginger ale was for pussies.

Today ... and for the last several years ... it's great to get to know the master distillers ... pick up wonderful juices ... pour them neat into a Glen Cairn .. to sip neat or with an ice cube. It's fun to get a blind flight ... to vat a few different spirits .. to pick up on nuances ... and the nose ... ahhhh, the nose ...

Trust me guys ... This beats the hell out of the old days. Although it would be kind of fun to catch Elvis again!

Bourbon ain't getting worse. Not the stuff on my shelves.

Well said. Liquor stores were small places going back 20 years. In each category, you had a couple top shelf offerings, a couple of mid shelf and a couple of bottom shelf dwellers. Nothing was flavored. The ready to drink section did not exist. Beer consisted of Singles, 6 packs and 12 packs of about 10 different brands but all the same style.

[squire]

Well said Jon, well said indeed.

[mosugoji64]

Squire I'm not amused when a sales person from an NDP almost weekly comes into my job insulting my intelligence and proficiency in my occupation by alluding to some tall tale of their grandfather, a back porch, and a distillery which does not exist.

Do you allow them to finish their stories and maintain a straight face as they do so? If you do, you're a better man than I! I don't know that I could control my laughter.

[brettckeen]

Do you allow them to finish their stories and maintain a straight face as they do so? If you do, you're a better man than I! I don't know that I could control my laughter.

I do a lot of "yeah but where was this distilled and aged?" and I get a lot of diverted responses.

[squire]

Brett, how about saying, "I see you bought this whisky from MGPI".

[brettckeen]

Brett, how about saying, "I see you bought this whisky from MGPI".

I'll try that next time, should be soon enough.

[Restaurant man]

Brett, how about saying, "I see you bought this whisky from MGPI".

I say it all the time. The blank stares are priceless

[squire]

Sometimes I feel moved to go forth and spread the word.

[fussychicken]

Blame it on the accountants

Increase of distillation proof

and the corresponding

Increase of barrel entry proof (and/or the water needed to bring it down to 125)

I'm still begging to anyone who is listening to please make me a whiskey that is distilled to 100 proof, entered into the barrel untouched, and bottled 5-10 years later untouched. Please! You can just take all my money!

[savagehenry]

I'm still begging to anyone who is listening to please make me a whiskey that is distilled to 100 proof, entered into the barrel untouched, and bottled 5-10 years later untouched. Please! You can just take all my money!

Please enlighten those of us who are neither chemists nor distillers on what would come of the procedure above....

[Meruck]

Please enlighten those of us who are neither chemists nor distillers on what would come of the procedure above....

Use a wheated receipe, dont cook your mash under presure\, sing to the barrels at night and you may end up with the real vintage SW juice.................. but probebly not.

[squire]

Oh, and sell it cheap.

[ChainWhip]

Bottled by vestal virgins I'm guessing?

[squire]

The vestals have been transferred to the marketing dept.

[fussychicken]

Use a wheated receipe, dont cook your mash under presure\, sing to the barrels at night and you may end up with the real vintage SW juice.................. but probebly not.

It would maximize the amount of grain flavor in the final product. Distilling to a high proof removes flavor (think vodka). Also you have to add water to get the proof down to 125 before putting it into the barrel which also reduces grain flavor.

While we are indeed getting more and more cask strength offerings (and paying dearly for the privilege) the majority of the extra flavor you are getting is barrel flavor. Everything that the barrel "adds" isn't watered down before being put in the bottle. The grain flavor on the other hand is being watered down twice before even getting to the barrel.