Disappointment of the year?

[393foureyedfox]

For me it's ECBP. I know lots of folks love it, but to me it's just not good. I'd gladly trade my 2 bottles for something I can drink!

I may be the only one on here who will second that.

I would've been disappointed to despise a $48 purchase anyway, but to look for it so much for over 6 months and then find is SO disappointing was a real bummer. That $48 wouldve bought me a Booker's or Dickel 9 and a cheap lunch instead, and been overly enthused at that.

[Tony]

Disapointed in Stagg Jr. and Forgiven. Was also a little disappointed that I did not get all the hard to find bottles this fall, but happy about what I did get. And that I did not call the General Nelson on the right date to get my room for next September and am now waitlisted, but hopefully that will work out in the end.

Best regards, Tony

[Fodowsky]

I may be the only one on here who will second that.

I would've been disappointed to despise a $48 purchase anyway, but to look for it so much for over 6 months and then find is SO disappointing was a real bummer. That $48 wouldve bought me a Booker's or Dickel 9 and a cheap lunch instead, and been overly enthused at that.

To be honest, I wish I knew why it effects me the way it does. Maybe I should try a different bottle...

[Old Lamplighter]

Pretty much anything new from WT. Looking at you, SmB1B.

I've got your back on this one...count me in...most particularly is the extremely disappointing WTR 81 which was doomed before its birth IMHO.

[hn4bourbon]

The only bottle that I could not bring myself to like so far this year was the Willet pot still. Most bottles that I didn't enjoy drinking the first couple pours, I've let sit and revisited multiple times periodically. I've come around to enjoying some aspects of most of them except the pot still. I had to give a pretty full bottle away.

The only disappointment I have is in myself for having so little self control that resulted in way too many bottles bunkered:(

[RVTsteve]

Rittenhouse 100 DSP-1. I found it almost unpalatable next to the 354. I didn't let the bottle I got stick around long enough for continued comparison (I gave it to a friend) but the few tries I gave it all provided me the same experience. Lacking the same sweetness and that very special herbaceous grassiness I love. It just doesn't have "dat hip tang", as Dr. John might say.

A pretty big disappointment for me, to be sure.

[Old Lamplighter]

The only disappointment I have is in myself for having so little self control that resulted in way too many bottles bunkered:(

I know that feeling...as they say, "been there, done that". However, I would not linger in the disappointment very long. In the coming months & year(s), you will do a '180' on those thoughts and be very happy you bunkered what you did. If anything, you'll wish you had gotten more. At least that's been my experience....and I can now see my stocks getting lower sooner than expected with things I can no longer replace....or cannot afford to do so.

[Paddy]

The only bottle that I could not bring myself to like so far this year was the Willet pot still. Most bottles that I didn't enjoy drinking the first couple pours, I've let sit and revisited multiple times periodically. I've come around to enjoying some aspects of most of them except the pot still. I had to give a pretty full bottle away.

The only disappointment I have is in myself for having so little self control that resulted in way too many bottles bunkered:(

I totally agree with you regarding the W P (of) S. I just hate to admit that I drank my way through mine. I must have thought that it would eventually grow on me. :frown:

[luv2hunt]

2013 Van Winkle 12 yr Lot B ; Wild Turkey Forgiven ; 2013 William Larue Weller.....

[Wryguy]

Larceny, the TTB and price jumps, shortages, and dropped age statements.

[jwacky]

Rittenhouse 100 DSP-1. I found it almost unpalatable next to the 354. I didn't let the bottle I got stick around long enough for continued comparison (I gave it to a friend) but the few tries I gave it all provided me the same experience. Lacking the same sweetness and that very special herbaceous grassiness I love. It just doesn't have "dat hip tang", as Dr. John might say.

A pretty big disappointment for me, to be sure.

I've been avoiding finishing off the last of my last bottle of DSP-354 Rittenhouse BiB...

[BourbonGuy]

'Ya think? . . . . . . . . . . . . .

But the question is HOW are they making their money. Seems they use the Pappy to extort (?..correct word) the dealers into buying brands or specialties that do not sell so well.

For example: “they buy Jack Daniels. But if they want Pappy they have to buy 12 cases of Jack Daniels HONEY, or maybe take a brand like Hartley Brandy and buy XX cases.

But you would think, if every store got 10 bottles of Pappy instead of 2, MORE money could be made all around.

IF they industry is as smart as I think it is, they knew this was coming back in the mid 1980’s

[callmeox]

The industry was still selling glut whiskey back in the 80's. I'm not sure how ramping up production when you're selling old stuff at a loss would enter the equation at that time.

Add in the fact that the market for well/over/10+ year aged bourbon was nonexistent at that time and it is difficult to fault the producers, IMO.

[smokinjoe]

My primary disappointment for 2013 was not the proliferation of NDP and under aged "craft" distillery whiskies. Rather, I'm disappointed that so many retailers continue to give valuable shelf space to them. I've been in countless stores that have had meager American Whiskey selections, but in attempt to ride the high tide of this whiskey boom choose not to add additional product from the majors, but keep bringing in the latest cutsie NDP or craft. The NDP's and crafts are controlling the discussion on the whiskey boom at a number of levels, and the majors seem content to let them for some reason. Or, maybe their being brilliant, by letting the public find out for itself how overpriced and poor most of this stuff is.

[BigRich]

Disappointed? Maybe aggravated. All these damn people coming in and buying up and flipping so much stuff that it's eating into my acquisition disorder. And I actually drink the damn stuff! The psychological cost of the aggravation is starting to make single malt scotch prices for stuff off the shelf almost reasonable.

[nd2005]

IF they industry is as smart as I think it is, they knew this was coming back in the mid 1980’s

You seem to not have a good picture of what the 80s (and 90s...and even early 00s...) looked like for the major producers.

In the 80s, they had more whiskey than they could sell. Older aged product was being blended into the standard sub $20 offerings because they had nothing else to do with it. Production was being cut. Money was scarce. Several distilleries were either shuttered or bought out by huge conglomerates.

The current boom came on fast, and its particular demands for hyper-aged product and seasonal/limited/exclusive releases (i.e. "prestige" bottles that would sell for wildly inflated prices on a secondary market) were very new to the market.

The distilleries have ramped up production, as far back as 5+ years ago. But there are constraints to that increased production (limited storage space, limited production capacity, etc). And the stocks reflecting that increased production are barely mature enough to put into regular ole Buffalo Trace, much less any of the higher end product.

[squire]

Some recent whisky buying trends represent fads which are not predictable.

[jaycamm]

I'm disappointed that new bourbon drinkers start on the top shelf rather than work their way up from the bottom.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[weller_tex]

Had to limit the amount I spend on bourbon and in general have been pretty happy with Larceny at $22 a bottle and the fact I can still get Weller 12 for the same price. I gave up on BTAC and PVW a while back, but I am disappointed that asking for 4R LE for Christmas will do me no good since it has gone the way of BTAC and PVW....

[TunnelTiger]

My primary disappointment for 2013 was not the proliferation of NDP and under aged "craft" distillery whiskies. Rather, I'm disappointed that so many retailers continue to give valuable shelf space to them. I've been in countless stores that have had meager American Whiskey selections, but in attempt to ride the high tide of this whiskey boom choose not to add additional product from the majors, but keep bringing in the latest cutsie NDP or craft. The NDP's and crafts are controlling the discussion on the whiskey boom at a number of levels, and the majors seem content to let them for some reason. Or, maybe their being brilliant, by letting the public find out for itself how overpriced and poor most of this stuff is.

I had the same thought. Do you suppose their margins are great with these? Sort of like genreics at the grocery store.

[Phil T]

For me right now, its pallet adjustment. I quit smoking a month ago, and everything, I mean everything, tastes like shit....I can't wait to get my taster realigned

[jeffrey r]

In my local area, there has not been a limited release product (Van Winkle, BTAC, 4R, Stagg Jr, ECBP, OFBB, PHC, etc) that has lasted for > 24 hours on the shelf. One store sold their OFBB allotment in 1 hour.

I don't think that is due to the relative quality of '12 vs '13 OFBB.

Agreed, and I'll jump in on the current craziness as the disappointment of the year. The '12 OFBB was highly regarded but sat around local stores here for months. Heck, I passed it up multiple times. This year, the price went up on the '13, and I picked up the 3 bottles I saw immediately, and never saw another bottle after that, at the same store or others. If I wasn't in the right place at the right time, someone else probably would have done the same.

BTAC and PVW were a joke trying to pick up, not even worth discussing. Not even sure if FR ever showed up here, but if it did, it's gone. ECBP goes very quickly--not BTAC and PVW quick, but it doesn't last long, and I have one bottle of batch 1, and two of batch 2 left. Stagg Jr. doesn't have a frenzy attached to it, but stocks get bought up here and don't get replenished quickly. The '13 PHC is sitting, as did last year's at $20-$30 less. The PHC doesn't have the cachet, and the price on the POH is higher than usual, and high in general.

It's a new paradigm out there. Just last November 2012, I saw 8 bottles of Vintage 17 wheater on the shelves of a store at $65. I bought a few over the span of a couple of weeks. This year, I'd buy all 8, in one fell swoop. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't be there the next time I stopped in. I am still annoyed at myself at not picking up the others. One year's difference is all, but a 17 year old wheater for $65 in 2013 sounds like a bargain. Either way, it simply wouldn't last on the shelves these days.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years.

[mosugoji64]

For me right now, its pallet adjustment. I quit smoking a month ago, and everything, I mean everything, tastes like shit....I can't wait to get my taster realigned

Congrats, Phil! On quitting smoking, not losing your taster. :grin:

Best of luck to you going forward and I'm sure you'll appreciate whiskey even more once your palate recalibrates.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[nd2005]

It's a new paradigm out there. Just last November 2012, I saw 8 bottles of Vintage 17 wheater on the shelves of a store at $65. I bought a few over the span of a couple of weeks. This year, I'd buy all 8, in one fell swoop. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't be there the next time I stopped in. I am still annoyed at myself at not picking up the others. One year's difference is all, but a 17 year old wheater for $65 in 2013 sounds like a bargain. Either way, it simply wouldn't last on the shelves these days.

According to the Willett gift shop...that's now a $200 17 year old wheater...

[RWBadley]

Agreed, and I'll jump in on the current craziness as the disappointment of the year. The '12 OFBB was highly regarded but sat around local stores here for months. Heck, I passed it up multiple times. This year, the price went up on the '13, and I picked up the 3 bottles I saw immediately, and never saw another bottle after that, at the same store or others. If I wasn't in the right place at the right time, someone else probably would have done the same.

BTAC and PVW were a joke trying to pick up, not even worth discussing. Not even sure if FR ever showed up here, but if it did, it's gone. ECBP goes very quickly--not BTAC and PVW quick, but it doesn't last long, and I have one bottle of batch 1, and two of batch 2 left. Stagg Jr. doesn't have a frenzy attached to it, but stocks get bought up here and don't get replenished quickly. The '13 PHC is sitting, as did last year's at $20-$30 less. The PHC doesn't have the cachet, and the price on the POH is higher than usual, and high in general.

It's a new paradigm out there. Just last November 2012, I saw 8 bottles of Vintage 17 wheater on the shelves of a store at $65. I bought a few over the span of a couple of weeks. This year, I'd buy all 8, in one fell swoop. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't be there the next time I stopped in. I am still annoyed at myself at not picking up the others. One year's difference is all, but a 17 year old wheater for $65 in 2013 sounds like a bargain. Either way, it simply wouldn't last on the shelves these days.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years.

I agree with all this. I feel like a genius for having started to bunker several years ago a few items now difficult or impossible to find. I recently ran into a stash of '13 OFBB and bought a few extra just because I knew it would not be there next time. Too bad this is the same mentality that causes the problem in the first place.

Having said that, my bourbon disappointment for this year was the Stagg Jr. Just OK pour to me, and not good value.