VOB BiB dropped age statement

[wadewood]

Are there any current Barton products left besides 1792 that are age-stated? Seeing as how that one didn't even display the age on the front, I wouldn't be too surprised if that disappeared as well.

Are we even sure 1792 still has age statement on back? I looked the other day at store and don't recall seeing it.

[sutton]

If I thought that they would use much older whiskey in their NAS bottlings to balance out the young component to give it lift, then sure, it probably would make for a very good to excellent dram. You see many posts on SB where folks talk about doing this very thing from time to time when the older bottling might be a bit woody or what have you, adding a younger component gives balance.

I'm skeptical that this will happen to "achieve the profile". Since it is NAS now, it also will no longer be a BiB correct? So I guess we'll have a 100 proof version where the age of the MAX component is 6, and they'll dump as much 4 in as they think they can get away with. Perhaps we should remind distillers why the BIB Act was passed in the first place.

[MauiSon]

Hold yer horses, no one has suggested that the BIB statement has gone away - yet.

and Gillman, 'almost like a brandy' is faint/feint praise, indeed, for a straight bourbon. Perhaps you had in mind a rather good brandy and not some schlock?

Edited December 24, 2013 by MauiSon

[smknjoe]

BIB only requires a minimum of four years if I'm not mistaken.

Edited December 24, 2013 by smknjoe

[sutton]

Has to be the same distilling season. My understanding is that is at best within a year, so I fail to see how NAS helps them much if they want to keep the BIB label. Correct me if I'm wrong on that though, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to bourbon regs.

[smknjoe]

There are many more rules to the BIB requirement, but the age only has to be a minimum of 4. They can go from 6 to 4 yrs and still be BIB. Is that what you are asking?

[sutton]

In a way, yes. If they want to keep it BIB, it has to get younger, either all 5 or all 4. If they are looking for flexibility to label it NAS, then it doesn't necessarily have to be all the same age, but then they have to drop the BIB label. Either way, it is getting younger.

[Gillman]

Maui, what are you asking? Sorry I don't follow.

Gary

[Gillman]

Well, looks like Wade has the answer. Disappointing and I won't be buying this any time soon. (However if they remove the numeral 6 from the neck I might).

Gary

[higgins]

Are we even sure 1792 still has age statement on back? I looked the other day at store and don't recall seeing it.

Did this one already lose the age statement? The one I bought a few months back was still labeled with 8 years. It's not like it was easy to find on the bottle in the first place.

[weller_tex]

I contacted BT and asked for confirmation if they were removing the age statement on Barton. Here is the response I just received:

"Yes, they are removing the age statements on a number of products.

Once the bourbon reaches the desired taste profile for the particular product, they will then release it, instead of delaying to a specific year."

Bullshit..I guess they think we are all a bunch of winos drinking our Mad Dog. I am sure that means Weller12 is gone soon as well as we suspected. You will have to get on a waiting and list and pay 3 times retail to get any age stated product from BT. I would like Harlan to come on here and tell us without his fingers crossed that WSR and OWA still meet the same taste profile they did in 2005...

[squire]

Yes, BIB must be distilled in the same season (used to be two seasons, spring and fall with a break in the summer) so even whisky made in the same year might not qualify unless the distillery runs continuously. Whisky blended from different seasons, different years or different distillerys does not qualify.

[sutton]

Yes, BIB must be distilled in the same season (used to be two seasons, spring and fall with a break in the summer) so even whisky made in the same year might not qualify unless the distillery runs continuously. Whisky blended from different seasons, different years or different distillerys does not qualify.

That's what I thought squire. So you got to believe the 100 proof BIB is just going to be 100 proof NAS (best case), otherwise you are talking 5 yr or 4 yr BIB. Otherwise, why are they doing this? To have the flexibility to put older whiskey in?

[callmeox]

An age statement is a declaration of the youngest bourbon in the batch.

Whiskey can be different ages but still still considered to be bonded if bottled at 100 proof, provided that it meets the 4 year and distilling season requirements.

A 6 year old bonded bourbon can have whiskey that is 6 and 7 years old in the bottle.

For demo purposes, the Ox distillery has a Spring distilling season of January-May

Barrel A, distilled 1/2/06

Barrel B, distilled 5/15/06

If you dump and batch the two barrels above on 5/1/13, it is a mixture of 6 and 7 year old bourbon. It meets the requirements for BiB if bottled at 100 proof as both barrels were a product of the same distilling season.

Unless they have magically come up with younger barrels that meet the flavor profile, I think that keeping the 100 proof as a bonded bourbon is equally as limiting to their barrel selection as the age statement.

Edited December 24, 2013 by callmeox

[squire]

In addition to the same season requirement it must been made under the direction of a single Master Distiller within that season.

[callmeox]

Although I'm not sure how this alters their barrel selection, the regs state "distiller" without the master qualifier. I'm not a lawyer and I can't find where they define the term distiller in the regs, but if you believe that it means the person at the helm and not the company with the shingle on the door, I'll defer to you.

[zillah]

If Barton instead got rid of the BiB label to save the six year old age statement, would that have softened the blow?

[TheNovaMan]

False choice - we've already said we would accept higher prices.

[squire]

It's a term the companys seem to be shying away from however interpreted. They even dropped BIB from Rock Hill Farms and when you think about it a 4+ year old 100 proof single barrel bottle by any definition is a BIB.

[MauiSon]

Maui, what are you asking? Sorry I don't follow.

Gary

[Gillman]

I meant that it has the softness and fruity roundness of a good brandy and to that extent is an excellent value. I was contrasting it to VOB which is good enough certainly but has a more basic character, not as refined, IMO.

Gary

[Gillman]

I'd think a good part of the price is the luxury packaging. I wish a version was made available in a much plainer bottle sans presentation box and booklet...

Gary

[Gillman]

And I should add of course it would be interesting to have any thoughts on comparing the two (the former and new VOB BIB) side by side.

Gary

[TunnelTiger]

I wonder if the other distillers will see this as BT stepping on their d*** and promote the use of age statements on their products more?

[393foureyedfox]

I wonder if the other distillers will see this as BT stepping on their d*** and promote the use of age statements on their products more?

wishful thinking......i doubt it