What's With Buffalo Trace?

[PaulO]

Since the start of this thread, I've talked to three different stores. They all say they can't get any Weller Antique or 12. It makes me wonder. If it was just a shortage due to demand, some would still be shipped somewhere. It might not stay on the shelf long, but it would at least appear. One would think that a steady stream of aging barrels would be being bottled?

[bourbonfoot]

In regards to most BT products, I haven't seen any issues in VA. Shelves are stocked with everything from standard BT up to EH Taylor lately. ET Lee was even on sale this past week for $28 or so (I did pick up a few in case there are some shortages coming to VA).

On the other hand, I keep waiting for any kind of Weller to come back in and have gotten nothing. The manager at my local store told me the Richmond distributor has 30 cases on order and can't get a date on when it will ship.

[Kyjd75]

Since the start of this thread, I've talked to three different stores. They all say they can't get any Weller Antique or 12. It makes me wonder. If it was just a shortage due to demand, some would still be shipped somewhere. It might not stay on the shelf long, but it would at least appear. One would think that a steady stream of aging barrels would be being bottled?

[jvd99]

A suburban Binny's I stopped in had almost no BT products at all. No ER, Blantons, Weller and I didn't even see the standard BT. Binny's has to be one of BT's largest customers and if they're unable to keep the shelves stocked, it's only a matter of time until the much talked about shortage really takes hold.

[Harry Marsh]

Thanks for sharing the Comstock e-mail

Interesting.

I think there will be a lot of stockpiling of Weller12

With the increases in demand and associated prices, it becomes a relative 'value'

The many people whispering about it being discontinued in the future will exacerbate that hoarding, as well....

[TunnelTiger]

Plenty of std BT, Blantons and ER here but as for Weller all we have is SR.

[mbroo5880i]

I was in a larger chain store with high volume last night and, while they had plenty BT and BT Bourbon Cream, I saw no ER or Blanton's. They also had no Weller products - WL12, OWA or WSR. They did have some store select KCSB. Actually, I don't know how much of this due to shortages from BT or just purchasing issues with this chain. They are frequently out of brands that I find at other stores nearby. This is one of busiest stores in one of the largest chains in Indiana.

[theglobalguy]

I will say that outside of Costco where I am seeing stock, RHF and Blanton's seem about $5 higher than I remember them in the summer.

[cowdery]

Now that you mention it, I was in the Lakeview Binny's yesterday and didn't notice much BT. In part, that's because the section has really become dominated by micro-producers. I had to look to find EC12. I've also been meaning to pick up a bottle of ERSB, but didn't notice any (although I can't say I specifically looked for it). I noticed a shelf tag for ETL with 'OUT' scrawled across it, and no ETL in sight. I did see both the Old Taylor Small Batch and Old Taylor Rye, however. They had a rye end cap which I looked at pretty carefully and I don't think there was any Saz junior. I noticed a bottle of Benchmark and a complete selection of VOB, but can't say I saw any Weller or BT. Again, can't say they weren't there because everything other than Jim Beam, Maker's, and Jack Daniel's was kind of hard to find due to the clutter of micro-producer stuff.

EC12, by the way, was $32.99!

[Red One]

In our area, we have most of the BT line. ETL and OWA are long gone and haven't seen them in a while. ER and W12 come and go, but can usually find them more often than not.

[kjbeggs]

Around DFW, Weller 12 and OWA seem pretty plentiful in most stores, but some other chains have none at all. ETL is becoming harder and harder to find, but I still think I could grab some without too much hunting. The same for Blanton's.

I guess it's karma for so many other things being impossible to find around here.

[Josh_NC]

^Same situation here in the Triangle area in North Carolina. I can't find much, but I can find most Weller offerings on the shelves. However, I can't find BT in stock anywhere.

[Tony Santana]

Around here, some stores may be out of ETL, others out of BT, etc.; it's very sporadic. But if you look - BT, ER, ETL, RHF, Blantons, Weller SR, OWA and baby Saz can all be found. Never see any Weller 12.

[Josh_NC]

Around here, some stores may be out of ETL, others out of BT, etc.; it's very sporadic. But if you look - BT, ER, ETL, RHF, Blantons, Weller SR, OWA and baby Saz can all be found. Never see any Weller 12.

[393foureyedfox]

didnt someone just last week post a picture from a distillery tour of BT showing an entire pallet full of the new tribute ETL, as if it were ready to ship out? wonder when we'll be seeing that? I am indifferent on ETL, but it's my buddy's favorite and I'm sure he'd like to know.

[ramblinman]

I came across a shelf with about a case worth of ETL the other day and was wondering if we would start seeing more or if this was the end of someones shipment. Amazingly not marked up, 26.99. I bought two. Nice to have that caramel popcorn delight back in my house.

[HighInTheMtns]

Even here in Utah, BT stuff (such as we get, anyway) has been looking pretty thin on every shelf.

[BTshorty]

With BT being my longtime "regular everyday" go to, it's been frustrating not being able to find it anywhere here. Did just find

3 handles on the shelf the other day which made me smile BIG TIME !! Nothing like a great find for a favorite ! 39.99ea :grin:

[risenc]

For what it's worth, supplies here in NYC of anything upscale from BT have been tight. Blanton's, ER10, ETL, all low to nonexistent on shelves. At least among the retailers I talk to, they say they've seen a dramatic increase in consumer awareness for good bourbon, combined with a certain faddishness for anything made by "the guys who make Pappy."

Also, when I interviewed Kris Comstock recently, he said BT had no plans to increase prices.

[TunnelTiger]

Well if their market research tells them that their product cant be kept on the shelf it will only be a matter of time before they do. There is no justified business not too.

[Parkersback]

Weller 12, OWA and SR all gone at my favorite and best stocked store in Brooklyn.

Only 1.75's of Buffalo Trace.

They haven't had any ETL for months.

It's the ETL and the 12 that make me saddest.

[danz]

Well if their market research tells them that their product cant be kept on the shelf it will only be a matter of time before they do. There is no justified business not too.

BT/Sazerac knows their market can't be kept on the shelf ... today. Their marketing approach seems to be to cultivate loyal customers by trying to maintain a generally "reasonable" suggested retail price so that their fans will be able to get a good value for what they are offering. That is not to say they will not adopt a different approach in the future, but I would say that this approach has served them well to date and it has been justified as a business proposition: they are well-regarded and their product flies off the shelf.

Let's hope they keep trying to remain a good value.

Edit: Yes, I know they have engaged in some shenanigans with age statements recently. But, compare them to others in the business.

Edited March 16, 2014 by danz

[dcbt]

Honestly, I'd be ok if BT raised prices if it meant more bottles on the shelves were available...

[393foureyedfox]

Yes, I know they have engaged in some shenanigans with age statements recently. But, compare them to others in the business.

such as whom? among the big players, of whom are you speaking? HH, Beam, WT, 4R.....I'm not aware of any significant issues with any of them lately. MM had a short period of availability issues and a split-second decision and reversal about proof, but listened to its fans ultimately. WT had one new product flop........but overall, among the other big producers, if one wants to go out and get most any of their stuff, one can usually find it without too much difficulty, and without feeling like they have to read everything on the label to see what has changed about it since they bought it last week.

[danz]

At the moment I was thinking of Diageo, who makes Sazerac look good, but then, low hurdles... I was under the impression that other distillers have eliminated expressions, or age statements on expressions recently. Two that come quickly to mind are Elijah Craig 18 year and Basil Hayden's formerly 8 year / Old Grand Dad now-80 proof. Didn't Wild Turkey formerly have an 8 year age statement?

I don't know what Sazerac is up to, but I was responding to a post that said there was no business reason to maintain reasonable/moderate prices. I disagree with that view, but I added the caveat at the end about age statements to acknowledge that not everything Sazerac does is wonderful.