Old Blowhard

[elmossle]

Just saw that this stuff should be 26 year old SW product. So two questions for everyone: 1) Do we think this will be the best of of Orphan Barrel products coming from Diageo since it is SW juice? 2) How much do we think they are going to try and take our wallets for in selling this?

[michaelturtle1]

The release did not specifically say it was distilled by Stitzel Weller only that it was in their warehouses. Saw the state minimum in michigan is $149.99 for this product and $79.99 for the 20 yr

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[HighInTheMtns]

The release did not specifically say it was distilled by Stitzel Weller only that it was in their warehouses. Saw the state minimum in michigan is $149.99 for this product and $79.99 for the 20 yr

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Well, now. That ain't bad at all.

[squire]

Replying to the first question I don't think we can make assumptions just because of where the whisky might have been made. Stitzel-Weller (and all the other distillers) turned out some very ordinary grade whisky in addition to the honey barrels in the top line labels. Also, Bourbon that's been in a barrel for 27 years can take on such a different character that we cannot tell where it was made.

Remember the first bottlings of Pappy Van Winkle used rye recipe whisky and customers didn't notice.

[wadewood]

Just saw that this stuff should be 26 year old SW product. So two questions for everyone: 1) Do we think this will be the best of of Orphan Barrel products coming from Diageo since it is SW juice? 2) How much do we think they are going to try and take our wallets for in selling this?

No you did not. You were lead to believe that it was SW and then you made the conclusion yourself that it was, which means that Diageo's marketing worked exactly as they intended on a gullible consumer. This a knock on Diageo.

Edited January 23, 2014 by wadewood

[zillah]

I think it is not a coincidence that the Bulleit brand was introduced in 1987, 26 years ago from today. Whatever Bulleit was back then, I would assume this would be it.

I think the 20 year old for $80 looks pretty interesting. Not sure if the 26 year old would be any good, but I could be wrong.

[michaelturtle1]

Given what was happening in the later years at Stitzel Weller it could be anything.. The prices are at least not stupidly high, my guess is if it could be said the whiskey was distilled by Stitzel Weller they prices would be much higher as diageo's scotch releases are priced Very much in tune with the secondary markets

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[Dolph Lundgren]

I'm really surprised by the prices, too. I was expecting double that. I might just pull the trigger...

Given that this is Diageo, I expect the prices to double next year, then double the following year..then double...then double...then double...

[squire]

Instead of buying their whisky maybe we should be buying their stock.

[theglobalguy]

I'm really surprised by the prices, too. I was expecting double that. I might just pull the trigger...

Given that this is Diageo, I expect the prices to double next year, then double the following year..then double...then double...then double...

Pasted from their Nov 2013 investor conference.....( http://www.diageo.com/en-row/investor/Pages/resource.aspx?resourceid=1598 )

I guess my question, what happens to volume growth when you take price up?

Larry Schwartz

For some reason, when you have great work like we have on Reign On, it's amazing, you can take price and grow volume, and that's what we've been able to do. I think last year, I think Crown Royal sales were up 17%, which was just amazing. We're cycling that and we're still doing well and taking more price. Bulleit, when people want it, you can take your price, and Bulleit Rye is also at a high price. So between Bulleit and Crown Royal and Dickel, we continue to take price every year.

[suntour]

isn't this just super-aged george dickel? the label mentions nothing about bourbon, just saying "american whiskey".

[sutton]

If they are just trading on the S-W inference to move old whiskey, you might feel like you paid twice what you should have. I'd want to try before buy, but that probably won't be possible.

[squire]

So they're all giddy and excited "to take price every year". They should reflect on the fact you can shear a sheep often but skin him only once.

[mbroo5880i]

The name "Old Blowhard" might be the most factual name used in the modern whiskey era.

[mosugoji64]

isn't this just super-aged george dickel? the label mentions nothing about bourbon, just saying "american whiskey".

That was the impression I got from their initial press release about the Orphan Barrels, but a subsequent statement reprinted in Chuck's blog states they are Kentucky bourbons. So we can start speculating on what KY bourbons Diageo was aging at SW 20-26 years ago.

[squire]

Truth in advertizing, so refreshing.

[Underhilltab]

I wonder how Old Blowhard will compare to Jefferson's Presidential Select 26 yr. old. I've read that Old Blowhard may be a KY bourbon, but the label shown on the TTB COLA site is not that specific -- it just says bourbon whiskey bottled in Tullahoma. The label shown on the TTB COLA site for the JPS 26 yr. old shows Tennessee whiskey (sounds like Dickel, which is what I originally thought Old Blowhard may be). The age (26 yrs.) is the same on both and the proof (90.7 for Old Blowhard and 90.4 for JPS 26 yr. old.) is almost identical.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I wonder how Old Blowhard will compare to Jefferson's Presidential Select 26 yr. old. I've read that Old Blowhard may be a KY bourbon, but the label shown on the TTB COLA site is not that specific -- it just says bourbon whiskey bottled in Tullahoma. The label shown on the TTB COLA site for the JPS 26 yr. old shows Tennessee whiskey (sounds like Dickel, which is what I originally thought Old Blowhard may be). The age (26 yrs.) is the same on both and the proof (90.7 for Old Blowhard and 90.4 for JPS 26 yr. old.) is almost identical.

[squire]

How many bottlers are there in Tullahoma?

[jonnyd]

Right Squire, because Dickel gets shipped to Illinois for bottling.

[docbible]

I toured the GD distillery in November and believe they have a small bottling and packaging line on site. Tim

Edited January 27, 2014 by docbible

[squire]

Diageo has a number of places where they can bottle their product but that doesn't answer my question. I've been to Tullahoma, it ain't a big place, so other than Dickel who has a bottling facility there?

[smokinjoe]

Am I the only dolt who thought this was a gag thread for 4 days before figuring it out? :crazy:

[MrAtomic]

Am I the only dolt who thought this was a gag thread for 4 days before figuring it out? :crazy:

No, sir.

I did, too. Then I googled "Old Blowhard Whiskey" and five minutes later, am even more confused. Diageo apparently has a stockpile of "old and rare American Kentucky Bourbon" it wishes to share with "discerning whiskey adorers," but rather than releasing it under a recognizable brand, or even divulging the name of the distillery from which it emerged, it's created the label "Old Blowhard," which sounds like the kind of gag whiskey brand you might see in a background shot in "Blazing Saddles."

I'm baffled. Why would Diageo try to sell extra-aged, high-end whiskey without any kind of provenance? It seems like the customers for this stuff (the members of this board) are exactly the kind of people who'd want to know the origins of the juice. Unless... yeah. Yeah. I think I figured it out. Maybe we, the members of this board aren't the target for these releases any more? Maybe bourbon's so popular that Diageo figures it can sell this stuff without us?

Edited January 28, 2014 by MrAtomic

[michaelturtle1]

I'm baffled. Why would Diageo try to sell extra-aged, high-end whiskey without any kind of provenance? It seems like the customers for this stuff (the members of this board) are exactly the kind of people who'd want to know the origins of the juice. Unless... yeah. Yeah. I think I figured it out. Maybe we, the members of this board aren't the target for these releases any more? Maybe bourbon's so popular that Diageo figures it can sell this stuff without us?

Most likely because they are not allowed to tell you where it is from or want to use the guise of it being aged at SW to pump up demand.. If this was distilled at Stitzel Weller you can be damn sure it would be plastered all over the bottles and all over every piece of marketing that came out. It is very well known that in the months and even years leading up to the closure of Stitzel weller, the rick houses were being filled with distillate from other facilities. My assumption is the barrels are so mixed that it is not worth the time to establish different brands for each distillate, and i would also assume that means there is not enough true SW distillate aging there to be worth bottling..