Latest issue of Fortune Magazine features Bourbon

[Kyjd75]

Just received the latest issue of Fortune Magazine (electronically on my iPad). The feature article is about the crazy explosion of the bourbon industry. The article is written by Clay Risen and he does a pretty good job. Not much in there that most of us aren't already familiar with, but interesting nonetheless. One wonders, though, that with articles like this appearing in magazines like Fortune, is that often discussed "bubble" becoming even more fragile?

[danz]

Just received the latest issue of Fortune Magazine (electronically on my iPad). The feature article is about the crazy explosion of the bourbon industry. The article is written by Clay Risen and he does a pretty good job. Not much in there that most of us aren't already familiar with, but interesting nonetheless. One wonders, though, that with articles like this appearing in magazines like Fortune, is that often discussed "bubble" becoming even more fragile?

This type of article has been a running story line in the financial press for several months at least. The Financial Times ran a special insert section on December 7 about the "Business of Whisky", complete with a big color picture of Christina Hendricks on the front above the fold (bear in mind, this is a usually stuffy paper) and a back page article on whisky jobbers buying up portfolios of limited release whiskies to sell to retail investors. It reminds me of all the special reports they did in 2003 on why I should buy Spanish real estate to rent it out. The other running story in the financial press is how the recent Chinese crackdown on bribery is hurting the high end spirits business.

I am interested in reading Clay's article when I see it and I anticipate he will have insights that go beyond other recent articles. It sounds like Lew Bryson also may have an article on similar themes coming out in an upcoming Whisky Advocate, based on their recent blog posts.