Drinking to Drink

[sailor22]

Thought David Driscol of K&L had a really great short essay on the current state of whiskey consumption. He pretty much nailed what I have been seeing lately.

See Drinking to Drink part lV -- http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/

what are your thoughts?

[suntour]

Been thinking about this a lot lately, particularly with my long battle trying to procure the FRSB2014. Honestly, I'm just going to find some store selects I like, buy a bunch, and a case of Heaven Hill Gold Label BIB when I'm feeling less fancy and anytime I think about chasing bourbon I'm going to chase it down in my cellar and drink it.

Pretty much did this the entire read:

[DaveOfAtl]

I'm not in a position to notice trends like that, but his take is consistent with what I've been doing lately. At some point, I got sick of trying to track down hard to find bottles an have focused on drinking what I already have and what is readily available. It has been much more fun. With private barrel picks and impulse purchases, I still acquire faster than I drink, but the bleeding has slowed.

[AaronWF]

whooops... hit the wrong button. Have to try to get back to this later.

[Harry in WashDC]

Was sipping on the last few ounces of a bottle of VOB BIB "6" and making some notes for the BOTM thread (in case I post them) while I browsed "New Posts". Ended up here. Like a lot of us, I do get excited when something "new" AND "good" (that is, well-respected by more than a few SB persons) comes along - change is nice, sometimes. But, I don't chase much - if it's on the shelf when I'm making a regular restocking run, I'll pick it up. I don't drive or call all over anymore. Rarely, I will special order (but thanks, Bill and Kevin, for being there when I do). IOW, I keep a short written list of nonroutine things to watch for, but if none of them are there, I'll buy the basic supplies I was restocking, anyway (edit: and be pretty happy with that). Mr. Driscoll's older/younger distinction also rang true. When I see some law school students reaching for the Seagram's 7 in the store closest to me, there's no way I'm going to stop them and suggest they buy VOB instead. And, since I'm an old faht, there's no way they'd ask my opinion, anyway, for fear I'd go all crotchety on them.

.

[smknjoe]

I tend to believe or agree with what he's saying to a certain extent. Of course some of the "new" guys (like me) who dive in head first will still want to at least taste some of these "holy grail" bottles. After having tasted S-W Pappy, VOF, Centennial, dusty Turkey, OGD, etc. I'm quite content and will be okay once my stash is gone. There are plenty of perfectly good, and some great, bourbons being made and sold right now, and I'm not talking about limited editions or high priced premium brands.

I don't drive or call all over anymore.

Man, I did. I drove to and called at least 200 stores over the last 2 years. Mostly dusty hunting, but also looking for "special" releases. After I finally got some PVW 15 and 20 at retail prices (I wasn't going to spend $400 on a bottle of PVW!) that all stopped. Very abruptly I might add. I realized that it was not worth the hunt at all. It's good whiskey, but so are many other bourbons sitting on the shelves right now.

Now I'm just focusing on drinking what I have and getting a few bottles of what I know I like (which is almost everything ) here and there.

Edited July 10, 2014 by smknjoe

[sutton]

Probably a good reason why cautious growth in capacity is prudent - people will always chase the next great thing and tastes diversify - the whiskey bubble may not burst, but substantial air could still come out of the balloon. Even here on SB there are forums to other spirits.

[TunnelTiger]

I buy to drink period. If I'm lucky enough to get a "hot" bottle great, if not fine. I just love me some great Bourbon and rye.

There are plenty of both available to me.

Amen.

[squire]

I'm happy with my regular stuff. Sorta like the guy was going to the movies and when asked what was playing answered Gone With The Wind.

Thought you would've seen that by now.

Oh yes, I've seen it 17 times.

Then why watch it again?

Because I know I will like it.

[Auracom]

It's like anything - just keep your interests in balance. With enough time, effort, and money, anything is possible. Everyone, old vet or not, should consider at what point expending himself in these three areas is no longer worth it.

I "collect" bottles, sure. But for myself, to drink, some undetermined number of years down the road. I feel like this is a good middle ground between the two types of hobbyists David is describing in that article.

If I were solely of the new-bourbon guy type, I would apparently give up on a dream to taste all of the previous releases of Parker's Heritage. Fuck that. I wanna try em because they're going to be awesome and I want each one of those experiences.

[smokinjoe]

Thought David Driscol of K&L had a really great short essay on the current state of whiskey consumption. He pretty much nailed what I have been seeing lately.

See Drinking to Drink part lV -- http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/

what are your thoughts?

Indeed Steve, a thought provoking essay. So much so, that it takes me down several paths. When you say he nailed what you've been seeing, I'm interested to learn what exactly that is?

[ebo]

I don't chase down anything anymore... Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, etc.... screw it. I don't even have a stash anymore. I buy a bottle, drink it, and then buy another. I used to have over 100 bottles of whisk(e)y. No more. Too much money and time that I no longer have. I love whisk(e)y, and I will always have a bottle or two on hand but, I no longer have a "stash" of anything.

[mbroo5880i]

I see three types of bourbon buyers. Folks who have bottles waiting on them behind the counter. They walk in and tell the clerk their name and walk out with their prize. Not sure if they drink or collect or both. Then, there are the folks who walk into the bourbon aisle with a glazed look in their eyes and after mulling around for about 5 minutes walk out with something overpriced in a fancy bottle. These folks drink it because I usually see them back the next week. Then, there are folks like us who use a shopping cart and then while checking out politely ask if there is anything special left behind the counter. These folks definitely drink because I see them back the next day.

[393foureyedfox]

i dont 'chase' anything, but if its something I like and I know/suspect it is going away, I will stockpile it. I couldn't give two shits about PVW, POH, 4RLE's.....etc.

that said, I did kinda dusty hunt this past week. Not a serious attempt, though. I drove down and met my wife in FL, who was there for work, and she took extra days off to do stuff together. On the days she was working, I would drive all over small towns and country roads, which I love to do in new areas, in search of old junkyards (car 'dusty' hunting, if you will), since I love building old cars. Since the bourbon craze doesn't seem to have as many followers in FL as in KY, I thought my chances may be decent of finding something old and unusual, so I stopped in every small town liquor store/package store I passed. As far as doing it to collect them....nah, I'd drink it if I found it. I love anything old and unusual....Id have bought a tax stripped seagrams if i found it. the only thing I found was an 87 distilled/95 bottled Booker's (bought it, Bookers is my second favorite), and some 00, 01, 02, and 03 EWSB's (passed on all, im not a fan, but pondered the idea of collecting the whole century, at least as much of it as I'll see.....but again, im not a fan, so why?)

if all I ever could get were Dickel 9, Booker's, and HH6BIB, it wouldnt bother me one bit!

[bananaslug]

He is based in the Bay Area. My guess is this younger generation he is writing about is mostly white, image-conscious, probably have beards, and are in their 20s. They drink PBR (as referenced in his first article) because its cheap and alternative. It makes sense that this same crowd found its way to value bourbons that aren't as ubiquitous as Makers. Drinking OGD or Old Crow gives you cachet. And realistically, this young crowd of bay area college graduates are largely underemployed and saddled with debt and simply cannot afford the top shelf.

[sailor22]

Indeed Steve, a thought provoking essay. So much so, that it takes me down several paths. When you say he nailed what you've been seeing, I'm interested to learn what exactly that is?

Seeing eager younger drinkers and people transitioning form wine and scotch coming to our monthly get togethers who are interested in tasting "good" Bourbon but can't be bothered with anything not in the bar. Not interested in hunting or pining for exotics, not interested in hearing about how a label used to be better years ago. They will eagerly taste/buy limited releases that are available but won't make any particular effort to chase down a bottle if it isn't in a local store or two.

They are bringing a new enthusiasm not tainted by longing for past days or unavailable whiskies. Simply drinking, enjoying and having fun with their new discovery, Bourbon. Bored by history details and not particularly interested in dusties. In short, not geeking out on the subject.

[sailor22]

He is based in the Bay Area. My guess is this younger generation he is writing about is mostly white, image-conscious, probably have beards, and are in their 20s. They drink PBR (as referenced in his first article) because its cheap and alternative. It makes sense that this same crowd found its way to value bourbons that aren't as ubiquitous as Makers. Drinking OGD or Old Crow gives you cachet. And realistically, this young crowd of bay area college graduates are largely underemployed and saddled with debt and simply cannot afford the top shelf.

This is a college town and we have our fair share of hipsters but they rarely come to any of our get togethers. Mostly young professionals, academics and mature drinkers.

[PaulO]

I was in a big store in Bloomington about a month ago. The guy said he couldn't keep regular BT or ER on the shelf. Part of it was that his distributer wasn't sending him much. Bloomington is a college town, so maybe students love that stuff. Here in Greenwood, if I wanted BT, I could easily go to a grocery or drug store. Oh, and have you all noticed, nowadays if you talk to anyone at a liquor store for more than 5 seconds, they have to say "Pappy, Pappy, Pappy".

[T Comp]

An interesting topic and David is always an enjoyabe read (when not selling something ) with his astute awareness of culture, history and marketing. As American whiskey grows popular we see the corresponding modern time phenomena of fragmentation and segmented niches. Man was life easy in third grade when you could only be...the Beatles or the Stones :grin:.

[tanstaafl2]

Well, I am neither young nor a hipster and I do tend to chase a bit still for certain things (as some people here can attest!) but I have chosen a bit of a different path by making a few good relationships in the industry and trying to do my best to make do with what comes to me in the limited availability category. Not that I am not above prodding them to try to get what I want! Never really did do the drive and call around thing anyway. I do see more of the young hipster ilk out in the bars and restaurants drinking bourbon or rye, or cocktails made with them, but I typically have so little in common with them that I don't have enough interaction with them to know what they are thinking. Or if they are thinking...

It is the things that don't even come to my area such that I at least have a chance to get them that still get my knickers in a wad on occasion and that has as much to do with the state and federal "revenuers" and legislators as it does anything else.

I do like reading David's blog and can sort out the advertisements from the more "serious" commentary such that it doesn't bother me any. But I do tend to be a bit anal about details still and recently stomped on one of his remaining nerves about a recent post of his! He shouldn't feel too bad though. People that know me know I do that frequently and usually without ever realizing I am doing it!

[SWC]

A few of you are savvy Driscoll readers: when he is not selling, he is very useful. The only problem I have with the article is his classification of whiskey people either new, open mined buy anything types or the jaded collectors who complain and pine for the old days. Those people exist, but I don't quite think it's that simple. There are of plenty open minded vets who can go with the flow. We don't have a choice. Just some vets can't let go.

[TunnelTiger]

If you've been married to the same woman for more than thirty years you definitely can go with the flow.

Drinking good Bourbon just makes it that much easier.

[jmj_203]

I can understand the point the article is making but I don't see it being an issue, in fact I'd rather most people were more about just enjoying drinking bourbon than acquiring the uber rare bottles. I know when I started realizing how delicious bourbon is about 6 months ago I went crazy trying to buy and try at least 1 bottle of everything out there. Tons of money spent, tons of trips to all the local liquor stores, and we don't even have a variety here in nazi state Pennsylvania so I can't imagine if I had the wide array of bourbons some of you have. Now that I have sampled most (except for what my all knowing state bureacrats and distributors have determined is no good for us) I've settled back and now I just stock anywhere from 2 to 6 backup bottles of everything that is my favorite I don't want to be without for long periods. I think we all probably go thru this phase.

I know its not what he talks about in the article, but what in my opinion is my most hated group or clique that I encounter when I go to restock at liquor stores. We all have seen the guys who seem to want to buy the best, most expensive bottles of rare bourbon so they can impress the hell out of their friends when they're making cocktails, that pisses me off. Sure drink however you like and do whatever you want, but those guys that are taking the bourbon the rest of us have trouble finding because we would LOVE to be sipping on it, then fucking mixing it with coke or pepsi or sprite, now THAT pisses me off and those dbags are the ones I see at my local liquor stores. They always have skin tight skinny jeans and are talking real loud and deliberately into their cell phones so everyone can hear them discussing all the cocktails and booze they are going to drink. Yep thats my fav....the Hipster Mixologist Douchebags!

Edited July 11, 2014 by jmj_203

[SWC]

If you've been married to the same woman for more than thirty years you definitely can go with the flow.

Drinking good Bourbon just makes it that much easier.

Now THAT is a perspective I'd like to see in a booze article.

[GaryT]

I keep saying that I'm going to align my purchasing with my drinking, but that is as far as it goes - although I don't buy to collect, etc - I fully intend to consume. At some point My challenge is that in trying to watch my weight and balance everything, I probably consumer 1 bottle a month. But I don't hit just ONE bottle in a given month - I have a lot of bottles because I'm not in the mood for the same thing day in/day out. In fact, it is rare when I have the same thing for more than 2 or 3 sittings in a row (unless I'm near the end and looking to kill the bottle). I do like trying new things, and I'll put my name on one or two lists, but I expect not to get called. The waves of incoming bottles are typically from private barrels, where my plan is to have some of those bottles to enjoy for several years to come (although with the regularity of those picks, I may need to re-evaluate that!)

Chasing the really hard to find bottles just isn't worth the effort to me when there is so much great whiskey already in the cabinet. And I sleep soundly knowing that if I were to run short, while I can't replace some of my bottles with the same things - I'm positive I can replace them all with something I can find on the shelves right now - and something I would enjoy.