New Black Maple Hill Oregon stuff

[brettckeen]

Sampled them last Sunday, found them almost undrinkable. Young, aweful, tannic, sour, might ruin a mixer. What's everyone elses's experience?

[bicktrav]

Great timing for this post. Just walked into a shop I frequent, which had posted a pic of their Black Maple Hill samples on Facebook. I asked them how they were and whether they would be carrying the bottles. They said they were absolutely horrible. They are still planning in carrying them because the label means they will sell, but they said the whiskey was just awful.

[whiskeyobsessive]

Sad to see such an end for a brand that started off so well. The 18 year rye has got to be o e of the best ever bottled. The 16 year bourbon went from great to good. The NAS was incredibly overpriced Evan Williams. Now this.

[squire]

Nothing runs downhill faster than a thoroughbred.

[flahute]

Sure is a shame. I'd rather they stick to their earlier standards even if it means there's nothing to release for long periods of time. Do that and stay legendary. By forcing out substandard product just to keep your name out there......it's going to catch up with you eventually. They fooled most with the NAS small batch, but based on the early returns, this current crop will fool nobody.

[GaryT]

I'd love to try them on someone else's dime - just to confirm my suspicions that they aren't worth the money I won't buy another BMH product (well, obviously unless I run across some older stuff out there!). While you can argue that purchasers need to be well educated, I think slapping the same BMH imagery on a clearly different product is deceptive at best, and just exploitative at worst. They'll sell, but never to me again.

[Richnimrod]

I'd love to try them on someone else's dime - just to confirm my suspicions that they aren't worth the money I won't buy another BMH product (well, obviously unless I run across some older stuff out there!). While you can argue that purchasers need to be well educated, I think slapping the same BMH imagery on a clearly different product is deceptive at best, and just exploitative at worst. They'll sell, but never to me again.

What He Said!!!!

[risenc]

I haven't tried, but those are pretty definitive verdicts. But even without tasting it, I've still got to wonder what the heck they were thinking. Was there really no better option than to contract distill with an unknown distillery? Even some stopgap anonymous juice would have been better than this, which good or bad is a huge risk that totally rewrites your brand ID. There's the slow death of a brand, and there's brand suicide...

[nd2005]

I think it's important for people to step back and remember who/what Black Maple Hill is, as a company.

It's one guy, in Cali, who literally slaps the labels on bottles in his garage.

He benefited tremendously from fortuitous timing - he contracted through intermediaries for some really good whiskey at a time when there was a relative glut of ultra-aged bourbon and rye sitting around because other distillers didn't see a market for it. He also benefited from having Julian Van Winkle sell him some product that he hadn't planned on using himself because he didn't think it met the profile for the Van Winkle brand (and I believe JVW has subsequently said in retrospect selling that stuff instead of bottling it himself was a mistake).

Since that time, the market has changed dramatically. His options right now are few to none.

[GaryT]

I think it's important for people to step back and remember who/what Black Maple Hill is, as a company.

It's one guy, in Cali, who literally slaps the labels on bottles in his garage.

He benefited tremendously from fortuitous timing - he contracted through intermediaries for some really good whiskey at a time when there was a relative glut of ultra-aged bourbon and rye sitting around because other distillers didn't see a market for it. He also benefited from having Julian Van Winkle sell him some product that he hadn't planned on using himself because he didn't think it met the profile for the Van Winkle brand (and I believe JVW has subsequently said in retrospect selling that stuff instead of bottling it himself was a mistake).

Since that time, the market has changed dramatically. His options right now are few to none.

Good point. If I were that guy, I buy some barrels now - let them age, and in the interim develop a new label so as not to destroy the brand equity he created with BMH. Heck, he could still sell the NAS bourbon he was putting out at a premium, and folks were lining up to buy it (not me, but folks). To me, a brand conveys certain expectations BMH for me was similar to WFE; single barrel so flavor might not be consistent, but picked for quality. Now, it conveys to me someone who won't be in business very long because he is destroying the brand, and fails to see the value he created with that brand.

Creating a new label these days isn't that hard. And my guess as to why he didn't is because he is looking to cash-in now on the current one. Trust is very hard to earn in the first place, and incredibly hard to earn BACK once lost.

[Josh]

These just popped up on the Michigan list. I didn't have high hopes in the first place, but now I may try to get my hands on a little bit just because of my love of trying terrible whiskey.

FWIW the last bit of BMH NAS I had was in a bar in Las Vegas and it tasted very Beam-ish.

[nd2005]

Now, it conveys to me someone who won't be in business very long because he is destroying the brand, and fails to see the value he created with that brand.

Creating a new label these days isn't that hard. And my guess as to why he didn't is because he is looking to cash-in now on the current one. Trust is very hard to earn in the first place, and incredibly hard to earn BACK once lost.

I think it's quite clear he's trying to cash in while the getting is good. BMH, even the NAS variety, is bizarrely popular among flippers on sites like the bourbon exchange.

[squire]

Or just bottle up cheap hooch and milk the brand for all it's worth, perhaps he really doesn't give a damn how short the ride will be.

[amg]

One of the reviewers for drinkdistiller.com just gave it 98 points. :skep:

[Josh]

Out of 100 or 1,000?

[BootsOnTheGround]

Or just bottle up cheap hooch and milk the brand for all it's worth, perhaps he really doesn't give a damn how short the ride will be.

And that's why they call you Squire.

If I can turn 3 of the bottles almost instantly with little risk and small amount of effort, the taste nor any "review" has little rational grounding. Bourbon bubble, anyone?

[squire]

I've long suspected some reviewers don't actually taste some of the stuff they review.

[HD 335]

Tried this through a sample swap and didn't enjoy it. Here's my notes... The nose is interesting, apple and green grape cider, corn and a dollop of alcohol. Surprising since this "just" 46.5 abv. Usually not a good sign for me. Taste is of corn and slight bitter malt/grain with a little more bitter ginger spice followed by what I think tastes like burnt plastic. Finish is dry and uninteresting with some of that alcohol bite/spice.

[squire]

Burnt plastic eh? Bet they don't list that tasting note on the web site.

[HD 335]

I won't be part of their marketing team, that's for sure. Amanda from drinkdistiller gave a 98 for the rye. Has anyone tried that yet?

[BootsOnTheGround]

Seeing as though the avg consumer enamoured by the brand can't really taste anyway, its hardly relevant to any popularity thus far. People will pay 50% over retail due to branding, perceived scarcity, or just cause its the newest release and the have to have it. This is not a new phenomenon in consumer commodities of all kinds.

[squire]

I would gladly be a part of their marketing team if I was paid in cash.

[Josh]

Or you could be like 60% of the bloggers out there and do marketing but get paid in samples.

[whiskeyobsessive]

Or you could be like 60% of the bloggers out there and do marketing but get paid in samples.

[Josh]

Sorry to drift the thread, but I don't think it's so much a matter of being swayed by samples, but some bloggers are simply in it for the samples and the feeling of being a big shot or an insider. A giveaway is when they never post a negative or even mediocre review of a product. I call them hack bloggers.