Weller Special Reserve Discontinued?

[Sluggo]

I was at a customer appreciation event for Big Red Liquors here in Indianapolis and I was told by two different people one of which was a regional manager that Weller Special Reserve was being discontinued in order for Buffalo Trace to make more Pappy. I guess the decision was made after the disappointing production of Pappy this year.

My question has anyone else heard of this or is it just a rumor?

If it is true does this affect 107 or 12?

[Paddy]

Anything's possible, but I don't buy it! :skep:

It seems to me that it would be the last one of the line to pull the plug on, given that it's the youngest bull in the barn.

It's the easiest to get to market, cheap and NAS. Plus, it's the only one of the line that's available here on a regular basis.

Stores received additional shipments just this week. W12 and OWA show up in small quantities every month or two, and generally only last for a few hours (if that long).

[PaulO]

My observation has been that SR was relatively easy to find. OWA and W12 are hard to find. I don't know if BT was determined to keep SR in stores at the expense of the other two. It could be the SR sits around a lot longer because people don't really want it. I had hoped if anything, BT would discontinue or cut back on SR, and bump up the amount of OWA and W12.

[dcbt]

This seems to come up every year or two, but as Paddy alluded to I can't see if happening as WSR provides a very nice profit margin for BT, better than OWA or W12 I'd bet. So I'd think it'd be the last to get cut. I think they'd cut OWA first. I would say they'd cut the age statement of W12 first, but that might create too much brand confusion b/w OWA, WSR, and W NAS.

[tanstaafl2]

I think I read in an email from Nigeria that this was definitely going to happen!

In that same email I also came into some money as soon as I send them my bank account info...

[flahute]

As others have said above, it's hard to believe, though this is the one most enthusiasts would like to see get cut in favor of more OWA and Weller 12. Or, OWA with the age statement back.

[Sluggo]

I think I read in an email from Nigeria that this was definitely going to happen!

In that same email I also came into some money as soon as I send them my bank account info...

I'm not trying to start anything. WSR is one of my favorite daily pours. I posted this as a means to determine if there is any truth to what I was told. The only reason I posted here was I'm hoping people with more knowledge than I might know.

[tanstaafl2]

I'm not trying to start anything. WSR is one of my favorite daily pours. I posted this as a means to determine if there is any truth to what I was told. The only reason I posted here was I'm hoping people with more knowledge than I might know.

Just a bit of humor. I have no inside information either way and Sazerac has certainly dumped more than it's share of age statements and labels in the recent past. But they have also been the target of a bunch of rumors of late as a result of their close ties to "Pappymania" so I am unlikely to give much credence to anything I hear at this point. Especially from store owners, managers and distributors. With a few exceptions they seem to be the first to come up with wild rumors and the last to know any actual facts!

[fishnbowljoe]

Just a bit of humor. I have no inside information either way and Sazerac has certainly dumped more than it's share of age statements and labels in the recent past. But they have also been the target of a bunch of rumors of late as a result of Pappymania so I am unlikely to give much credence to anything I hear at this point. Especially from store owners, managers and distributors. With a few exceptions they seem to be the first to come up with wild rumors and the last to know any actual facts!

Xactly!

A distributor/salesman told me in August, that he'd get EW BIB on the shelves of one of my local stores by early September. Maybe even before the KBF. :bigeyes: It still hasn't appeared yet. Ooops, I almost forgot. That was told to me last year. :skep:

Joe

[Sluggo]

Thanks for the insight. This is one of those type of rumors that makes me nervous because I don't know whether to stockpile WSR or not. Right now it's not that hard to get with a little effort. I'd be willing to give up my WSR if the juice went to producing more W12 or OWA. If they turned it into Pappy which I can never find I'll have to switch to Larceny.

[barrel_proofer]

Perhaps I'm too cynical about these things, but as Sazerac continues to be seemingly unable to keep most of their products consistently in stock it seems to me those folks are either grossly incompetent at running their distilleries or they have truly perfected the art of scarcity marketing.

[flahute]

I'm not that cynical about Sazerac. I believe if they could wave a magic wand and have more available for sale, they would. More profit. As the makers of the two most highly sought after and hyped limited edition collections, I suspect that everything they make gets put under pressure by the millions of bourbon drinkers who can't get the limiteds and ask "what else from this company can I purchase that is similar to what I can't get?" Some arrive at this conclusion on their own, and many get that suggestion planted in their minds by blogs, web articles, and print articles. Anything Weller is the poster child for this.

[Xevious]

Agreed. Because of the BTAC and Pappy mania, BT can't keep anything on the shelf. The only stuff I see with any regularity is Buffalo Trace and Weller SR (guess you could add Ancient Age too).

[Josh]

Don't worry about this. Unless it comes directly from Sazerac (not some distributor or regional manager flunky) it's most likely BS for the express purpose of moving more bottles.

[kjbeggs]

Don't worry about this. Unless it comes directly from Sazerac (not some distributor or regional manager flunky) it's most likely BS for the express purpose of moving more bottles.

What he said.

Usually when I hear "brand X has been discontinued" at a retail location, it actually translates to "I don't have any on the shelf, but instead of waiting for it, you should buy this bottle I have 100's of instead".

[squire]

What he said.

Usually when I hear "brand X has been discontinued" at a retail location, it actually translates to "I don't have any on the shelf, but instead of waiting for it, you should buy this bottle I have 100's of instead".

That's the message I get as well.

[Sluggo]

I may have misunderstood my source. I talked to him earlier today and it sounds like more of the Special Reserve juice is going to making Van Winkle products. If this is the case Special Reserve will be slightly harder to find just like its two older brothers. If this is the case I have no problem with it. Sorry if this information is not true. I'm not trying to mislead anyone, just the opposite I'm trying to determine if there is any truth to it.

[Paddy]

I may have misunderstood my source. I talked to him earlier today and it sounds like more of the Special Reserve juice is going to making Van Winkle products. If this is the case Special Reserve will be slightly harder to find just like its two older brothers. If this is the case I have no problem with it. Sorry if this information is not true. I'm not trying to mislead anyone, just the opposite I'm trying to determine if there is any truth to it.

They could take 1% of the WSR stock and age it up for Pappy, and we'd never know the difference as there is probably 1 barrel of Pappy for every 100,000 barrels for WSR.

Sadly, 1% of the 1% may actually pass muster (after the added aging) to actually meet the standard for Pappy. :frown:

[Sluggo]

It would be interesting to know exactly how many barrels of Special Reserve are out there and how many could go on to become Pappy. I wonder how many barrels Julian samples from to pick for his products. When I did the Blantons and Eagle Rare barrel selections they only brought out 3 of each they thought would be good to sample from at cask strength. I'll say it was nice getting to taste them right out of the barrel.

[fishnbowljoe]

BT has only one wheated mash bill, so I'm pretty sure it's not a case of how many barrels of Weller SR, OWA, ORVW, Pappy, etc… BT has aging. They're all the same. I've heard of two different scenarios with regards as to what goes to Weller, and what goes to Van Winkle. I've heard that Julian has his pick of the wheated barrels. I've also heard that specific warehouses, and/or certain floors within those warehouse are designated for the Van Winkle line. Like I said, this is what I've heard. Nothing verified at all. For all we know, they could do something completely different.

Joe

[cowdery]

Sazerac still has supply issues with Weller but it isn't changing the line-up or discontinuing anything, and there are no plans to do so. A little logical thinking should tell you this is so. Weller is hugely successful. Demand is outstripping supply now but supply will catch up and then Weller will be even more successful. Smart businesspeople don't mess with a good thing. Long live Weller!

[Sluggo]

Sazerac still has supply issues with Weller but it isn't changing the line-up or discontinuing anything, and there are no plans to do so. A little logical thinking should tell you this is so. Weller is hugely successful. Demand is outstripping supply now but supply will catch up and then Weller will be even more successful. Smart businesspeople don't mess with a good thing. Long live Weller!

Good to know. I hope that supply does catch up and soon. It would be nice to go into my local liquor store and be able to buy bottles right off the shelf and not have to learn the secret handshake to purchase a bottle.

[fishnbowljoe]

Sazerac still has supply issues with Weller but it isn't changing the line-up or discontinuing anything, and there are no plans to do so. A little logical thinking should tell you this is so. Weller is hugely successful. Demand is outstripping supply now but supply will catch up and then Weller will be even more successful. Smart businesspeople don't mess with a good thing. Long live Weller!

Thanks for your insight and input Chuck. Always appreciated. I agree, Long Live Weller! :toast:

[Harry in WashDC]

BT has only one wheated mash bill, so I'm pretty sure it's not a case of how many barrels of Weller SR, OWA, ORVW, Pappy, etc… BT has aging. They're all the same. I've heard of two different scenarios with regards as to what goes to Weller, and what goes to Van Winkle. I've heard that Julian has his pick of the wheated barrels. I've also heard that specific warehouses, and/or certain floors within those warehouse are designated for the Van Winkle line. Like I said, this is what I've heard. Nothing verified at all. For all we know, they could do something completely different.

Joe

[Photodudems]

My local store has weller. Western Maryland.