kcgumbohead Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 This all makes me very happy that I just put the finishing touches on a bunker that should suffice for the better part of the remainder of my years. I will VERY selectively add on occasion (barrel selections) but thats about it. For the most part I shall settle in comfortably on the sidelines, savor the fruit of my efforts and watch the fireworks from afar. Manufacturers create products and bring them to market, they only last if a customer base adopts and supports that product. B.S. just gave a double middle finger to that base. I don't begrudge any business "making hay while the sun shines" but there are ways to go about things and a 60+% price hike in one fell swoop may not be the best approach. I am usually wrong in things financial so they may be onto something here. It will be interesting at the very least to see how this and subsequent moves by the other majors play out and rest assured, there will be moves aplenty. Play on playas!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thig Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 1 hour ago, kcgumbohead said: This all makes me very happy that I just put the finishing touches on a bunker that should suffice for the better part of the remainder of my years. I will VERY selectively add on occasion (barrel selections) but thats about it. For the most part I shall settle in comfortably on the sidelines, savor the fruit of my efforts and watch the fireworks from afar. Manufacturers create products and bring them to market, they only last if a customer base adopts and supports that product. B.S. just gave a double middle finger to that base. I don't begrudge any business "making hay while the sun shines" but there are ways to go about things and a 60+% price hike in one fell swoop may not be the best approach. I am usually wrong in things financial so they may be onto something here. It will be interesting at the very least to see how this and subsequent moves by the other majors play out and rest assured, there will be moves aplenty. Play on playas!! I thought I was set for MANY years to come but turns out that may not be the case. Follow the math: I have 150 bottles bunkered, at 25.36 oz per bottle that is 3,804 ounces, at 3 oz per nightly pour that is 1,268 pours which is only 3.47 years. I guess I better keep buying because I certainly hope I don't die that soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlutz Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 (edited) I reacted to the Beam news by buying OGD114 and Booker's. I don't have a room full but at least a few bottles. They are favorites of mine. I haven't bought any KC because I don't drink it much. I like it a lot but prefer the SB and we have a local county that carries the KCSB regularly at $37 and often on sale at $32, so I don't have a reason to buy the 100 proof version. I'm nervous that the strain on Beam's stocks/shifting price strategy will also impact KCSB and will buy a few extra when it's next on sale. I am hopeful it isn't hit with a price bump but will have a backup plan to bunker a few. Booker's has always been packaged in a way with the elaborate box to make it look expensive. KCSB is nearly indistinguishable on the shelf from the rest of the KC line. Because of its size and typical shelf location it doesn't scream "premium" bottle to the casual consumer. I'm hoping it stays that way. Edited December 14, 2016 by Charlutz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 21 hours ago, Thig said: I thought I was set for MANY years to come but turns out that may not be the case. Follow the math: I have 150 bottles bunkered, at 25.36 oz per bottle that is 3,804 ounces, at 3 oz per nightly pour that is 1,268 pours which is only 3.47 years. I guess I better keep buying because I certainly hope I don't die that soon. LOL, I hope you don't either!!. I am a mostly a weekly pour vs. nightly guy so looking at a MUCH longer timeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonDrinkingSailor Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 This whole thing with booker's is very interesting to me living here in the bluegrass. Stagg JR, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and really any other well regarded barrel proof sells out in minutes or is even allocated to raffles. Although the MSRP is only $50 the actual cost is waiting in line, spending thousands at a local store to get favoritism, or paying secondary. I think one of the only reasons Booker's wasn't being snatch up is that we all counted on it always being there. Right now it usually sells for around 80% of the MSRP, so even if it goes up to $80+ based on the new MSRP it is still cheaper than paying the premium for the almost non existent barrel proofers out there for us. I do wonder what price the market will actually set for bookers. They shifted to the premium stained boxes with engraved bookers logos, instead of the unstained boxes with screen printed logos. They went to a nicer bottle with a smaller foot on it. They went to drawing up and printing individual drawings and logos for each batch, the nicer smaller lids and corks that appear to be breaking less often. Overall it seems since beginning of 2015 their production costs have increased dramatically for bookers, without a price increase since the early 2000's. So i can't be completely angry about a jump, but doing it all at once seems foolish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portwood Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Surprise, SURPRISE! Now that the shelves have been cleared of stale product ... Fred Minnick is reporting: "Beam Suntory Backtracks on Booker's pricing" http://www.fredminnick.com/2017/01/02/beam-suntory-backtracks-bookers-pricing/ Edited January 2, 2017 by portwood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 19 minutes ago, portwood said: Surprise, SURPRISE! Now that the shelves have been cleared of stale product ... Fred Minnick is reporting: "Beam Suntory Backtracks on Booker's pricing" http://www.fredminnick.com/2017/01/02/beam-suntory-backtracks-bookers-pricing/ Your dripping sarcasm is well warranted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I dare everyone who loaded up to return it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 1 minute ago, garbanzobean said: I dare everyone who loaded up to return it all. Ohhhh........that would be fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) I'm proud to say my instinctive need to bunker Beam products that interest me turned into "try said beam products again at some point" and then fell off the rails at ". . . Nevermind I still don't like beam products all that much" in record time. Without me spending a dime on their bourbon. That is either a new level of bourbon zen, or an all time low in terms of personal laziness. Edited January 2, 2017 by garbanzobean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 1 minute ago, garbanzobean said: I'm proud to say my instinctive need to bunker Beam products that interest me turned into "try said beam products again at some point" and then fell off the rails at ". . . Nevermind I still don't like beam products all that much" in record time. Without me spending a dime on their bourbon. That is either a new level of bourbon zen, or an all time low in terms of personal laziness. Hahaha.....this is me as well. When the new first broke, I said "OMG I must go out and stock up". I don't know if it was the busyness of the holidays or what but I was never able to work up the gumption to go out and buy them. In an indirect way, it tells me what I need to know - I don't drink enough Booker's to warrant bunkering it. I'm quite happy enough with KCSiB. I do like Booker's. I just don't love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netboog Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I like the "rarity" comment from them...Even after the shelf clearing and all the regular buyers stocked up, demand will plummet for 2017 and it will once again sit on the shelves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlutz Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I had about half a bottle at home when I heard on here about the increase. I never bunkered it because it's always been available. Booker's is a favorite of mine and one I regularly recommended to others as a good value. The news made me sad. I bought 4 bottles at $49 each and part of my thinking was that if the news was false or if Beam backtracked, how much of a bunkered supply would I be comfortable with? I have a bad taste in my mouth about how this was handled, but I'm good with my purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwin Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 My local Bevmo has a shelf full of the Bluegrass batch (2016-01) on a sale. The other store has dropped the price of Basil Hayden from $40+ to $29. They also had a few different batches of Booker's available. OGD114 is still available, but not as many of them on the shelves. One of the grocery stores did a half off to get rid of KC & MM. Making sense of supply and demand can be a real head scratcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledInBond Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Well, I didn't go buy a ton either. I did buy 2 bottles at $50 each which I am comfortable with. I Really wonder if this was their strategy all along (set off a buying spree temporarily and then back off), or if they actually intended to follow through but changed plans based on public backlash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Dick Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I bought 10 @ $45 each. I don't regret it, it's never gonna be that cheap again. While not my favorite bourbon, there's always one open here. I imagine 2017 sales of Booker's will be in the toilet, as all the fans stocked up already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 If bookers sat on shelves at 50 bucks when demand was "normal," what happens when everyone now has more bookers than they know what to do with, so demand plummets, yet prices somehow go UP? If they thought they had inventory problems this December, I can only imagine next... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 1 hour ago, Whiskey Dick said: I bought 10 @ $45 each. I don't regret it, it's never gonna be that cheap again. While not my favorite bourbon, there's always one open here. I imagine 2017 sales of Booker's will be in the toilet, as all the fans stocked up already. This was my thinking - never be this cheap again, and I do like it. Then, I started wondering what I REALLY paid for my lifetime supply (well, pretty close at current consumption rates if my insurance company's actuary is correct). While doing some initial tax record sorting Tues 27 DEC-Thurs 29 DEC, I pulled out my beer/wine/spirits receipts and decided to check on my average Booker's price (don't laugh - better than actually doing taxes, right?). Including sales tax, my bunker bottles are at a little under $51 per. So, even at MSRP of $70 instead of $100 or at a future 20% off $70 of $54, I'll not buy another without raising my per unit cost. IN SUM, WD is correct, we fans already are set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosugoji64 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 3 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said: This was my thinking - never be this cheap again, and I do like it. Then, I started wondering what I REALLY paid for my lifetime supply (well, pretty close at current consumption rates if my insurance company's actuary is correct). While doing some initial tax record sorting Tues 27 DEC-Thurs 29 DEC, I pulled out my beer/wine/spirits receipts and decided to check on my average Booker's price (don't laugh - better than actually doing taxes, right?). Including sales tax, my bunker bottles are at a little under $51 per. So, even at MSRP of $70 instead of $100 or at a future 20% off $70 of $54, I'll not buy another without raising my per unit cost. IN SUM, WD is correct, we fans already are set. You're a genius, Harry! I was thinking something along those lines today but didn't have the maths to back it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_mays Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I think it's a fine bourbon and I do like it, but honestly I can easily live without it. Even before the announcement, it was a very rare pour for me when Knob Creek 120 was so ubiquitous, easier to drink, and didn't leave behind a wooden box that's too nice to throw away but not useful for a whole lot either. I almost hate to say it but I will probably never buy another bottle of it. I have several in the bunker and that'll do me fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I think they probably reduced store and distributor inventory enough that Beam sales of Booker's to distributors and subsequently to retailers will be better than they would have been for 2017 without the price increase announcement. The real question will be their 2018 sales. If they don't end up increasing the price too much and improve the quality of fewer batches, they will probably end up being OK with their little marketing ploy. I already have enough bunkered that I probably won't ever buy Booker's again, but hopefully I live long enough to be wrong about that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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