Booker’s price hike push back

[Mako254]

Good work fellas. 

 

 

[smokinjoe]

I think B-S was a bunch of wussies for caving...  

[BigRich]

I think B-S was a bunch of wussies for caving...  [emoji3]

Are we having THAT discussion again tonight?


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[smokinjoe]

24 minutes ago, BigRich said:

Are we having THAT discussion again tonight?


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Heehee!  Well, we will be drinking...  we do our best jawin’ then...

[fishnbowljoe]

Are they gonna give refunds to the poor souls that overpaid?  (I'm kidding. just adding fuel to the fire.) 

 

But seriously, I'm thinking that liquor stores are gonna think twice, and/or hesitate before lowering the price. FWIW, I bet it takes most stores longer to lower the price than it did for them to raise it. 

 

Biba! Joe

[Harry in WashDC]

48 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Are they gonna give refunds to the poor souls that overpaid?  (I'm kidding. just adding fuel to the fire.) 

 

But seriously, I'm thinking that liquor stores are gonna think twice, and/or hesitate before lowering the price. FWIW, I bet it takes most stores longer to lower the price than it did for them to raise it. 

 

Biba! Joe

Well, it's not back down to below $50 when "On Sale", but it can be found regularly for less that $60 lots of places around WashDC, and that's before the announcement Fred noted.  I'm guessing you are correct on how fast they discount it and by how much in the future.    But then, I can wait - my Booker bunker has hardly been dented with an average price well below replacement costs.

[flahute]

51 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Are they gonna give refunds to the poor souls that overpaid?  (I'm kidding. just adding fuel to the fire.) 

 

But seriously, I'm thinking that liquor stores are gonna think twice, and/or hesitate before lowering the price. FWIW, I bet it takes most stores longer to lower the price than it did for them to raise it. 

 

Biba! Joe

Oh yes. Semi related: we have a saying of sorts in the architecture/construction business. Budget line items never come out of the budget at the same rate that they went in.

[flahute]

I responded to that tweet and I'll say the same thing here.

I have not bought a single bottle of Booker's since the price hike. Even with the partial scale back, it still sells for $76 before tax here in WA State.

They can keep it for that price.

[gurgalunas]

40 minutes ago, flahute said:

They can keep it for that price.

Agreed.  Until they quit playing games every year with the price, and the quality/age goes back to what it was, I'll drink off my bunker and/or spend my money on better (and cheaper) bottles.

[Guss West]

+1.  I'm a buyer at $60 and under. Got plenty of my favorite batch.  

Since the price hike, I've seen it on shelves ranging from $55-130.  Wild.

[Spade]

Same for me — even $60 is pushing it from my perspective. It's clearly inferior to both Four Roses private selections and RRSB in my opinion. $100 is off the wall for a six year bourbon and B-S shouldn't have needed to read social media to figure that out.

[BigRich]

What I’m loving most is how we’ve starting abbreviating the company as “B-S” through this discussion. Pretty much sums up my take on the price hike.


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[Richnimrod]

46 minutes ago, BigRich said:

What I’m loving most is how we’ve starting abbreviating the company as “B-S” through this discussion. Pretty much sums up my take on the price hike.


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^^^^ THIS!!!     Ha!     Totally 'on the nose', Big Guy!      Have FUN tonight Dude (and all the folx!).

For me, I like the Booker's general profile, and would be back in their camp and again, replacing a bottle here and there... At or under $60.    So far not available around here for that sort of cheddar.

[gurgalunas]

I continued reading the replies to that original tweet and Minnick clarified that the Beam concession was not reverting back to the $55-$60 price point, but was going back to $70 from a proposed $100 tag.  Gee, thanks...

 

Am I wrong, or was it only a year ago that a proposed price increase for Booker's from $60 to $75 was "backed off" in response to backlash...  and the price still went up to $70.  Now, they are backing off another increase?   Awfully nice of them...

[flahute]

1 hour ago, gurgalunas said:

 

Am I wrong, or was it only a year ago that a proposed price increase for Booker's from $60 to $75 was "backed off" in response to backlash...  and the price still went up to $70.  Now, they are backing off another increase?   Awfully nice of them...

 

The original announcement was an increase to $100 with a stepping stone increase to $70-75. They backed off the $100 but held the stepping stone price.

[spectre]

I might be in the minority here, but I’m willing and happy to pay the $70 for a bottle of Booker’s. The one thing I do require though is positive feedback and reviews. I wait on the fence to see what other consumers have to say. I’d rather pay twice the price for a  fantastic tasting complex and layered tasting bourbon than a good bourbon at half the price. The last batch 2017-04 “Sip Awhile” is an amazing bourbon that is well worth the $70 including tax I paid. I immediately went out and scooped up the last 6 bottles I could find locally to bunker. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a price decrease. 

 

Speaking of which, has anyone tried the 2018-01 “Kathleen’s Batch”?

[dad-proof]

I had a pour of the 2017-2 Blue Knights batch at a restaurant yesterday, and for me it simply doesn't even come close to the recent batches of Stagg Jr. and ECBP. Sure they may be a bit more work to find but the Stagg Jr. is cheaper and the ECBP is 12 years vs. 6+ for Booker's. I like Booker's,  but it will continue to be a bar pour, not a bunker bottle for me.

[flahute]

2 hours ago, spectre said:

I might be in the minority here, but I’m willing and happy to pay the $70 for a bottle of Booker’s. The one thing I do require though is positive feedback and reviews. I wait on the fence to see what other consumers have to say. I’d rather pay twice the price for a  fantastic tasting complex and layered tasting bourbon than a good bourbon at half the price. The last batch 2017-04 “Sip Awhile” is an amazing bourbon that is well worth the $70 including tax I paid. I immediately went out and scooped up the last 6 bottles I could find locally to bunker. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a price decrease. 

 

Speaking of which, has anyone tried the 2018-01 “Kathleen’s Batch”?

Beam's got you right where they want you.

Booker's used to just be Booker's. There were batch code numbers, but nobody talked about them. Every now and then, there'd be a "Roundtable" batch - a batch specially selected by a panel of tasters that Fred Noe assembled. There would be some attempt to track those down, but even then, the people who tasted them wouldn't find them much different from any other batch.

Then Beam decided to name each batch, tell a story about each batch name, and give each one its own label. Then they raised the price and made less of it. Now people are running around asking about specific batches as if some will be exceptionally different from others. And they are trying to make sure they try each batch. (Not saying that's you, just speaking generally). 

Well played Beam, well played. I won't bite though.

[Kane]

5 hours ago, gurgalunas said:

a proposed $100 tag.

HAHAHAHA, no. Not while Stagg Jr can be had for $49. Heck, I'd rather drink the good old KC all day.

[Paddy]

My counter measure to last years Booker’s price hike is currently residing in my basement garage.

 

[PaulO]

You beat me to it Paddy.

I've never bought a bottle of Booker's.  I even remember maybe two years ago; a store had it on sale low $40s.  I just can't rationalize it when KCSB is around.    

[GeeTen]

7 hours ago, Kane said:

HAHAHAHA, no. Not while Stagg Jr can be had for $49. Heck, I'd rather drink the good old KC all day.

 

$38.99 OTD @ local TWs - but you gotta' get them when they come in.  They fly out of the stores real FAST!   

 

[Kane]

1 hour ago, GeeTen said:

 

$38.99 OTD @ local TWs - but you gotta' get them when they come in.  They fly out of the stores real FAST!   

 

Haha, right, I was only able to see the price tag with an empty shelf so far.

[kevinbrink]

On 3/17/2018 at 10:57 PM, dad-proof said:

I had a pour of the 2017-2 Blue Knights batch at a restaurant yesterday, and for me it simply doesn't even come close to the recent batches of Stagg Jr. and ECBP. Sure they may be a bit more work to find but the Stagg Jr. is cheaper and the ECBP is 12 years vs. 6+ for Booker's. I like Booker's,  but it will continue to be a bar pour, not a bunker bottle for me.

It's all a matter of personal taste I have yet to have a batch of Stagg Jr, that I prefer to Booker's it's not even in spitting distance.  ECBP on the other hand is easy to argue as the best value going quality to price.

[Mako254]

8 minutes ago, kevinbrink said:

It's all a matter of personal taste I have yet to have a batch of Stagg Jr, that I prefer to Booker's it's not even in spitting distance.  ECBP on the other hand is easy to argue as the best value going quality to price.

 

Agree about ECBP and they out enough out that one can be had with some looking. 

 

Stagg jr on the other hand, I’ve yet to have a batch I like.