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News video on sourced bourbon


Darwin
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Saw this yesterday. It's a well done piece. Surprised they got it right!

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That video is pretty well done; but, I question why the producers elected to have MGP defend themselves rather than "pick-a-scamm-brand".     Or, have MGP's rep just explain the business of contract distilling, or bulk sales.

I have no complaint with MGP, or anyone else who sells bulk, commodity, or contract Bourbon, whether by the barrel, the pallet, the train-car-load, or tanker-truck-load.

MGP is not now, and as far as I know never has, hidden the fact that they sell whiskey (Bourbon) to craft labels and others to market as they choose. 

It's those 'others' who choose to tell bulls_t stories about the origin of those spirits; who wish desperately to mislead consumers; not MGP

Sourcing Bourbon, or any spirit, isn't in and of itself a bad thing.    If any brand owner wants to be honest about the brand, he is certainly free to do so.    MGP has no such luxury, unless it's so indicated in the contract made with such brand owner.

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I agree, MGP is totally above board.  While most distillery's are touting their products, they just quietly go about their business of providing a good product to their customer(s). 

 

They could care less, whether you tell anyone your product is theirs, or not.  Like any good supplier, they leave the option of disclosure to the customer. 

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I don't think anyone blames MGP, they aren't telling any lies (at least that I know about). The fault is with the dishonest NDPs and the lax labeling laws (and lax enforcement) that allow them to get away with it. And, as they mention with High West, there are honest NDPs that have great reputations and are very successful. Old Scout SiB, which clearly indicates it is distilled in Indiana, is one of my favorite bourbons. I am surprised to hear that MGP is turning out a million cases a year when at least some brands who rely on them are struggling to maintain supply. I also wonder why they have not more aggressively pursued their own brands.

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21 minutes ago, Jazz June said:

I also wonder why they have not more aggressively pursued their own brands.

Don't want to compete with all those customers they have.

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21 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

That video is pretty well done; but, I question why the producers elected to have MGP defend themselves rather than "pick-a-scamm-brand".     Or, have MGP's rep just explain the business of contract distilling, or bulk sales.

I have no complaint with MGP, or anyone else who sells bulk, commodity, or contract Bourbon, whether by the barrel, the pallet, the train-car-load, or tanker-truck-load.

MGP is not now, and as far as I know never has, hidden the fact that they sell whiskey (Bourbon) to craft labels and others to market as they choose. 

It's those 'others' who choose to tell bulls_t stories about the origin of those spirits; who wish desperately to mislead consumers; not MGP

Sourcing Bourbon, or any spirit, isn't in and of itself a bad thing.    If any brand owner wants to be honest about the brand, he is certainly free to do so.    MGP has no such luxury, unless it's so indicated in the contract made with such brand owner.

What we might think of as desperately misleading customers, marketing departments view as building the brand through story telling.  :)  

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13 hours ago, flahute said:

Don't want to compete with all those customers they have.

I think it's probably more complicated than even that, while it seems logical that they would make more money selling the whiskey themselves at similar pricing there are costs to getting it to market, label approval, distribution, bottling and marketing and the prerequisite staffing that might make profitability less in the short term. Clearly MGP is getting it's feet wet first with Metze's Select and now with Rossville Union and George Remus but the fact that they bought an existing brand to get their own product to market speaks to the challenges with reaching the consumer when you haven't done so in some time. 

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1 hour ago, kevinbrink said:

I think it's probably more complicated than even that, while it seems logical that they would make more money selling the whiskey themselves at similar pricing there are costs to getting it to market, label approval, distribution, bottling and marketing and the prerequisite staffing that might make profitability less in the short term. Clearly MGP is getting it's feet wet first with Metze's Select and now with Rossville Union and George Remus but the fact that they bought an existing brand to get their own product to market speaks to the challenges with reaching the consumer when you haven't done so in some time. 

It is more complicated than that for sure, but also true in the basic sense. They have said in the past that they have to be careful about bringing to market a product of their own that is too similar to one of their customer's products. If they siphon away sales, they start to lose customers.

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59 minutes ago, flahute said:

It is more complicated than that for sure, but also true in the basic sense. They have said in the past that they have to be careful about bringing to market a product of their own that is too similar to one of their customer's products. If they siphon away sales, they start to lose customers.

I guess there is truth to it but ultimately if the prices are in line with the NDP's the only thing that changes with one more MGP bottle on the shelf (and there seems to be a new one regularly anyway) would be some kind of perception issue that they keep the best barrels for themselves. If the market wasn't already flooded with MGP bourbon and rye I would see the point more, but as it stands the people buying $25 bottles of Redemption probably don't care who makes it. I do however, think it's interesting that as of now the products they have released aren't the most well priced MGP bottles on the shelf though and that might help reinforce your point. 

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I'll apologize in advance for a bit of thread drift here...but there is a reason...

I saw a Bourbon at my local LS and had to read it twice to be sure I understood it correctly.    It was called 'Old Elk', and is offered by "Old Elk Distillery" located in Colorado, or at least this stuff was bottled in Fort Collins CO.   The reason I'm posting this here is because the front label has a signature imprinted ...and guess whose it is?    Greg Metze!    And, it says next to the sig; 'Master Distiller'; which he is... of MGPI last I heard.    Or do I have that wrong?

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56 minutes ago, Richnimrod said:

I'll apologize in advance for a bit of thread drift here...but there is a reason...

I saw a Bourbon at my local LS and had to read it twice to be sure I understood it correctly.    It was called 'Old Elk', and is offered by "Old Elk Distillery" located in Colorado, or at least this stuff was bottled in Fort Collins CO.   The reason I'm posting this here is because the front label has a signature imprinted ...and guess whose it is?    Greg Metze!    And, it says next to the sig; 'Master Distiller'; which he is... of MGPI last I heard.    Or do I have that wrong?

https://www.fredminnick.com/2017/11/02/former-mgp-master-distiller-releases-old-elk/

 

Fascinating mashbill on this one.

Edited by flahute
I want to be like Harry when I grow up.
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5 hours ago, flahute said:

Well!    I guess I missed the info about Metze leaving MGPI.    I'll have to take another look at this bottle next time I'm in the place.    That is indeed an interesting mashbill.    I've had a few higher-than-average-barley-mashill Bourbons, and all were interesting, if a little 'untypical' in profile.    One thing I've noted in all of 'em was a somewhat more than average 'oily' mouthfeel.    I didn't find it objectionable, merely noteworthy. 

Thanx for posting this info, Steve.

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On 6/12/2018 at 3:17 PM, flahute said:

Thanks for the link.  I remembered he'd left but had forgotten where he went, probably because I'm nowhere near Colo or Calif.

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