Where does Henry McKenna go from here?

[0895]

1 hour ago, flahute said:

 

2) because average bourbons at a good price are an endangered species. Below average bourbons are taking over.

 

Amen.

[Supercharger]

HMcK was tough and go here before this win. It’s now been cleared out. 

 

I have one open and three behind the bar.  One I’ll probably keep for a while as the barreled date is very close to my wife and my first date. 

[Kepler]

9 hours ago, DCFan said:

I can’t believe that all it takes to propel sales of an average bourbon is to get an award somewhere. This should settle the question of whether the boom has peaked yet.

People, especially new entrants to this boom market, are just looking for something to chase.  The awards provide the excuse.  They are frustrated because they've been hitting their heads against the wall trying to find Blanton's, and this gives them something they might actually have a chance to find.

[fosmith]

17 hours ago, DCFan said:

People what is the point of stockpiling an average bourbon unless you think LS’s are going to start looking like Venezuelan grocery stores sometime soon. Trust me there is plenty to go around. Trust me.

 

psst I’m hearing ER is the next hot buy. 

FORO.  Fear Of Running Out.  Sometimes I get it bad... 

[DCFan]

13 minutes ago, fosmith said:

FORO.  Fear Of Running Out.  Sometimes I get it bad... 

Fear not my friend as the shelves of yours and mine LS's have an overflowing abundance of God's nectar of various varieties. You see we are blessed and I say this on the most blessed day of the week - Sunday.  Which means I get my lenten Sunday exemption to drink God's nectar.   

[Charlutz]

9 hours ago, Kepler said:

People, especially new entrants to this boom market, are just looking for something to chase.  The awards provide the excuse.  They are frustrated because they've been hitting their heads against the wall trying to find Blanton's, and this gives them something they might actually have a chance to find.

I think it’s a bit more than that. If someone finds out about HMcK10 because of the award and then googles reviews they are going to read a ton of positive opinions. Most of those reports will cite the age statement, low price, availability and quality. This time it’s not about chasing a must have with nothing behind it. This is a low key good product getting a ton of fanfare. 

 

I think you and I are on the same page. Sorry if I was nitpicking your first sentence. Just wanted to point out that this isn’t people chasing WSR and calling it the ‘same as pappy.’

[DCFan]

1 hour ago, Charlutz said:

I think it’s a bit more than that. If someone finds out about HMcK10 because of the award and then googles reviews they are going to read a ton of positive opinions. Most of those reports will cite the age statement, low price, availability and quality. This time it’s not about chasing a must have with nothing behind it. This is a low key good product getting a ton of fanfare. 

 

I think you and I are on the same page. Sorry if I was nitpicking your first sentence. Just wanted to point out that this isn’t people chasing WSR and calling it the ‘same as pappy.’

I am not basing this on anything I’ve seen or heard, it’s strictly my guess. When news of this award was announced on reddit and various facebook groups that created a buying epidemic fueled by curiosity which turned into a frenzy when word went out that shelves were getting cleared. That frenzy was driven by buyers who viewed HMcK more as an investment or commodity in case this turned into another Pappy going forward. I’m not buying that this is anyone’s favorite bourbon (as it isn’t mentioned here much) and they wanted to stock their bunker to insure future supplies.

[flahute]

6 minutes ago, DCFan said:

I am not basing this on anything I’ve seen or heard, it’s strictly my guess. When news of this award was announced on reddit and various facebook groups that created a buying epidemic fueled by curiosity which turned into a frenzy when word went out that shelves were getting cleared. That frenzy was driven by buyers who viewed HMcK more as an investment or commodity in case this turned into another Pappy going forward. I’m not buying that this is anyone’s favorite bourbon (as it isn’t mentioned here much) and they wanted to stock their bunker to insure future supplies.

For sure lots of opportunists ran out and cleared shelves so they could flip them. I saw an auction for one the very same night the award was announced. It's a mixture of these people and those I referred to above who never paid attention to it until someone told them it was good. They get fear of missing out syndrome so they jump on the bandwagon to make sure they have some in case it becomes the next allocated bourbon. 

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, DCFan said:

 I’m not buying that this is anyone’s favorite bourbon (as it isn’t mentioned here much) and they wanted to stock their bunker to insure future supplies.

Two things...

I think many here like it a great deal (when a special barrel is involved); but, don't mention it a lot because it's so common (or used to be), and so reasonably priced (or used to be), and therefor many assume that everybody is drinking it.   In addition, it can be fairly variable (being a single barrel offering) and some (many?) may have been turned away from the brand due to a substandard bottle or two.

Also, I think some (many?) purposely avoid discussing it, so that what has happened might be avoided or at least delayed.

These are merely my own opinions based upon zero actual research or in-depth knowledge.

[Spade]

4 hours ago, DCFan said:

 I’m not buying that this is anyone’s favorite bourbon (as it isn’t mentioned here much) and they wanted to stock their bunker to insure future supplies.

It's long been one of my favorites — I think I mentioned this in my first post in the "New to Straightbourbon" thread. There's a few bottles that I almost always have on hand including this, RRSB, and Four Roses. Because it was a relatively better deal than RRSB and Four Roses store picks, I tended to go through it a bit faster.

 

Its relative value has decreased with the price going up. Plus, my perception is that the quality is more variable than it used to be. If consistency goes back up, I think it's a decent deal at $40.

[DCFan]

22 minutes ago, Spade said:

It's long been one of my favorites — I think I mentioned this in my first post in the "New to Straightbourbon" thread.

Yes I fully expected someone to chime in and say it’s my absolute can’t live without it fave.

 

I maintain that the frenzied buying we just saw was by those who think they’re buying a commodity they think will be the next Pappy all because the Iowa State Fair gave it a blue ribbon.  

Edited March 31, 2019 by DCFan

[beasled]

From one of the UK auction sites... rather amusing. 

 

[PaulO]

I think if any of the major distillers put out a 8 - 10 year old bottled in bond, it would be pretty good.

No chill filter, even better.

[smokinjoe]

On 3/30/2019 at 12:11 PM, evasive said:

...works well in a market that lives or dies on clicks. I think it’s ironic that Minnick wrote a recent post complaining that influencers are ruining the whiskey industry, since he is clearly an influencer too, and his effect has some people in this thread riled up. Sure he was writing about Instagrammers who don’t know as much as he does, but he still serves the same basic function: get people excited about whiskey so they buy more of it.

 

Getting people excited about whiskey is not even half of it.  Those are but a means to his own personal ends:  

 

Promoting and protecting his own “brand”, and building his own enterprises.

 

And, there is nothing wrong with that.   It’s what any business, his business, should do.  He’s being a good businessman.  But, we must be cognizant of those facts when we hear or read content from him, particularly when it is effusively over the top.  

[Richnimrod]

17 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

Getting people excited about whiskey is not even half of it.  Those are but a means to his own personal ends:  

 

Promoting and protecting his own “brand”, and building his own enterprises.

 

And, there is nothing wrong with that.   It’s what any business, his business, should do.  He’s being a good businessman.  But, we must be cognizant of those facts when we hear or read content from him, particularly when it is effusively over the top.  

^^^^ THIS! ^^^^      The proverbial 'grain of salt' is always recommended folx!  

[BigRich]

Getting people excited about whiskey is not even half of it.  Those are but a means to his own personal ends:  
 
Promoting and protecting his own “brand”, and building his own enterprises.
 
And, there is nothing wrong with that.   It’s what any business, his business, should do.  He’s being a good businessman.  But, we must be cognizant of those facts when we hear or read content from him, particularly when it is effusively over the top.  

Joe,

Just an FYI buddy...I got really tired of spending hours arguing with you myself so I booted Matt out of our room at the Nelson and got Fred to stay the weekend. Bonus, the motel just confirmed that we have the room next to you and troyce.

Everyone else, bring your own popcorn.

[GaryT]

2 hours ago, BigRich said:

 

Joe,

Just an FYI buddy...I got really tired of spending hours arguing with you myself so I booted Matt out of our room at the Nelson and got Fred to stay the weekend. Bonus, the motel just confirmed that we have the room next to you and troyce.

Everyone else, bring your own popcorn.

 

(packing popcorn along with fudge . . . insert 3rd grade snicker here)

[smokinjoe]

On 4/1/2019 at 3:54 PM, BigRich said:

 

Joe,

Just an FYI buddy...I got really tired of spending hours arguing with you myself so I booted Matt out of our room at the Nelson and got Fred to stay the weekend. Bonus, the motel just confirmed that we have the room next to you and troyce.

Everyone else, bring your own popcorn.

 

Life is about choices, and...

 

 

 

[BigRich]

Life is about choices, and...
 
 
[emoji3]
 

So I should cancel the delivery of 50 ascots scheduled for Thursday evening?

[CardsandBourbon]

Was at HH yesterday and they had it in the locked cabinet for  . . . $56.95.

[lcpfratn]

Was at HH yesterday and they had it in the locked cabinet for  . . . $56.95.

I’d say that’s a sure sign of an impending nationwide price increase. They always have things priced a little above suggested retail prices at the gift shop, but it’s usually not more than 5 or 10% over MSRP if I remember correctly.

[kevinbrink]

17 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I’d say that’s a sure sign of an impending nationwide price increase. They always have things priced a little above suggested retail prices at the gift shop, but it’s usually not more than 5 or 10% over MSRP if I remember correctly.

IIRC when I was there 3 years ago and ECBP was kind of at a peak it was priced close to $100 which is well over 5-10% , could be wrong but I remember being shocked by the price.

[lcpfratn]

IIRC when I was there 3 years ago and ECBP was kind of at a peak it was priced close to $100 which is well over 5-10% , could be wrong but I remember being shocked by the price.

I don’t recall ever seeing ECBP priced that high at the gift shop. The few times I’ve seen it in the last couple of years, i believe it was in the $69.99 to $79.99 range. To your point though, the high end of that price range is still over 10% above the average suggested retail price in most places when you can find it at retail.

[kevinbrink]

3 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I don’t recall ever seeing ECBP priced that high at the gift shop. The few times I’ve seen it in the last couple of years, i believe it was in the $69.99 to $79.99 range. To your point though, the high end of that price range is still over 10% above the average suggested retail price in most places when you can find it at retail.

I certainly could be suffering from CRS here.

[lcpfratn]

I certainly could be suffering from CRS here.

So could I! [emoji3]