Harry in WashDC Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 10 hours ago, The Black Tot said: Agh, Fred's just Fred. If I want to read people's opinions about bourbon, I come here. I don't get upset when he blows up a release. There will be another. Sometimes I like when he blows something up, so I can accumulate other things while the masses are distracted. I'd have a drink with him. It takes a lot more to offend me than a cravate - actually I kind of like his deciding to pick a polarizing look and go forth damn the torpedoes. I can understand this. Years ago, I read his first book, "Camera Boy", (published in 2010) about his experiences as an Army photog person in the Gulf War. I liked his writing style enough to follow his writing career. Happenstance - he liked bourbon, too, so I started reading his bourbon stuff and liked it. Over the years, I concluded that his attention to detail, research skills, and love for the subject outweighed the ascot distraction (HELL, I wear Tommy Bahama shirts in the WINTER!! and I'm not trying to get noticed for money's sake; if I were, I'd be buying the really BRIGHT colored ones). He's also pretty good about disclosing any inherent bias (like those craft gold medals from SanFran tasting things where he's a judge). I may not like that his endorsement of HMcK 10yr SiB caused a recent price hike, but that's the breaks in thishere market. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Harry in WashDC said: I may not like that his endorsement of HMcK 10yr SiB caused a recent price hike, but that's the breaks in thishere market. It might just keep the brand alive (remember when people used to say "I REALLY hope they don't kill this brand because the value is insane!"), and encourage them to make more of it. Then, when the trend-followers inevitably are distracted into the next latest thing, prices come back down, and it's more McKenna for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 10 hours ago, The Black Tot said: It might just keep the brand alive (remember when people used to say "I REALLY hope they don't kill this brand because the value is insane!"), and encourage them to make more of it. Then, when the trend-followers inevitably are distracted into the next latest thing, prices come back down, and it's more McKenna for you. I totally agree with nearly all of this... All except the assertion that prices will 'come back down'. In my 70-years on this planet, I can recall only about 3-instances where prices came down in reaction to lowered demand. Sure, prices routinely come down as improving processes lower costs, or as raw materials fluctuate downward, or (rarely) as tax policies become more favorable. But, a response to a decrease in demand doesn't usually (ever?) result in lowered consumer prices. I personally hope your prediction is spot on, TBT, and will lobby any distillery to do so, if I can one that cares about my position regarding their MSR prices; but, I'm not going to hold my breath. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroo5880i Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I think the term used in social media is influencer. They speak to the uneducated masses directly and educated individuals indirectly. Not much different than product placement in a movie, the Marlboro Man, or Mila Kunis hawking Jim Beam. The influencer convinces us that all of the cool kids are doing it. The consequences seem unintentional but make no mistake they know the ramifications of their communications. The question is whether they are acting independently or on behalf of others. An influencer is an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of his/her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his/her audience. An individual who has a following in a particular niche, which they actively engage with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimeWillTell Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Richnimrod said: I totally agree with nearly all of this... All except the assertion that prices will 'come back down'. In my 70-years on this planet, I can recall only about 3-instances where prices came down in reaction to lowered demand. Sure, prices routinely come down as improving processes lower costs, or as raw materials fluctuate downward, or (rarely) as tax policies become more favorable. But, a response to a decrease in demand doesn't usually (ever?) result in lowered consumer prices. I personally hope your prediction is spot on, TBT, and will lobby any distillery to do so, if I can one that cares about my position regarding their MSR prices; but, I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm only in my 30s but I agree with this as I doubt the MSRP goes down unless they end up with a bunch of product that is sitting in the distillery warehouses. If it makes it to distributors and retailers and sits on the shelves, then we may see sale prices and such to bring price down, I imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDanner Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 How can we blame Fred for what's transpired with HMcK10? He was only a single member of the panel that selected it as Whiskey of the year (blind tasting ,I believe)? Simply for the fact that he was excited to see a bourbon win it? Because he was one of many members of the media that reported on the win? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 2 hours ago, BDanner said: How can we blame Fred for what's transpired with HMcK10? He was only a single member of the panel that selected it as Whiskey of the year (blind tasting ,I believe)? Simply for the fact that he was excited to see a bourbon win it? Because he was one of many members of the media that reported on the win? Because of his following and all that he wrote about it. The same thing happened the year prior. Before that no previous best bourbon winner received the same amount of publicity. In 2017 it was a 6yr old Barrel Bourbon. The results are way more visible now because of Fred and the increased interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoholica Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 13 hours ago, mbroo5880i said: I think the term used in social media is influencer. They speak to the uneducated masses directly and educated individuals indirectly. Not much different than product placement in a movie, the Marlboro Man, or Mila Kunis hawking Jim Beam. The influencer convinces us that all of the cool kids are doing it. The consequences seem unintentional but make no mistake they know the ramifications of their communications. The question is whether they are acting independently or on behalf of others. An influencer is an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of his/her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his/her audience. An individual who has a following in a particular niche, which they actively engage with. Influencers are pretty awful. Generally they throw a tweet out there with no idea what they are promoting. At least Kunis took the time to learn about Beam. Watch the documentaries on the Fyre Music Festival and you'll see the power of the influencers and how they can be leveraged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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