Blanton's Gold Coming Back to the USA (Finally!)!

[GeeTen]

Oh joy!  https://www.kentucky.com/lexgoeat/bourbon/article240688996.html

 

Once a year at $120 MSRP - I did wonder why my Bermuda bottles were 750s last April.

 

 

 

Guess my Gold tops collections is now worthless, eh?

 

 

 

The next thing ya' know, they'll start selling Blanton's STFB (Straight From The Barrel) here as well.

 

 

 

"Oh, the humanity! "   

  

Edited February 28, 2020 by GeeTen
Wrong MSRP Price

[Clueby]

I saw that announcement.  I love Blanton's Gold but the chance of getting a bottle at retail around here is going to be somewhere between slim and none.  They should name it Blanton's Unobtanium Edition (credit to @0895)  

[beasled]

Awesome, you can stop stealing mine now

[fosmith]

Just what I need - another bourbon that I'll never see, much less have a chance to drink.  Move over Weller Full Proof...

[Bob_Loblaw]

This is exciting! 

[PhantomLamb]

Honestly, seems lame to me for 103 vs 93 proof and double the price at $120.  Personally, it's a hard pass for me (if I ever see it on the shelves).

[mal00768]

$120.. yeesh

 

I’ll stick with two bottles of RR.

[FacePlant]

I was talking to my LS this week and they mentioned that Gold would be on the shelfs later this year. My first though was GeeTen, knowing his penchant for that wonderful juice.  

[Richnimrod]

Hmmm.   Double the price for 10-additional proof points...      I might not be looking too hard for one.

[Kyjd75]

Interesting.  I purchased both Blanton's Gold and SFTB at a local spirits store in Christiansted, St. Croix a few years ago.  I've been back to that shop several times since and they always tell me the same thing--that they haven't seen a bottle of either since I bought mine in 2014.  Glad it is being made available, but a once a year LE means the suggested retail price will only be a dream.

[berto]

I've never understood the fascination with Blanton's Gold beyond it being difficult to obtain.  At least SFTB is a real proof jump.  The once a year release effectively makes the bottle nonexistent for most people.  I wonder by how much  the black market price will surpass what it costs to re-import from sources overseas.  It's not like availability is really going to improve.  

[GeeTen]

1 hour ago, FacePlant said:

I was talking to my LS this week and they mentioned that Gold would be on the shelfs later this year. My first though was GeeTen, knowing his penchant for that wonderful juice.  

But I share, too!  Don't recall too many people turning down a taste from one of my Bermuda bottles last April in Bardstown.  And I paid a lot less than $120 from Bermuda Duty Free coming home.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I may be going all "Joe" here, but I feel like the initial response is not all that fair to BT.  Up until two days ago the gripe was how stupid BT is for not offering Blanton's SFTB and Gold domestically.   You can probably find several pictures on this forum of full pallets of Gold/SFTB taken during BT tours and without fail the OP mentions asking if they could buy a bottle (of course not) and then the next 10-15 posts are various people lamenting the fact that the product is only sold overseas. 

 

BT actually listened to its fan base and is making this available!  I think that is great.   They can't keep up with demand for regular Blanton's so of course this will be even more limited, but at least it will be here.  Price is not the best, I'd have liked to see it in the $80-90 range, but its pretty much on par with what it costs to get a 700ml bottle of Gold shipped from overseas now.   

 

I don't know, I get that it can be frustrating to find the BT stuff, that its all allocated, and taters are driving up secondary.  But in the end BT is making a whole lot of really good whiskey at reasonable MSRP pricing, but still gets so much hate because of its scarcity.  Would everyone be happier if BT just took the Whistle Pig approach and priced W12 at $125, W107 at $100, WFP at $150 etc . . .  I would not!

 

[Clueby]

1 hour ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

W12 at $125, W107 at $100, WFP at $150 etc . . .  I would not!

I understand (and agree with) what you are saying but I think you meant $250, $150, and $700!

[GaryT]

Never had a bottle myself, but had a sample that I thought was delicious . . . for the $70-$80 it retails for overseas.  At $120 . . . nah.  

[smokinjoe]

I really like the standard Blanton’s, but I’m always glad to see this type of legacy distilled whiskey being released.  Pricing and potential availability aside, this bottle  has me more interested than if it were a SFTB release had been announced.  Every SFTB I’ve tried has been incredibly hot on my palate, to the point of being not being enjoyable.  The gold, on the other hand, is better than both standard Blanton’s and SFTB.  But, if the price point of $120 is accurate, I will only buy if it falls in my lap.  Honestly, I’d rather see more standard Blanton’s at a “reasonable” price become more available.  

[Kepler]

I call bullshit.  This release announcement practically proves some of the murmurings going on for awhile now, that BT/Sazerac purposefully withholds supply to manipulate demand. One release per year for a 10 proof bump of a youngish NAS standard product?  And priced at $120.  Please.  Similarly with THH at only 6 years old, it's a tough sell that this young product can only muster a single measly release per year.

[smokinjoe]

3 minutes ago, Kepler said:

I call bullshit.  This release announcement practically proves some of the murmurings going on for awhile now, that BT/Sazerac purposefully withholds supply to manipulate demand. One release per year for a 10 proof bump of a youngish NAS standard product?  And priced at $120.  Please.  Similarly with THH at only 6 years old, it's a tough sell that this young product can only muster a single measly release per year.

On the surface, I can’t disagree with your sentiment on this release. However, because none of us really knows the dynamics of the BT/AI relationship/agreement, I personally can’t lay all blame on BT’s potential motivations.  

[EarthQuake]

Blanton's. $30 bourbon in a $60 bottle with a horse on top. Now you can buy the same crap, at 10 proof higher, for only $120! What a deal.

[Kepler]

16 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

On the surface, I can’t disagree with your sentiment on this release. However, because none of us really knows the dynamics of the BT/AI relationship/agreement, I personally can’t lay all blame on BT’s potential motivations.  

Actually great point about Age Intl., I didn't even think of their involvement with it.  Annual release still smells like BT, but maybe Im not being fair on this one.

[Kepler]

In any event, I was looking for a reason to open this.  Good enough for me.

[Kepler]

5 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

 but its pretty much on par with what it costs to get a 700ml bottle of Gold shipped from overseas now.   

Overall, a very nice and thoughtful post.  Not to be picky, but this is totally the wrong way to look at pricing of a domestic product.  You don't judge domestic pricing by what it would cost to ship it overseas to a retailer, and then back again to the consumer!

 

Think how much Scotch would cost to a local buyer in the UK!

[flahute]

41 minutes ago, Kepler said:

Overall, a very nice and thoughtful post.  Not to be picky, but this is totally the wrong way to look at pricing of a domestic product.  You don't judge domestic pricing by what it would cost to ship it overseas to a retailer, and then back again to the consumer!

 

Think how much Scotch would cost to a local buyer in the UK!

You do if you already know what a lot of people are willing to pay. And they will happily do so domestically to avoid the hassle of shipping. Not saying I agree with the pricing but that’s the market we currently live in. BT has done a better job than most at holding the line on pricing as their products have continued to rise in demand. When something “new” like Blantons Gold comes along it’s an opportunity to price at what the market is willing to pay. 
 

Will I pay it? No. 

[Kepler]

^^^

I won't either.  If I see it for less while traveling overseas at a lower price? Yes I will again.  Even at 700ml (we are talking about an airplane sample's difference).  Total BS charging the domestic market more than overseas.  I've never been a real BT hater before, but they are starting to try my patience...

Edited February 29, 2020 by Kepler

[EarthQuake]

Many good points here. While I'm not a buyer even if I could find it, I don't fault AI (or BT, but probably more AI from what I understand of how the brand is managed) for charging what the market will bear. If taters want it, let them pay tater prices for it.