Bourbon Year End 2021 - State of the State.

[flahute]

This is my fourth installment of this feature and as usual it’s long.

 

After an exceedingly difficult 2020, the bourbon industry entered 2021 with hope that a better year was ahead and that the madness of 2020 would soon be forgotten. Well……..2021 was just as hard as 2020 but for different reasons. I saw a great quote:

“The year 2021 has been to normal years as Keurig is to real coffee: It happened fast with lots of hissing and splattering; and while there were some good parts, the overall effect has been hollow and is leaving a super weird aftertaste.”

That sums up well the new challenges the industry faced.

 

To replace the shutdowns from last year came the supply chain struggles. With parts of the country opening back up sooner than others and with online demand for products increasing unabated, our country was suddenly unable to process, produce and deliver everything the population wanted. Find a category and you can find a shortage of some kind – raw materials, employees to make it, truck drivers to deliver it, etc. The distilleries had to work harder than ever to formulate work arounds for these problems with mixed results.

 

New product increases and line extensions seemed to be down this year for the majors. I just went over the TTB filings from this year and counted around 20. NDPs are exploding however and there were too many to count but they go into the hundreds so in what is news to nobody on this site, demand continues to rise.

 

There was some good news as we got word late in the year that a deal was struck to remove the whiskey tariffs that had been hurting the industry the year prior.

 

Last year I mentioned the optimism in the industry with various expansions under construction and this year we got a new and greatly expanded visitors centers and distillery expansions which I will go over below.

 

In early December tragedy struck as a powerful and wide line of tornadoes ripped a long path across western Kentucky. To nobody’s surprise, the bourbon industry and community responded immediately and strongly. The KDA, Fred Minnick, and the Bourbon Crusaders set up a charity auction in 3 days. (Disclosure: I’m in the Bourbon Crusaders). The success of the auction was due to the incredible generosity and creativity of the bourbon industry which was evident in the number of never before seen barrels and experiences they donated. The industry made a choice to give back to the people in their time of need. For that and many other reasons, the overall state of Bourbonia, while not perfect, remains strong.

 

(As usual, these are my personal observations and ruminations that do not reflect an official position of this site. I am no trying to be exhaustive and do not always do a lot of research. I mostly go by memory. If I get any details wrong or remember incorrectly, please correct me.)

 

 

Buffalo Trace: I always start with BT because it feels like we just need to get them out of the way. I hate to do it because it seems lazy, but this is almost verbatim what I wrote last year because little has changed. Like last year, this was another year in which availability somehow got worse. It varies from market to market of course but the flagship namesake bourbon is generally the only BT product that is regularly available. This continues to be the result of new blood coming into bourbon and idolizing all BT products as a default. BT is starting to realize more product coming online but it still can't keep up with increased demand. We now live in a world where EHT products, even the small batch, are lottery items in some markets. My local store gets multiple phone calls every day asking for Blanton's. Every day. Elmer, Rock Hill, Hancock's - forget about it. In some markets Stagg Jr. is a unicorn. Eagle Rare 10 can still be found but you have to look for it. If it's a store pick it will sell out in 20 minutes and there will be a line. (Real world example – a guy in a local facebook group was thrilled to pay $90 for Stagg Jr. and $100 for Elmer T Lee).

 

Of course the big news this year was the first year of BTAC without George T. Stagg. That news along with the news that Stagg Jr. will now be simply known as Stagg got the conspiracy theory rumor mill fired up. Are those George T Stagg barrels going into a future release that they can charge a lot of money for? Will the former Jr. eventually work its way into BTAC at the same age as JR. but for the BTAC price? The only thing anyone could agree on is that Sazerac is genius at getting people to talk about them.

 

In the new product department they announced EHT Warehouse C which got the taters super excited as well as an EHT BP Rye. They also announced another major expansion of distilling operations.

 

Last year I talked about declining quality. I can’t revisit that this year because I really didn’t drink much of any BT product this year and what I did drink was holdovers from the bunker or barrels that I did pick. I did get to do a Stagg Jr. pick earlier this year and I do have to say that all three samples were great. As in really great. You couldn’t go wrong. Let me know if that is true across the board.

 

I do have a note of disappointment in Sazerac related to the auction. At first, they were contributing a Blanton’s barrel and who knows what else. Then, they let their spat with the KDA get in the way and pulled out to set up their own auction. For that they donated a full set of BTAC and Van Winkle bottles plus a decanter. They raised $65k with that which is a lot for sure but they could have done so much more. Just one special barrel could have pulled in what the 4R or WFE barrels did.

 

 

Barton 1792: It was a quiet year for Barton. There no line extensions this year. Last year they released a 12yr old bourbon which I thought was one of the best new releases of the year. It remains a limited and hard to find item as I found out when making it BOTM earlier in the year. Not many of you have found it. It just came back into my market last week so hopefully more of you can find it. High Rye and Sweet Wheat remain very hard to find after initially being more available. Their other core products continue to maintain good quality. My local did another barrel pick of Full Proof and one of the samples was great. Outside of Sweet Wheat the tater community continues to be lukewarm on this distillery which is good news for the rest of us.

 

 

Jim Beam: Last year it seemed the arrow was pointing up for Beam despite the pandemic with the restoration of the 9yr age statement on Knob Creek and the release of the 12yr and 15yr product. This year it seems like they are stalled and I don’t know why. The 9yr continues to be widely available and the 12yr still comes around on regular intervals and when it does there is plenty of time to stock up. Surprisingly though, the standard Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 proof has virtually disappeared. If they were disappearing because they were diverting those to actual store picks I’d get it but I’m seeing very few of those now as well. When you do see one the age has dropped back down to 9ish years which we all saw coming. I reached out to a friend at Beam to find out what was happening and he told me that they simply don’t have the barrels. This is amazing to me given the sheer size of the stockpile they were once sitting on. They did announce a KC18yr to the line but I haven’t seen it yet.

 

The revamped Baker’s as a single barrel in a new fancy bottle is either succeeding wildly or is withering. I can’t tell because it’s hardly available so maybe it’s getting snatched up quickly. On the other hand, I don’t see anyone talking about on the facebook groups. My first foray into the redesigned product was a success. My follow up however was a big disappointment so I’m off of it again. They did put Baker’s into the private barrel program I just recently tasted an 11yr barrel pick at a party and it was good. Sooooo, are those former KC barrels now in the Baker’s program? It would make sense because they can charge more for those and we know from history that they have a premiumization initiative underway.

 

Booker’s remains a pass for me at the higher price it’s been at for a while. (Aforementioned guy in the local facebook was thrilled to pay $125 for a bottle so this tells you where we are with this product now). People chase it and desire to “complete the set”. I’m not doing it but congratulations to the marketing team for reading the room correctly and providing a product for the taters to chase.

 

Beam did make good use of the shut down time last year to finish off a $60 million revamped visitors center that replaces the old Stillhouse. It includes the Fred B Noe Craft Distillery, new retail and visitors experience and new restaurant called The Kitchen Table that looks incredible.

 

Broken record time: this is my annual request for Beam to do something yearly with a really great LE that they can do year after year. Something we’d look forward to like BTAC.

 

 

Maker's Mark: For me Maker’s Mark is now all about MM101. I wrote about this last year and how I thought that 101 just happened to be a sweet spot in proof for this distillate. Many of you agree. One of my friends decided to put this theory to the test and he sent a group of us blind samples which turned out to be MM101, MMCS proofed down to 101 but given time to marry), 101 proofed to 90, MMCS proofed to 90, and regular 90. Out of the 8 people sampling, 101 was the clear favorite with MMCS proofed to 101 the close second. It was a big dropoff to all of the rest.

 

I haven’t been at all interested in any of the stave finished private barrels as something about that “stave finish” profile doesn’t mesh with me. There’s been recent chatter about MM46CS on the board which I haven’t tried but will now look for. (Thanks Joe!).

 

Broken record time: this is my annual request for MM to do something yearly with a really great LE that they can do year after year. Something like a 12yr age stated which would blow people’s doors off and become an instant legend. Let’s do this guys.

 

 

Heaven Hill: This was a mixed year for Heaven Hill. They were in the news for all the wrong reasons with the worker’s strike and reports of bad faith at the negotiating table. I will not litigate that here or give opinions because I don’t have the pertinent facts to do so but I did read on these very pages how many of you were giving up on the brand until things got resolved. I have to imagine that sentiment was not restricted to only this group.

 

On a new product front we had ECBP entering the private barrel program. I got to pick on of these with my group on site at HH and it was great. One barrel was easy to eliminate but the other two were a coin flip and I was impressed with both. They also added a BP Bernheim to the lineup though I haven’t seen it.

 

Otherwise it was quiet for them. I don’t know if it was the strike or supply chain issues but I’ve heard that Pikesville is hard to find in some markets. (Just checked Total Wine online and indeed we are out). McKenna remains a ghost. Standard EC is still widely available but I haven’t bought one since being underwhelmed once we got a couple years past the losing of the age statement. Would love to hear form any of you how quality is holding up. The 18yr and up continue to be passes for me given the price and bad luck I’ve had in the past so if any of you have loved these please speak up.

 

On the other end of the scale, EWBIB continues to punch above its weight.

 

The Parker’s LE had a great spec this year but I don’t know anyone who’s actually seen one.

 

They did open their greatly improved and expanded visitors center this year as well as a new rickhouse with a glass corner where all the barrel picks will now take place. There is a new bar and restaurant as well.

 

 

Brown Forman (Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels): Old Forester was that strong and steady friend who helped us get through the pandemic by being both predictable and always good. They were light on new products this year with the only thing I’m aware of being the OF 117 Series which are small batches and mostly just available at the gift shop. That’s OK because I get along just fine with OF86, OF100, and OF1920. If that’s all they made I’d be happy. Of course we also get Statesmen which many of you love and as mentioned last year, the Whiskey Row series, and the OFBP private selections which have been great. I actually got to try this year’s OFBB, which I haven’t had in years, and was happy to see that it was also good. So there isn’t much to say about OF this year but that’s fine because what there is to say is still overwhelmingly good.

 

Woodford Reserve is what it is. A fine bourbon at a good price. They still mess around with odd Master’s Collection releases which I do not get but they don’t get in the way of the core product.

 

Jack Daniel’s also is what it is. I haven’t seen the BPSiB around like I used to so I hope those are still out there. They did release a 10yr product this year that I was really interested in but it received the tater treatment. The Coy Hill hazmat release did as well. I got to try that one and wow it was good. So in news to nobody here, JD can make incredible whiskey and we are now seeing that the rising tide euphoric demand can actually raise the JD boat as well.

 

 

Wild Turkey:  This is the first year in my bourbon history where WT disappointed me a bit. As reported in a thread a while back I purchased a store pick RRSiB and WTKS barrel that were both disappointments. This was preceded by a purchase of a standard RRSiB that was a disappointment. I don’t know what’s going on. Someone pointed out that we are hitting the point where the whiskey in these barrels is now from the new column still. There are also new rickhouse locations coming into the program. So it’s a combination of the two resulting in some new flavor profiles that we aren’t used to. Another factor could be the “new still transition” factor. With a new still you have to figure out your processes all over again and it can take some time. We know that they struggled for a while at first (which is common so not a criticism). I wonder if there’s going to be a year or two of iffy barrels until we get to the ones where all systems are humming again. Now, WT101 remains great to me so we know that their blending skills are still intact. WTRB also remains good. WTRB Rye still eludes me but enough of you with great palates like it so the problem remains me.

 

The LE this year was the Master’s Keep One which is a toasted barrel project. After a few years of great MK releases this one was a big disappointment. Now I have to say that I’m not a fan of any of the toasted barrel whiskeys I’ve tasted so I’m biased. But again, as I say every year, I’d really love it if WT did something great every year that was the same. They had the RR13 which came out this year and that was great. (I only had a few sips but loved it). I always ask for a 12yr 101 but a 13yr at cask strength also works! As a Turkey head I’d really love it if they had something yearly that could compete with BTAC.

 

 

Four Roses:  I have mixed feeling on 4R this year. The core products remain strong. My longtime favorite, the standard 4RSiB remains incredibly strong. SmB Select is also singing for me the last few times I’ve tried it. I just got to try the 20yr single barrel they released to commemorate the new visitor’s center and wow what a beauty. My beef is with the new restrictions in the single barrel program. It now appears that a store’s ability to move yellow label determines who gets barrels. What this means in my market is that the grocery stores and big box stores get the barrels and none of these people know how to pick barrels. The independent stores with strong picking teams and single barrel programs are getting shut out. So, the stores who are the best ambassadors for the quality of Four Roses can no longer be that. What we get instead is the most mediocre product they have to offer.

 

Has anyone tried this year’s LE Small Batch? I’m hearing mixed reviews.

 

As mentioned above, they did just open an expanded visitor’s center.

 

And to give credit where it’s absolutely due – 4R really stepped up in the charity auction with a barrel pick from 18-24 yrs old and that barrel sold for $278k. They then decided to donate a second one to the second highest bidder at the same price. That is incredible.

 

 

Wilderness Trail: Last year we welcomed WT to the big leagues as they officially got added to the Bourbon Trail. This year they announced even further expansions with the doubling of fermentation capacity and the continued expansion of rickhouse construction. They have product hitting 8yrs of age now from their old hybrid pot/column still. Their pure column still product is hitting 5yrs now. Last year I did a barrel pick that resulted in a 6yr 8mo barrel. A month prior to that I did a different one in which they were all 5yr barrels. What I noticed from the pick of 6ish yr barrels was how much different the bourbon tasted. Something special happens when this whiskey crosses that 6yr threshold. I am of course now incredibly curious to see what happens with the pure column still whiskey as it hits those higher age markers.

 

 

Willett: Another covid induced quiet year for Willett. Plans for a new visitors center still are on. The single barrel program remains essentially in limbo. Not to worry though because they are still going flat out with their KBD brands aa they try to keep up with demand. They also stepped up big time in the charity auction. They started with an 8yr barrel of their own distillate. They then upped the ante by digging deep into their reserves and coming up with a 19yr barrel that sold for $401k. They then offered a second barrel of the same to the second highest bidder. This is not the first time that Drew has shown this generosity. They are a treasure to the bourbon community.

 

 

Last year I had a blurb on Castle & Key but this year I’ve heard very little and have nothing to report. Please speak up if you know anything. New Riff doesn’t get much exposure out here so for those of you who have access, please chime in. Same for Bardstown Bourbon Co.

 

 

 As always, if you've read this far, thanks for putting up with this! Let me know what you all think.

[RT Fan]

Sorry but while I would love to read  your assessment of the current bourbon /year end situation/ pricing structure, it appears as all black on my screen. Perhaps in the daylight tomorrow I can try again. 

[flahute]

19 minutes ago, RT Fan said:

Sorry but while I would love to read  your assessment of the current bourbon /year end situation/ pricing structure, it appears as all black on my screen. Perhaps in the daylight tomorrow I can try again. 

Hilight the text and it will show up.

[PaulO]

Always a good read when you do this Steve.

I'll add, from HH, we got the rebranded EW 1783.

Beam I see released a Bourbon Cream.

 

It's a pity what you say about the future of Four Roses barrel selections.  Those big chain stores will say, "send a barrel or several".  It will be luck of the draw whatever they get.  There seems to be a baked in disincentive to send honey barrels their way.  The chumps will take what they're given.

 

My idea for WT seasonal release - the export 13 year old.  Hey, it's something that's in production, produce a little more.  You know people would buy it.

 

Cheers, & Happy New Year to all!  

[flahute]

If anyone is having problems reading this switch your theme to Uniform Light. This setting can be found at the bottom left.

[gurgalunas]

9 hours ago, flahute said:

If anyone is having problems reading this switch your theme to Uniform Light. This setting can be found at the bottom left.

If you are reading on a phone, it's the lightbulb/crescent moon icon at the top of the page (at least on my Samsung).

 

Great write up as always @flahute.  I'm not around as much as I used to be, but I always look forward to this thread.

[sbsbsb]

15 hours ago, flahute said:

Wild Turkey:  This is the first year in my bourbon history where WT disappointed me a bit. As reported in a thread a while back I purchased a store pick RRSiB and WTKS barrel that were both disappointments. This was preceded by a purchase of a standard RRSiB that was a disappointment. I don’t know what’s going on. Someone pointed out that we are hitting the point where the whiskey in these barrels is now from the new column still. There are also new rickhouse locations coming into the program. So it’s a combination of the two resulting in some new flavor profiles that we aren’t used to. Another factor could be the “new still transition” factor. With a new still you have to figure out your processes all over again and it can take some time. We know that they struggled for a while at first (which is common so not a criticism). I wonder if there’s going to be a year or two of iffy barrels until we get to the ones where all systems are humming again. Now, WT101 remains great to me so we know that their blending skills are still intact. WTRB also remains good. WTRB Rye still eludes me but enough of you with great palates like it so the problem remains me.

 

The LE this year was the Master’s Keep One which is a toasted barrel project. After a few years of great MK releases this one was a big disappointment. Now I have to say that I’m not a fan of any of the toasted barrel whiskeys I’ve tasted so I’m biased. But again, as I say every year, I’d really love it if WT did something great every year that was the same. They had the RR13 which came out this year and that was great. (I only had a few sips but loved it). I always ask for a 12yr 101 but a 13yr at cask strength also works! As a Turkey head I’d really love it if they had something yearly that could compete with BTAC.

 

Great write up overall, thanks for doing this!  I quoted the WT section above, as I believe I'm the one who pointed out the potential reason we're seeing a shift/decline in the profile of several products.  It's not just a new still, it's a completely new distillery!  New still, still house, fermenting tanks, you name it.  This has to be responsible for the shift, and I don't think the distillate will ever quite get back to the profile as that produced from the original distillery dating back t the 1930's.  Hope I'm wrong, though.

[Clueby]

MM101 has definitely been a hit for me

The "rebranded" EW1783 surprised me. I don't know if it had just been a while but the flavor profile seemed like it stepped up a notch.

C&K single barrel barrel strength rye (gift shop only) is fantastic and a really cool bottle to boot.

Every OFBP I've tried has been stellar.

I don't get too worked up or invested in any major's LE products as I have somewhere between slim and none chance of getting any. I still really like most all things BT but it's a struggle to get anything but regular BT. Even ER10 is a lottery item here.

We THOUGHT we saw the boom busting/slowing but I don't see an end in sight.

[0895]

 

16 hours ago, flahute said:

Four Roses:
Has anyone tried this year’s LE Small Batch? I’m hearing mixed reviews.

 

 

I was disappointed with it, and glad I didn’t search out a bottle prior to tasting.

The ‘21 is drinkably fine.  Good even.

However, imo, it is not much different from a good OBSQ store pick.  It is very floral forward and a bit more oaky than your average store pick, but that’s about all there is to say.

I think it’s a disappointment for the price (msrp), and the usual reputation of greatness (complexity) that most 4R LE’s are typically known for.

[Kjbarth]

Thank you Steve for the write-up. A good read. Happy New Year!

[Richdel]

Very nice year in review @flahute.  Nice to have the year in bourbon all in one succinct writeup.

[Jazzhead]

Happy New Year, SBers, and thanks, @flahute !

 

What I think can be said about Kentucky bourbon in 2021 is that all of the legacy distillers are now fully engaged in marketing to people like us.    For me,  the past year brought about a renewed appreciation for Barton,   with the BIB and Full Proof expressions coming to my full attention.   MM101 is another example;  it's what that bourbon should always have been.   

 

Buffalo Trace's marketing just flummoxes me,  to the point where I ignore the brand.    In Pennsylvania and New Jersey,  their rye recipe bourbons are not regularly available,  and their wheat recipe stuff non-existant.    John J. Bowman scratches the occasional itch,  and I conclude otherwise that BT doesn't seek my business.   

 

Heavan Hill has become my specialty bourbon purveyor.    Pikesville is likely the best Kentucky-style rye and Rebel 10 was the best wheater I had all year.    I don't see the ECBP very often,   but I snagged the latest batch and it is furshlugginer awesome. 

 

Old Forester and WT remain favorites.  Although WT is throwing in with the prevailing fad of releasing LEs that I'll never hope to find,  I forgive them because  WT101 Rye is finally back again in Pennsy.    OF just keeps regularly available to me seven variations on the same exact mashbill,  and I'm like a pig in a waller. 

 

I didn't drink much Four Roses this past year,  I don't know why.    I enjoyed a couple of very nice Bulleit Single Barrels., including one this past Christmas with my family.   

 

I think most of this year's increased Barton's consumption came at the expense of Beam.   Beam needs to do more with its high-rye mashbill,   Why not Basil Hayden at 100 proof?   

 

As for the small KY producers,   I've had bottles of bourbon from Wilderness Trail,  Peerless and New Riff.   All are worthy and I have no reason not to buy these again but haven't gotten around to it yet,    It seems my craft repeat business these days is going to Woodinville.    

 

 

[Phil T]

Good read as usual Steve. A few random thoughts:

- the ONLY label I saw all year from Buffalo Trace was WSR. Hard to believe, but true.

- MM101 is a great addition to their brand.

- I'm not an expert when it comes to New Riff, but I know they released barrel proof bottling of both the bourbon and rye. Also, a wheater was brought out this fall.

 

Prost!!  Phil 

[Kyjd75]

As someone who lives in Kentucky but mercifully not affected by the tornadoes, I am extremely appreciative of Willett for their incredibly generous donation to the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit, raising over $800,000 for tornado relief.  Although not hit directly, I am very familiar with the area that was, as my wife and I have fished the Kentucky/Barkley lakes area for years.  It is a wonderful part of Kentucky that I always enjoy visiting.  The outpouring of support from really everywhere has been heartwarming and appreciated by all Kentuckians.  But especially kudos to Willett!!!

[FasterHorses]

Thanks flahute.. always great to hear things from an veteran and somewhat “insider”.  
 

A)I have also been told that JD is adding to the 10 yr and will likely be releasing a 15yr and a 20yr. Who knows if that’s true. 
B)Was there any info on PVW 23? I didnt see any 20 or 23 this year. 
 

[B.B. Babington]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:40 PM, flahute said:

...

The LE this year was the Master’s Keep One which is a toasted barrel project. After a few years of great MK releases this one was a big disappointment. Now I have to say that I’m not a fan of any of the toasted barrel whiskeys I’ve tasted so I’m biased. But again, as I say every year, I’d really love it if WT did something great every year that was the same. They had the RR13 which came out this year and that was great. (I only had a few sips but loved it). I always ask for a 12yr 101 but a 13yr at cask strength also works! As a Turkey head I’d really love it if they had something yearly that could compete with BTAC.

 

 

In my letter to Santa I only had one request, a good LE or 2 from WT each year

[mbroo5880i]

Thanks for your annual state of the state (of bourbon).  In general, I agree with everything you have stated. Even your wish list.  Always thorough and well thought out.

 

As your annual post is always anticipated and generates a fair amount of conversation, I thought I would add a few personal observations and thoughts on the respective major producers.  Not that my observations are necessarily insightful. 

 

Buffalo Trace – As with many, I purchased limited BT products this year – a few bottles of BT and a WL12.  This was solely based on availability.  I will say it had been a few years since I had purchased anything other than ER10 of which the most recent bottles I had were not very good.  However, the BT and WL12 products were both very good and IMHO significantly better than my previously most recent purchases of said products.  In fact, I liked the recent bottles of BT more than ER10 which was previously a favorite.  I don’t necessarily blame the availability, or lack thereof, of BT products on the producer but rather the distributor and retailers.  The tater demand for all things BT makes it less likely to find anything another than standard BT on the shelf.  Other products are either held behind the counter for buddies, regular customers, or saved for allocated lotteries.  Makes no difference to me.  There are plenty of other options in the bourbon world.

 

Beam – It was good to see the 9-year age statement for KC restored.  I can regularly find a bottle in low to mid-$20 price range.  Quite the bargain for such a quality bourbon.  There were a few temporary shortages where shelves were empty during the year.  However, these always ended with crazy stocked levels and sale prices.  I have been seeing more KC120 on the shelves.  The standard KC120 is 9-year.  The store picks aren’t much older.  I saw a barrel pick at a store yesterday that was not quite 10-years.  I have seen quite a bit of KC12 this year.  It is a nice addition to the lineup.  I also appreciate the availability of OGDBIB for $20.  I have also noticed a significant price drop in BH, although at 80 proof it really is underwhelming.

 

Maker’s Mark – My only comment concern Maker’s Mark is to thank them for MM101!  It is the star in the lineup.  What has been billed as a seasonal release seemed to be available throughout the year and in decent quantities.  Further, in my area, the price has dropped from $40 to $30. 

 

Brown Foreman – I am all things OF.  For all the reasons, you and others have mentioned.  I would just ask they work with Indiana Distributors to put more OF100 Rye on the shelf.  It came out.  We loved it.  Then it disappeared. 

 

Wild Turkey – Still a star for me. I stocked up with some newer bottles of WT101, Rare Breed, RRSiB so I will see if the distillery change affects their product enough for me to notice.  I hope not but time will tell.

 

Four Roses – After what I perceived as a few down years for FRSiB, I have found the last 3 or 4 bottles to be enjoyable with one being quite stellar.  When it first came out, I preferred FRSiB over the FRSBS, but I now believe my preference has changed.

 

It would be interesting to see your predictions for the coming year. Things are crazy. Even standard bottles like regular 1792 are cleared from the shelves quickly in my area.  Store select single barrels listed on retailer Facebook pages tend to be sold out in a few days, if not hours. 

 

My prediction is as availability of LEs and "desirable" bottles becomes increasingly difficult to find buyers will gravitate more to something different from the standard fare.  Blending and finishing will continue to grow in popularity.  The same thing with quality craft or newer “majors” like Woodinville, Wilderness Trail, New Riff.  I am even seeing smaller local brands like Old 55, Old Hamer, and Cardinal Spirits generating a lot of buzz.  Some are high priced, some are young, but many have potential.  In the end, people will buy what is available.  

Edited January 2, 2022 by mbroo5880i

[flahute]

26 minutes ago, B.B. Babington said:

 

In my letter to Santa I only had one request, a good LE or 2 from WT each year

You should maybe write 3 letters next year to give it a bit more ooomph.

[mbroo5880i]

11 minutes ago, flahute said:

You should maybe write 3 letters next year to give it a bit more ooomph.

 

Maybe we should start a letter writing campaign to Santa.  The question is do we send it to the North Pole or Miami?  I thought I saw a commercial on tv indicating he hangs out in Miami during the offseason.

[flahute]

Just now, mbroo5880i said:

 

Maybe we should start a letter writing campaign to Santa.  The question is do we send it to the North Pole or Miami?  I thought I saw a commercial on tv indicating he hangs out in Miami during the offseason.

Just to be safe we'll send them to both locations!

[flahute]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:33 PM, PaulO said:

Always a good read when you do this Steve.

I'll add, from HH, we got the rebranded EW 1783.

Beam I see released a Bourbon Cream.

 

It's a pity what you say about the future of Four Roses barrel selections.  Those big chain stores will say, "send a barrel or several".  It will be luck of the draw whatever they get.  There seems to be a baked in disincentive to send honey barrels their way.  The chumps will take what they're given.

 

My idea for WT seasonal release - the export 13 year old.  Hey, it's something that's in production, produce a little more.  You know people would buy it.

 

Cheers, & Happy New Year to all!  

Thanks for the reminder on 1783!

 

Isn't that export 13 at a lower proof? Put it at 101 and it would sell out instantly.

[flahute]

On 12/31/2021 at 8:07 AM, sbsbsb said:

 

Great write up overall, thanks for doing this!  I quoted the WT section above, as I believe I'm the one who pointed out the potential reason we're seeing a shift/decline in the profile of several products.  It's not just a new still, it's a completely new distillery!  New still, still house, fermenting tanks, you name it.  This has to be responsible for the shift, and I don't think the distillate will ever quite get back to the profile as that produced from the original distillery dating back t the 1930's.  Hope I'm wrong, though.

Yeah, I'm getting nervous about this. I have to trust that Eddie will maintain quality but it might be bumpy for a bit.

[mbroo5880i]

24 minutes ago, flahute said:

Yeah, I'm getting nervous about this. I have to trust that Eddie will maintain quality but it might be bumpy for a bit.

 

When was the new distillery brought on line?  

[steven s]

always look forward to this post!

 

only thing I would add:

 

Four Roses: the Bulliet Blenders select #1 is very very good in my opinion. still on the shelves "around here" for high 40's. 

[LvR Mike]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:40 PM, flahute said:

Last year I had a blurb on Castle & Key but this year I’ve heard very little and have nothing to report. Please speak up if you know anything. New Riff doesn’t get much exposure out here so for those of you who have access, please chime in. Same for Bardstown Bourbon Co.

I visited the Bardstown Bourbon Company and had a pretty informative conversation with the Master Distiller.

He told me that their own Bourbon will be ready to bottle as of Q4 of 2021 but because that wasn't an ideal time of year to release something new that they were waiting for Q1 of 2022. I hope to see them on shelves as soon as possible.

 

Moving forward, they plan on continuing the Discovery Series but discontinuing the Fusion Series as they were only doing it until their own juices were mature enough to be bottled on their own.

 

Talking to the Assistant Master Distiller, he wanted to add a wheated bourbon to the lineup. They were just going through making the distillate when I was there (March 2021) so it may not be available for about 4 years or so but I'm excited to see how it comes out.

 

For what it's worth, I asked them what their favorite wheated bourbon is now and they both said Weller 12.