Scotchification of Bourbon?

[musher]

Of course, the Scottish did invent golf, so there is that connection . . .

[greenbob]

Interesting points, as those posted by the other respondents.

But I forgot one. You mentioned the expense of whiskey. I've been reading in the news last week about the steep decline in the value of the dollar relative to other currencies. So I was wondering if Scotch prices would soon be rising. If so, then bourbon would be even more of a value.

But then I had this thought. If the value of the dollar goes down, then the Europeans and Japanese will be able to buy more imported bourbon. And if an increased demand pinches supply, then the price of bourbon could go up here in the U.S.

[greenbob]

4) I believe that there's an explanation for the decline in MM. But I'm not going to comment on that until I check my sources. Maybe I can get back to this tomorrow.

I've only had a few sips of MM. I thought it was bland; too bland to spend money on. Then I read someone here say it was spicey. So I'm looking forward to giving it another try.

But I'm concerned about some things I read in the third quarter issue of The Malt Advocate. Part 1 of the Bourbon Roundtable was published there. People in the industry believe that 70 to 80 % of the flavor of bourbon comes from the wood. But on p. 52 Bill Samuels says that MM tries to go for only 50% of the flavor coming from the wood. On p. 49 Bill says: "What we've found is that the design of our whiskey, bringing softness and gentleness in, it's making a market amoung young, professional females."

Okay, he doesn't really explicitly say that MM is designed for women whiskey drinkers. Maybe it's a coincidence. Maybe MM is designed to create a different spicey flavor for everybody, but certain female drinkers just happen to like it. But what's troubling is that I've read that the American brewers made a lighter beer in an attempt to double their market by making a drink that appealed to women. The result was disastrous until the microbrewery revolution. So with that historical background in mind, MM worries me.

By the way, isn't MM also a wheated bourbon? MM seems committed to lightness.

[bobbyc]

As far as Maker's goes, it's like this, Try it, Move on.

They have a nice tour if you're in Kentucky, Did that, didn't dip my own bottle.

File it away and when you go out if your choices are limited it may be your "go to"Bourbon.

As far as the female thing goes, Brown-Forman is doing research for flavoured drinks that appeal to the ladies.

For some reason I know people who brandish Makers as if it were a badge or something, recently given the choice of Makers and a few other bourbons I picked Very Old Barton, 86 proof. Surprized the host for certain!

[Gillman]

Maker's has the cachet but I would have chosen VOB 86 in preference too, Bobby.

When Bill Samuels says the wood is 50% I think he means, not that aging overall doesn't contribute about 80% of bourbon characteristics, but that he doesn't want too much of a charred taste. The whiskey when ready for sale even "unwooded" still is different from the white dog it once was. Oxygen has interracted with chemical compounds in the whiskey, softening them down, turning them into fragrant esters, for example. Samuels, if you read what greenbob quoted carefully, is not saying he has lightened his whiskey, he is saying MM has found new markets amongst women for example (who likely were never part of MM's original marketing plan simply because women were not significant spirits drinkers at the time, or not of bourbon anyway). Whisky Magazine gave a good run down recently of MM production methods and everything seemingly points to their sticking with tradition. If there is one area where they possibly are departing from, I would guess it is in aging: maybe they are sending the whiskey out a little younger than 20 years ago but still meeting their minimum age/profile requirements. I think that is not so much to appeal to any particular market segment but simply to supply rising demand from a plant that is only so big. I have no issues with MM continuing as it is but would love to see, say, a 7 year old version (the current one is aged 4-5 years, I believe). I would add an older one to the range as a specialty item for the discerning consumer.

Gary

[squire]

I don't have any MM on hand, no particular reason, just doesn't occur to me to pick up any while at the store. It is an unoffensive brand with a name for quality. A scotch drinking friend presented me with a bottle for Christmas one year saying he understood I liked Bourbon and wanted to give me "a really good one".

I much prefer the 7yr 90 proof Weller which is about as close a direct comparison as I can make. I would like to see what Maker's could do with an 8-10 yr 100 proof expression.

Squire