FUTURE "Dusty Corner" finds!

[dougdog]

Predict what will be the dusty corner finds of the future will be!

Chasking brough up a good thought,

there is plenty of fine whiskey being made right now. And ten or twenty years hence, someone will still be making fine whiskey, as dougdog or his descendants scour the dusty shelves and celebrate finding products from 2005.

I'm curious to know what others think. What Bourbons on the shelf today will be found in a dusty corner and posted here in the "collectibles" forum in 2030?

How does one predict? What make bottles collectible?

Was it todays' price, limited bottling (quantity or region), quality, distillery out of business, unique mash bill, special barrel, long years in the barrel or something else?

What do you think?

doug

[TNbourbon]

..What Bourbons on the shelf today will be found in a dusty corner and posted here in the "collectibles" forum in 2030?

Perhaps a trickier guess than first glance would indicate -- because if it's still on a shelf 20-30 years from now, then it was either not very popular (the good stuff sells out)or very heavily produced.

With that in mind, maybe something like Ezra Brooks 90, a perfectly drinkable bottom-shelf dweller despite the value of getting higher-than-minimum proof for around $10/750ml.

[chasking]

I think most of us are assuming that being produced at Buffalo Trace will result in the improvement of the brands they've acquired in recent years, but even if that is the consensus, it probably won't be unanimous across the entire whiskey-enthusiast universe: some people will prefer the old versions, and seek them out. Somebody somewhere will no doubt be hunting high and low for Bernheim-distilled Wellers and Van Winkles and the old Old Charters.

[TMH]

Good post Doug!

I imagine it would be bourbons that are good, but over shadowed by the greats of today. Here are a few I've thought about buying, but never seem to get around to because of other bourbons.

Bulleit, interesting bottle, but I never seem too motivated to pick it up.

Bakers, it's caught between Knob Creek and Bookers.

Peter Jake's, I've never thought about picking it up, but I could see it collecting dust in the future.

I imagine some of the high end bourbons of today will get left behind because of the competition from the more popular ones.

There are also a lot of bottom shelf bourbons, which might be ok, but seem to be collecting dust now.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

The most obvious future Dusty will be WT Russell's Reserve 101. For that matter, after Jimmy Russell retires any bourbon made under his supervision will draw an emphatic from the lucky bourbonite that finds one gathering dust 15 years hence. Then there are the two Buffalo Trace products that are slated for Dustihood, Eagle Rare 101 10 year and AAA 10 year. Perhaps Maker's Mark of today i.e. before Beam takes it over, will be a Dusty, too.

Ed

[BobA]

Part of predicting that may be predicting what products will be gone or changed significantly in 25 years after mergers, etc. The WT line could continue to get suffled some; it's all good stuff, and current bottlings could well taste superior to even the high-end of 2030, at least to many. Maker's Mark? Some products that don't really have a big following now might get "rediscovered" later; the Old Charters might be a candidate for that, or, as someone mentioned, Baker's is sort of lost in the small batch collection and might end up in the back of the shelf (or Basil Hayden, which I'd happily buy if "priced to move"). Barton's doesn't seem well promoted in the stores I shop and could linger on shelves.

Bob

[gr8erdane]

I don't think you really can predict which will be future dusty shelfers. Most drinkers go through cycles and are creatures of habit. They try several until they find one they like and stop there and keep going back to that one. Until someday that bottle isn't available when they want it and they try something new that suddenly takes the place of the old favorite they used to clear the shelves of. Suddenly the old favorite that was stocked for this person is restocked and sits. And sits. It was stocked in anticipation of a regular sale that is no longer there. Eventually it gets pushed back to make room for better selling merchandise and is forgotten until inventory time. After a couple of inventories, it is relegated to the bottom shelf and even then it eventually gets pushed back even further. Then one day Tim walks in.....

Or it could be that the distributor for brand A suddently becomes the distributor for brand B. He talks his customers into stocking brand B to try to generate interest in the brand. Brand B never gets any interest and eventually gets moved down to the bottom shelf. And then one day Dawn walks in....

Then there is the proprietor that moves from the East Coast to the West coast to open a new shop. He stocks the items that always sold well for him back east but tastes are completely different. So here are all these bottlings that he had counted on to disappear quickly that there just isn't any market for and they sit....until Doug walks in one day....

[mbanu]

i'd think 3 types would be most likely.

Regional bottlings that were overstocked in their region, but unavailable anywhere else. If they ever stop producing Ancient Ancient Age or Evan Williams 1783, I bet they'll turn into keepers.

Curiosities, such as the line of flavored bourbon blends that Phillips is putting out.

Highly valued bottlings sent to areas where nobody drinks bourbon, nor cares to start. I bet you could preserve a few bottles of Wild Turkey Rare Breed a good 20 years if you just picked the right market to dump them in.

[dougdog]

There have been some good post here!

A lot of thought has been put into the brands listed/posted. There are so many choices of Bourbon available today.

Thank you for your insights!

If you haven't posted, please do, I'd be very curious to know your thoughts and predictions...get out your Crystal Ball and Ouija board!

I am making a list at home of the brands mentioned here for my "descendants". I'm considering bunkering up a bottle of each one mentioned. I intend to place a copy of the posts with the predictions for each bottle bunkered. I'll have my descendants post the results in 2030.

Thanks, and please keep posting your predictions!