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Malt Advocate and other Media


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My new issue of Malt Advocate arrived in the mail today. For those of you already familiar with this magazine (not mention the couple or so of you who are often featured writers there), I have a question... is it just ME, or is this particular issue several degrees more fascinating than that last several issues? For those who are NOT familiar with it, you really should immediately begin reading this magazine (as well as subscribing to Chuck's Bourbon Country Reader). Both are quarterly issues, which means they don't come out often enough, but both are ABSOLUTELY worth the subscription fees.

This issue has articles about the formula imitation "bourbons" widely distributed before prohibition, Barrel-proof whiskeys, the role of warehousing, new bourbons still over the horizon, both Whiskeyfest 2000 and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and their own (highly coveted) 2000 annual awards. There's a review of Russell's Reserve and another of Evan Williams Single Barrel 1991 (barrel #1).

=John=

http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

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Today I just learned another feature about this month's Malt Advocate. There is a very well-written introduction to the finer levels of Canadian Whiskey (bourbon's hockey-playing brother) by a fellow named Brian McHenry. But it turns out that we know Brian here on the StraightBourbon forum as BUSHIDO! Congratulations Bushido, it's a good article and one that's truly needed. And we've actually got several of your featured whiskeys in our collection (including a bottle of Bush Pilot Reserve that you didn't mention). For those who already know all there is know about bourbon and are getting bored (big grin here, folks), there are some interesting things going on in the great north.

=John=

http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

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John the Malt Advocate has always struck me as a high aflutin' rag. Tooo busy with scotchies to soil their shoes with mear trailer trash like Bourbon. I picked up an issue once because it had an article on Booker Noe. It was the only bourbon article in the rag. The next issue contained *NO* bourbon articles at all. I do think that they are comming around. But untill they do and offer Straight Bourbonians a friendly discount they can just suck this Virginia Gentelman's cork!

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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John: How did they rate the Russell's and the EW? I hope the former was up there as I've just started my first bottle and, as many of you already know, it is very fine.

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I noticed more North American Whiskey content. It was more interesting to me too, but maybe that's why. The only thing not interesting was the lack of anything by me. (The Beam Family story has been bumped to the next issue.)

Editorial follows advertising. They're getting good ad pages from bourbon so they're doing bourbon stories.

With stiff competition from Whiskey, which will always be primarily a scotch magazine, it makes sense for them to concentrate on U.S. products, both beer and whiskey. If they have made that grand strategic decision, I think it would be a good one.

--Chuck Cowdery

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Now that Malt Advocate has named it's first US distillery as Distillery Of The Year, perhaps they will begin paying more attention to bourbon.

Ken

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I think I see it the way Chuck does, more Kentucky bourbon and Belgian beer advertising means more articles and awards in those directions. I don't have any problem with that; I'm just glad that someone is making use of that tendancy to promote bourbon whiskey. I don't recall seeing Ancient Ancient Age ads in Malt Advocate, or Hancock's Reserve. Even at their most malt-centric, I doubt they'd have snubbed an offer to buy a half-page ad. But Buffalo Trace has such an ad -- and articles and awards. Now, considering that Buffalo Trace isn't even sold in most of the places where Malt Advocate is read, that would lead me to suspect that the thought MIGHT have crossed someone's mind that such advertising might have editorial benefits. I'm all in favor of it. It increases bourbon awareness, makes a better magazine out of Malt Advocate than it was, makes us feel all warm and fuzzy about the liquor we've chosen to enjoy (look! somebody wrote about it. It's legitimate!), and hopefully made some money for one of our favorite bourbon distilleries. What more could a bourbon fan want?

=John=

http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

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I went in search of the latest Malt Advocate, but could not find one. I did find a copy of Whisky Mag. Inside was an article on Booker Noe and nothing else on bourbon. All scotch. "It's just like deja vu all over again." - Yogi Berra

So Whisky Rag is in the same place the Malt Advocate was five years ago. Bourbon is just an afterthought. Filler for a slow news day in Scotland.

John if your observation on the bourbon ads to bourbon articles is true (and I'm sure it is as you would not make something like this up) points to the very real posibility that the Malt Advocate can be bought. Place so many thousands of dollars in ads and we'll write a nice article about you. Car mags are notorious for this. Do they have a monthly bourbon column? All bourbon all the time? The columnist can say anything about any bourbon and the advertizers be damned? If this were so than it would show that the Malt Advocate has come around.

That's just one of the reasons that I like Chuck Cowdery's "Bourbon Counrty Reader" - No ads. You can trust the content to be as accurate as Chuck can make it and that it is honestly portrayed. I never doubt any of the historical information he prints.

"What more could a bourbon fan want?" asks John. How about honesty, open discourse, a healthy dose of respect from those eletist scotchies, and a monthly Chuck Cowdery column. I think that would do for starters.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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Thanks for the kudos, Linn and John.

I made the decision not to take advertising because I wanted to create a different kind of publication. I have nothing against advertising, I've made my living at it for 25 years. I just like to contain its reach. Anyone who thinks the content of advertiser-supported media (magazines, newspapers, television, radio) is not influenced by the advertisers is naive. This is especially true with special interest publications, because the pool of potential advertisers is so limited, you can't afford to alienate any of them. Compounding the problem is the fact that your advertisers are also your most valuable editorial sources. Piss them off and you lose at least some of your editorial access.

The influence of advertisers on editorial is seldom a quid pro quo. It's more a matter of the health of the overall relationship, a relationship built on mutual back scratching.

My attitude about this is not that it's a back thing, but that it's a thing. The movie industry is driven by what sells tickets. The publishing industry is driven by what sells books. Advertiser-supported media is driven by what sells advertising. You have to take that into consideration as you "consume" each type of media.

I call The Reader idiosyncratic, by which I mean self-indulgent, but I still care about my relationships with the companies. When I do piss them off (e.g., Jim Beam) it's usually by accident.

--Chuck Cowdery

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We are often approached by magazines about buying ad space in return for a flattering article about the distillery. GENERALLY, you can tell when this happens. If there is an article about Rock Hill Farms and a full page ad for the brand appears on a cross page spread, you can ALMOST count on the article having been "purchased".

Writers often approach us regarding the Bourbon Festival. They want us to pay their way to the festival in return for favorable press. It is always a balancing act; tick them off and you are either ignored or slammed. It gets kind of sticky.

Ken

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