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BOTM, 3/07: Old Pogue


jeff
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The brands of bourbon we enjoy today seem to have been around forever. Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, etc. But do you ever stop and think about the hundreds or thousands of brands that died out over the years? Many succumbed to the hardships of prohibition or to declining sales of brown spirits that haunted the industry for decades. What would it be like if there were hundreds of bourbon distilleries still in operation?

Well, we can't go back in time, but it is refreshing when someone cares enough to bring a brand back from antiquity, give it new life, and allow bourbon connoisseurs to enjoy a new choice. That's exactly what the Pogue family has done. The fourth and fifth generations of Pogues have resurrected the old family brand that died during prohibition.

Peter, Paul and Jack Pogue have been nice enough to join Straightbourbon.com at the Gazebo during the festival, to share their good fortunes with us. Peter is an active member of our forums. We appreciate the kindness that the Pogues have shown Straightbourbon.com, and we wish them continued success in their endeavors.

Let's hear what you think of Old Pogue!

:893drillsergeant-thSounf off:893drillsergeant-th

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Another one we don't have down here, but it's on my next Binny's shopping list, I should have it while it is still BOTM.

One I have been wanting to try for a while!

Scott

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It's been a while since I've had it but I have pleasant memories. Thanks for giving me the "excuse" to revisit an old friend.

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I'm not crazy about Old Pogue. There is an unpleasant aftertaste that I couldn't get over.

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While Pogue is not a "favorite" pour, it's definately one that I go to often enough. I picked up a bottle at Toddy's last Sept. and have about 1/2 bottle left. I'll have to pull it out and have a pour this evening.

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I find nothing off-putting in Old Pogue, but at $40 plus tax a bottle, I expect something better than 'inoffensive'.

It's not terribly complex -- mostly roasted sweet corn in the husk on the nose, with a bit of sandalwood alongside, with a palate emphasizing the corn husks. The corn and some slight maple undertones might understandably remind some of George Dickel (okay, I like Dickel, too -- but it's under $15!).

I, too, appreciate the Pogues' connection to their own history and their genial sharing of their wares with us at Bardstown, and other, gatherings. I also understand the economic difficulty in offering an inexpensive non-distiller bottling. Still, I probably won't buy it very often.

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I've had a single bottle of Old Pogue, I'm slowly going through it.

I like Old Pogue - it tastes different. I'd describe it as having a grassiness, even a lemony-ness, to the first "hit" of the alcohol, and then a short, dry finish. The Auchentoshen of bourbons, perhaps? But this is only an occasional taste for me, so the bottle pours slow. Give me a long, fruity finish most of the time - this is the opposite take. The Warne Marsh of bourbons.

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For those of you in the Indpls area, you can taste it with Peter Pogue on Friday 3/16/07 at United Pkg Liquors at Keystone and Union Chapel Rd. 7-9pm.

Dawn

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Does anybody how know what’s actually inside the bottle want to chare some information?

Leif

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I like Old Pogue just fine. It has a nice sweetness and restrained rye spice, with just a touch of warming finish that are satisfying and especially accessible to those new to drinking bourbon neat. That said, the bottle I have will last me for some time.

Except for profile selection to get those soothing characteristics, I guess it is actually similar to buying something between EWSB and EC12 in proof and age - but what a difference the barrel selection can make!

As the Pogue's have middle men to pay and no economy of scale like the big boys, you pay quite a bit more than if Heaven Hill had chosen to market a product with this profile - but HH didn't, and Pogue did, and I'm glad that Pogue has made it possible for more variety to come from the HH rickhouses than would have otherwise happened.

In this thread we learn that HH has had roughly 1/2 of the world's supply of bourbon that is 8+ years old. I for one am glad that more of the distinct profiles held within 1/2 of the world's well-aged whiskey can be made available to the public than the brands that HH markets under their own name(s) and distribution network.

Does anybody how know what’s actually inside the bottle want to chare some information?

Leif

You participated in the thread where this was discussed about 3 months ago, here , in posts 12 and 17 through 29. You posted #24.

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I for one am glad that more of the distinct profiles held within 1/2 of the world's well-aged whiskey can be made available to the public than the brands that HH markets under their own name(s) and distribution network.
Amen!
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I like Old Pogue just fine. It has a nice sweetness and restrained rye spice, with just a touch of warming finish that are satisfying and especially accessible to those new to drinking bourbon neat. That said, the bottle I have will last me for some time..

I’m only had one pour of the Old Pogue brand. Got it for for free at the BBC bar in Louisville when I was there drinking beer. I didn’t particularly like it.

In this thread we learn that HH has had roughly 1/2 of the world's supply of bourbon that is 8+ years old. I for one am glad that more of the distinct profiles held within 1/2 of the world's well-aged whiskey can be made available to the public than the brands that HH markets under their own name(s) and distribution network. .

I am glad for this to and I like many brands from “bottling distilleriesâ€, especially from van Winkle and KDB. The same goes for independent bottlers in Scotland as well. However I don’t understand the contrast of doing this even more effective by reviling the sores on the label in USA as they do in Scotland.

You participated in the thread where this was discussed about 3 months ago, here , in posts 12 and 17 through 29. You posted #24.

Believe it or not I did miss or possibly forgot the HH-thing in that thread. I can hardly believe it myself rereading it. Guess I have to begin reading the whole threads now witch isn’t always the case for me normally.

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Judging by some of the posts here, I draw the conclusion that if the people behind a certain enterprise are deemed to be nice and have a lot of middle men to pay, then we should refrain from criticism.

I seem to recall a track by the English punk band U.K. Subs. What was it called? Yeah, "Emotional Blackmail". That was the name. ;)

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Judging by some of the posts here, I draw the conclusion that if the people behind a certain enterprise are deemed to be nice and have a lot of middle men to pay, then we should refrain from criticism.

I seem to recall a track by the English punk band U.K. Subs. What was it called? Yeah, "Emotional Blackmail". That was the name. ;)

Sorry, Lennart, but I don't know where you're coming from on this. I see nothing in the previous posts that suggests that anyone should refrain from cristicism of Old Pogue, if that is what they feel.

JOE

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Sorry, Lennart, but I don't know where you're coming from on this. I see nothing in the previous posts that suggests that anyone should refrain from cristicism of Old Pogue, if that is what they feel.

JOE

Just a little facetiousness on my part, Joe.

I have to admit, though, that some of the members here display a curious, sort of, the-customer-is-always-wrong mentality, which I find a bit odd.

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I went thru a bottle of Old Pogue about two years ago, I still have the bottle, it is one of the best design/look in bourbon bottles.

I do remember that I liked it, but then I was drinking all my bourbons on the rocks, so what's not to like?

There is still a tiny bit in the bottle, so I tried to open it to get a smell to refresh my memory but the cork broke.

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I have to admit, though, that some of the members here display a curious, sort of, the-customer-is-always-wrong mentality, which I find a bit odd.

I understood and agree with the first part of your post, but am not sure I understand what you are getting at here.

I'm as guilty as anyone, I guess, of being a little slower to criticize people I know or, if I do criticize them, I tend to choose my words more carefully. I try to remember to extend the same courtesy to everyone, but I fail from time to time. It's a good reminder, not necessarily that we should be tougher on people we know, but that we should be kinder to people we don't know.

Of course we (i.e., members of Straight Bourbon) like people who treat us as important tastemakers.

I have responded a couple of times to posts by people who have convinced themselves that Pogue is made by some little, artisan distillery. That's not the Pogue family's fault. They have, in fact, been a lot more honest than most when asked about the provenance of their product.

It's hard to criticize the DBA practice, since the distillers do it too. It's also not the fault of operations like KBD that there are so few sources for bulk whiskey in the USA. I only really object to operations like Thedford and McKlain & Kyne, that tell completely fictional stories about "their distillery" and "their founders." The Pogue family has never done that.

The observation that can't be avoided is that you do pay a premum to, as Rughi says, appreciate "more variety to come from the HH rickhouses than would have otherwise happened." But that's hardly a criticism, since everyone has the ability to pay that premium, or not, as they see fit.

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I

I have responded a couple of times to posts by people who have convinced themselves that Pogue is made by some little, artisan distillery. That's not the Pogue family's fault. They have, in fact, been a lot more honest than most when asked about the provenance of their product.

Agreed, but if you would take the time to go through my posts, you would find that, if my memory doesn´t betray me, I haven´t written one single word about Old Pogue or the Pogues, neither in positive nor in negative terms.

I wrote from a more general basis. What I reacted mostly to, was that, if someone thinks a brand is overpriced then I do not want to hear about all the middlemen that has to be payed. What has that got to do with me as a customer?

I still think there´s a the-customer-is-always-wrong mentality that pops up its ugly head from time to time. Or perhaps defend-the-businessman-at-any-cost would be a more apt description.

Then again, all this could have something to do with me being from Sweden, where customer rights are amongst the most developed in the world. I certainly don´t let anyone f**k with me. :)

In deepest respect.

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"Customer rights" being another term for "consumer protection" with the "protector" being the government and you're right, the USA is different in that regard. Though consumer protection has come a long way, we are still mostly a "buyer beware" society and skeptical when we hear, "I'm from the government, I'm here to help."

But I agree with you in not caring about the producer's cost structure. We often have conversations here in which people try to analyze a whiskey's price based on cost factors. While cost certainly plays a role in price setting, in that only a fool would set his price below his costs, pricing is really based on an assessment of what the market will bear and the most successful products and businesses are the ones that persuade consumers to pay for intangibles that have no relationship to cost whatsoever.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chuck you have made some insightful comments that are making me think out loud. I don't want to highjack this thread regarding Old Pogue, but I really don't know how to start a new one (yes, I admit to being technologically challenged!). Nearly every distiller has the same basic cost structures (grain costs, barrels, heat/power, warehousing, etc.), however, why are some 4 year old whiskies in the premium category while others at twice the age are not? Is premium or super premium a quality rating or is it a shelf price category? By way of example, most vodkas come from Mid-West Grains and Solvents (in KS I believe). Different folks buy bulk vodka for the same price, yet package and sell them in every price range imaginable. The quality is the same (or almost the same), the acquisition cost is the same, yet one is bottom-shelf and another is premium. The primary difference, while one may have a prettier bottle, is the price category in which the bottler wishes to play and the ad campaign he can afford.

That being said, folks like the Pogues are at a natural disadvantage. Since the bulk market has nearly dried up, distilleries that sell bulk whiskey can charge whatever they want. Unless you enter into a long term contact, you are not always assured of having whiskey year after year, much less the same quality whiskey year after year. Here at Buffalo Trace, we ceased selling in the bulk market 3 - 4 years ago. If people depended on us as a constant source of their whiskey, they would now have to look elsewhere. The cost of the whiskey would change and the quality (for better or worse) would also change. That being said, I respect people like the Pogues who venture into an area fraught with uncertainty.

Ken

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  • 4 weeks later...

I bought a bottle nearly a year ago through my sister when she traveled through Kentucky. I cannot get this out in Cali, anyway, I JUST got the bottle home after a return flight yesterday. So in a few weeks I'll be opening it up for a first taste. I still have to bring 4 Roses and a few other bottles currently in Texas back to Cali....what a pain.

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