New whiskies are popping up like weeds...not cheap either

[Mike]

I make regular visits to 'my' liquor store. I like the guys and gals there, their prices are fair for the most part, and it is, for Georgia, a very well stocked store.

But, Mein Gott, every visit (at least a couple of times a month) reveals more and more whiskies that are new to me. What gives? These new entries are not cheap, most costing around $35 on up.

I will make a couple of observations and maybe others who are better informed than me can take it from there.

(1) these seem to be young whiskies - it would be too costly to build a new distillery and warehouse the product for more than a couple of years. Some seem to be distilling their own spirits, and after starting out with vodka and flavored spirits (often Gin) move to whiskey (sometimes corn whiskey, aged in used bourbon barrels).

(2) various methods are sometimes used to hasten the aging process........... mostly wood chips or slats in the barrels

(3) some are probably buying their whiskey from major producers and then either blending it with other whiskies they bought, or aging it themselves

(4) there is often some kind of, shall I risk calling it a gimmick, that is used to differentiate their whiskey (e.g. Jesse James Whiskey)

(5) a few of these whiskies that I have tried are quite good (and some are malt whikies) and some are not, but it is unlikely that I am going to try many of them (e.g. Jesse James Whiskey)

(6) in general, I suppose this is a good thing, keeping the big guys on their toes much as the micro brewing industry has forced the big brewers to expand their offerings

[Squire]

Mike it appears to me what they are doing is promoting the products of what may be the largest distiller in the Country, MGPI Indiana, and that's what they will have to sell their customers for the next five years or so before their whisky can mature.

Then what will they do? having built a brand on MGPI product are they going to switch contents and fill the bottles with something their customers might not like. Is there any guarantee their whisky will be any good or sell for what they had been getting? And, if they are able to establish a brand, can their little 2-3 man operation actually produce enough whisky to meet the demand? Why not just let MGPI continue to do the heavy lifting and save all that expense of actually having to make the stuff.

The marketing plan seems to be create the label, packaging, make up some history, wrap it all up in malarkey and sell the hype at a premium price because if it costs alot it has to be good.

[gauze]

the local new distillery making whiskey is going down the wrong path for my pallet (and is also not cheap) this right here rubs me the wrong way:

http://www.solspirits.com/american-spir ... -seasonals

their other products that I have tried were more like scotch than our national spirit.
They did have a wheat whiskey when I went to a tasting, but I don't know if they are bringing that out as a product.
It's their company they can do what they want I guess.

[Bourbon Joe]

You're right Mike. There are a LOT of new whiskies on the market. A bunch of these, I think are from small outfits trying to get a foothold in the industry. I, for the most part, pass these by, preferring the established and most times older bourbons. I don't know where all this will end but it sure is confusing, especially to old folks like me. I guess I can't deny them a chance to make a living though.
Joe

[Satty Beach]

God bless the little guy, but, idk [I don't know] why anyone is entering an industry that screams ECONOMY of SCALE, at the micro level. Labor of love? Fine and dandy, have fun with that. Probably alot more viable 10-20 years ago when everybody else wasn't doing it, and, you had the possibility of purchasing old stock. Nowadays, sure sell your gin, rum and vodka and kick back a few bbl of whiskey along the way. AKA; Distill, wait, hope and pray. Or, contract the heavy lifting out and cook up a story/select designer bottles. To be sure, these folks are coming up with some pretty ingenius methods, one outfit is leasing a mash tun of the (micro) brewery next door, and plumbing or trucking it over to the still. It IS doable, even with shallow pockets, I just don't think it's viable. The big boys have all the bases covered, ALL the bases.

[Satty Beach]

@Gauze yeah that rubs my the wrong way too. Just as bad was the violent video game cashing on the US Constitution ad campaign (Assasines Creed).
Nothing is sacred.

As usual my timing couldn't be worse, I came up with the perfect white dog brand name.

[Squire]

Economy of scale, thanks Satty Beach, that's the phrase that eluded me. Whether it's a labor of love or a determined effort to establish a business, they must charge more for the product because it costs more to make. Essentially, these micros are asking me to subsidize their start up costs and learning curve. Frankly I feel that's an imposition on my good nature.

[Birdo]

After three years into bourbon, I have now settled in on a few I like alot, they are: Fighting Cock, Wild Turkey 101, Knob Creek, Beam Black, and Four Roses single barrel. I'm just as happy with a handle of Fighting Cock or WIld Turkey as anything else out there.

I have been jipped one too many times on a fancy shmancy bottle of swill, seems like a lot of small batch and fancy bottle stuff is just a way to separate people from the money. Thiry years ago, if you wanted good bourbon there was Beam, if you want the great stuff, WT101 was super premium. What was true then is still true today.

I won't buy a 750ml of any more unknowns, but I'll sample it at your place.

[dickelfanaustralia]

Why can't these new companies use reused bourbon barrels. How long does this bourbon industry think there going to have this new oak only rule?

[gauze]

I haven't looked into the sustainability of oak, but it's possible they won't run out because there is always more "being made". not sure what else oak is used for these days in great quantity, certainly not the majority of furniture.

[dickelfanaustralia]

LOL!

[Squire]

There's plenty of oak, the problem is the first use strips out the barrel sugars and other flavoring elements. Reused barrels can certainly produce a good whisky but it doesn't have full Bourbon character unless it's blended with some straight whisky.