bunghole wrote:Many Thanks Professor Veach! It is what I do best.
I'll second that.
And your down-and-dirty quick listing (since I know you could have covered at least three times that many with your same trademark finesse) is as good a thumbnail description as I've ever read of the brands that have been the most influential in creating the current status of bourbon whiskey. A status which holds bourbon as not only socially acceptable but even socially prominent.
In other words, now even rich people can admit to enjoying a glass of bourbon now and then.
That is, provided it's very expensive and ordinary riff-raff people can't obtain it.
Of course, as specialists in old bourbon and rye whiskey, the Goddess and I often enjoy product that can't be found on the shelves of liquor stores today. And yes, in most cases (there are some notable exceptions) they often taste better than you can buy -- in liquor stores. But they're nowhere near as expensive as one might think (usually less than some currently available bourbons) and certainly not unavailable to riff-raff, as we consider ourselves proud to be members of that community.
If you are an avid reader of the motorcar mags, you can't help but think that only $50,000+ European sports cars (and Hondas, for some reason) are worthy to be driven. Readers of photography magazines (which I know you are) are presented only with the most exclusive examples. There is a tendancy to equate "popular" with "ordinary" and "failing to present the image of wealth and success that I would like to project". In the world of American whiskey, Maker's Mark seems to have been relegated to this role. Thank you, Linn, for pointing out the importance of Bill Samuels (and probably more Bill Jr. than Sr.) to the development bourbon's more socially prominent image. Mike notes that what Samuels did with Maker's Mark was what was suggested to him by Pappy Van Winkle of Stitzel-Weller, but the fact is that Stitzel-Weller is an abandoned ghost today, while Maker's is found all over the place. For most Americans, the bourbon universe consists of Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, with the premium product either Wild Turkey (mainly because it's got more alky-haul, or at least it did when their daddy drank it) or Maker's Mark (because it costs more, so it must be better). Maker's Mark is associated with Tuxedos and fine cigars. So was Old Fitzgerald, of course, but that brand was barely known outside of Kentucky, while Maker's is known all over the country (maybe all over the world). And for those who prefer a bourbon with very little offensive (or any other kind of) flavor, it's every bit the quality product their marketing suggests. And even though both you and I (and Mike and others) agree that we'd be likely to select just about any premium bourbon (and quite of few standard ones, too) ahead of Maker's Mark, it's importance cannot be overlooked in describing how bourbon's image came to its current state.
Especially coming from you, that is remarkable. It also shows how much your range of bourbon appreciation has grown over the years. For those who are too new to be familar with Linn, there was a time when this Stitzel-Weller connoisseur could not find a kind word in his vocabulary for any wheated bourbon. And that was especially true of Maker's Mark, which, for Linn, held no redeeming features whatsoever. So, new readers, if you find yourself to be totally intolerant of a particular type of bourbon, or of a particular brand, take heart from the Da Bunghole's example that you, too, may someday find something worthwhile in that brand (do note, however, that Linn only praised the importance of Makers' Mark, not its flavor)