Henry McKenna Single Barrel

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Henry McKenna Single Barrel

Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:34 am

Having just read Gary's excellent review of Henry McKenna Single Barrel I have just one question for Gary - Is this the same experience you havd had with every bottle of the product or just this bottle? Single barrel products can be very inconsistant - that is their nature and part of their charm. I have found the Henry McKenna a very good single barrel, but not one of my favorites. I have had Henry McKenna Single Barrel that did tempt me to place it in my top five instead of the six or seven that it ranks now.

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Unread postby angelshare » Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:52 pm

I bumped this because I wanted to read Gary's answer!

I love the McKenna SB. Reminds me in some ways of the old 8 year Fighting Cock, which I think is fabulous.
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Unread postby gillmang » Sun Oct 01, 2006 3:49 pm

Well, I have only had three or four bottles of McKenna SB but enjoyed each of them (sorry Mike if I missed your question back from July).

The last one was particularly good, I would say better than Fighting Cock. After all it is older and more refined by virtue of the single barrel concept (refined in that narrow sense).

I agree it is not the most subtle of bourbons. HH is par excellence a "country" distillery, but in the best sense.

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Unread postby cowdery » Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:26 am

I wonder if Heaven Hill is thinking about dropping this product. The most recent brochure for their "Specialty Bourbon Collection" does not include it. The Collection now consists of Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, Elijah Craig 12-year-old, Elijah Craig 18-year-old and Very Special Old Fitzgerald.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:08 am

This is pure speculation, but it could be that Heaven Hill is dropping advertising this product because of Four Roses has started marketing Henry McKenna overseas. I don't know the nature of the agreement between Seagram's and Heaven Hill when Heaven Hill received the United States marketing rights to McKenna. Was it a sale of marketing rights in the United States or a lease? Do you know Chuck?
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Unread postby cowdery » Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:03 pm

I don't know, but since Seagram's retained something and sold something (as opposed to selling everything to two different entities), I suspect all Heaven Hill has is a license to use the name in the USA. The HM single barrel product was entirely a HH creation. Seagram's never had that.

It could be that Kirin has notified HH of their intention not to renew the license when it expires, whenever that may be.

The Henry McKenna bourbon recently released in Australia is a product of Lion Nathan, an Australian company, which is licensing the name from Kirin according to media reports. It so happens that Kirin also owns 46% of Lion Nathan's stock, i.e., a big chunk.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:37 am

Chuck,
I asked this same question to Al Young and he declared that he did not know what the arrangement between Heaven Hill and Seagram's with the Henry McKenna. It could be that he did know but was not saying. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens. If Seagrams comes out with some new brands, we will see if McKenna is one of them.
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Unread postby cowdery » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:40 am

Do you mean Diageo? There is no more Seagrams.

I don't know what markets they were selling it in, but Seagrams was selling McKenna overseas all along and Kirin has continued to. The only thing "new" is that Kirin, through Lion Nathan, recently introduced a McKenna bourbon in Australia, ostensibly to compete with Cougar. Lion Nathan, like Kirin, is primarily in the beer business. Cougar, a bourbon, is marketed by Fosters, also a beer company.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:36 am

Actually Chuck I should have said Four Roses or Kirin instead of Seagram. Diageo buys whiskey there but I doubt they are looking to promote Kirin's products anymore than Heaven Hill.
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Unread postby cowdery » Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:22 pm

I checked with Heaven Hill. They dropped it from the brochure to add Old Fitz, because the McKenna is not as widely distributed. They still have the brand and are still selling and supporting both expressions of it.
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