Monday, September 9, 2013

Where oh where has the bourbon gone? - A rant.




Let me start off by saying that cherry flavored, peach flavored, maple flavored, honey flavored, apple flavored, spice flavored et al whiskey IS NOT BOURBON.  It may have started off with bourbon but the end result is not. These abominations are made for women and frat boys who think they want to drink bourbon but don't actually appreciate the flavors and subtleties that real bourbon has. Every crap flavor some chemist dreams up takes shelf space away from America's spirit. 

Bourbon can't be made anywhere but the US.  It is protected just like Scotch can only be made in Scotland and Cognac only in France. Apparently it isn't protected from the "new coke" syndrome. Every new flavor decreases the shelf space of an established brand or pushes them out of the store entirely. Flavored whiskey makes up less than 10% of sales but has more shelf slots then its sales would indicate. Jim Beam's Red Stag (real bourbon fans call it something else) for example has 4 flavors now with each taking up at least one facing on the shelf.  This pushes classic bourbons like the following off the shelf.

Old GrandDad 114
Old Forester
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
George Dickel #8
George Dickel #12
Elijah Craig 1.75L
Eagle Rare 1.75L
Four Roses Small Batch
Baker's
Evan Williams 1783
Evan Williams Single Barrel
Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve

I'm sure there are others but that is all I can remember.

While some are available SLO that is not the same as having them on the shelf. You don't have to wait for weeks to buy something on the shelf.  The PLCB selection of bourbon is already poor and having flavored bastardizations taking up space doesn't help. Our state store system claims to have about 87 Bourbons and Ryes (including multiple sizes of the same thing and not counting flavors) on the shelves across the state.  Binny's in Chicago with just 29 stores claims 227. Therein lies the difference between having some cube rat in Harrisburg pick for you or having the market, meaning you the customer, decide what products should be sold.

Privatization IS Modernization.  Accept nothing less.

18 comments:

Jay said...

Thank you for taking over the wheel here.

Albert Brooks said...

You're welcome. Being a bourbon guy this one was pretty easy.

james said...

Excellent post, Albert! In addition to some of the nicer bourbons you mention, even basic brands that are available most places are pushed out by these novelties -- Four Roses yellow label, Rittenhouse Rye, and so on.

Albert Brooks said...

Rittenhouse hasn't been on the shelf in PA, or at least my part of PA, in years. Well before the flavors. I buy it out of state as it makes great Manhattans and is a great deal for the money. You're right about the yellow label and I'm sure a bunch more but without having old inventory lists it is hard to pin down everything that has disappeared.

Joe said...

Albert Brooks films suck. What's your favorite Who album? What's your favorite Mott album? I like Ians solo stuff better than Mott actually. It doesn't look like privatizations gonna happen. Since a democrat will be elected as governor in 2014, privatization doesn't have a chance until 2018 or beyond.

Albert Brooks said...

Somewhat deluded if you think I'm that Albert Brooks. As for the other questions I don't think they pertain. You might want to go to the track since you can see the future, make yourself a little money and leave that clerk job.

Joe said...

Ok,I will.

Lew Bryson said...

I don't want to fuel this fire, but I'm with you on one thing, Joe: I like Ian's solo stuff better too.

Joe said...

Flavored bourbons are another example of the "decline of western civilization". I'm serious. I'm not being sarcastic or flippant. The same applies to vodka. It's like shopping for Kool Aide. People can only digest things if they're sweetened and watered down. Keep the faith

Albert Brooks said...

Absolute agreement there Joe.

Erik S. said...

Agree with your sentiments against state-run liquor stores, but as someone close to the business told me, those flavored bourbons are doing a ton of good in getting people to try bourbon for the first time. They might start with red stag, but then they graduate to the real thing. It's a shame that in PA you are on the losing end of this expansion...they should carry all the brands and expressions so everyone can be happy.

Lew Bryson said...

That's the plan, Erik, but I don't know that anyone has seen numbers that indicate it's actually happening. At this point, I'd put that under "wishful thinking."

Albert Brooks said...

If it is happening it is happening on premise - meaning bars and clubs because off premise sales aren't showing it from what I have seen. As Lew said, more hopeful thinking then reality at this point.

Anonymous said...

Did u know David Bowie wrote ..all the young dudes...?

Albert Brooks said...

And he sang in the background too.

Anonymous said...

When did George Dickel become a bourbon?

Lew Bryson said...

Dickel became a bourbon when it was made from 51+% corn, distilled to a final proof of less than 80% ABV, entered into a new, charred oak barrel at under 62.5%, and was bottled at more than 40%. In other words, the Lincoln County Process doesn't mean it's NOT bourbon. Once it's bourbon, it's bourbon. Tennessee whiskey is an extra step, and not a step that makes it not bourbon.
But yeah, I see your point.

Albert Brooks said...

First I'd like to say that it is good to see the old posts being read.

I do not agree with Lew, I've been a stickler about the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon and all I can offer here is my mea culpa in listing it as an example of PLCB ineptitude.

Bourbon is the end result not a step in the process of making something else. Flavored crap like Red Stag is not a bourbon nor will it ever be.