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The word itself is not familiar to most people. A 'cooper' is a person who makes or maintains barrels and similar objects. A 'cooperage' is the place where that is done.
Cooperage is an ancient craft. It preceded the Iron Age but the advent of strong iron tools made it possible to work hard woods for many purposes, including barrel-making. Today, the craft is kept alive primarily by the wine and whiskey industries. Since only new barrels can be used to age bourbon and other straight whiskeys, American distilleries require a steady supply and cooperages are their essential partners.
Brown-Forman Cooperage in Louisville is one of the two main suppliers of barrels to bourbon makers. Their barrels are used for Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Early Times, Old Forester, and other Brown-Forman products.
The other big barrel-maker, which serves the rest of the industry, is Independent Stave Company. They make whiskey barrels in Lebanon, Kentucky, and (coincidentally) Lebanon, Missouri. They have other plants that primarily make wine barrels.
Brown-Forman Cooperage offers tours through Mint Julep Tours. Kentucky Cooperage (Independent Stave) in Lebanon, Kentucky, offers free walk-in tours twice a day.
The booming whiskey business has promoted some smaller players to enter the field, including Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville and the Barrel Mill in Minnesota.
Although barrel-making is still very labor-intensive, and some of that labor is highly skilled, the process is much more automated today than it was a century ago. At a place like Louisville's Hartmann Cooperage (1875-1925), where barrels were made almost entirely by hand, dozens of men would have performed the hard, physical labor using tools not much changed since the dawn of the Iron Age.
Henry Hartmann's grandson, Walter Doerting, prowled the cooperage as a child and ultimately inherited a large collection of its tools, which he donated to the Jim Beam Company. When you visit Jim Beam in Clermont, Kentucky, you can also visit the Hartmann Cooperage Museum.
In 1992, Doerting visited the museum, demonstrated some of the tools, and talked about his memories of the cooperage for the documentary "Made and Bottled in Kentucky," which is conveniently available for purchase in the right-hand column of this page.
14 Ağustos 2012 Salı
Jim Beam Is Up 11%, Single Oak Project Has 6th Release, And The KDA Has New Digs.
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Here's a little news round-up from Bourbon Country.
Beam Inc. has reported its second quarter results. Sales are up and bourbon is why. In worldwide sales, Jim Beam itself is up 11 percent for the year, Knob Creek is up 9 percent, and Maker's Mark is up 29 percent. That's pretty incredible, but there is another Beam bourbon that is doing even better: Basil Hayden, up 33 percent.
Almost everything in Beam's portfolio is up. Effen Vodka is one notable exception. When Beam bought Effen Vodka from Sazerac three years ago, I said it was a mistake. Sure enough, Effen sales are down 14 percent, probably because Beam has lost interest in it since Beam now has Pinnacle Vodka, a much bigger brand and one that is not based on a vulgarity.
This month, Sazerac's Buffalo Trace Distillery will releases the sixth round of Single Oak Project bourbons. Twelve of these experimental bourbons are released each quarter. With release six, therefore, the score is 72 released, 120 to go.
Each release has a theme. This time, all twelve bourbons in the set are from Warehouse L, a masonry warehouse with concrete floors that many Tracians consider their best. The other common feature is low barrel entry proof (52.5% ABV). Since most bourbons go into the barrel at close to the legal maximum of 62.5% ABV, low entry proof is of great interest to distillers and aficionados.
The Kentucky Distiller's Association (KDA), of which Sazerac is not a member, is 132 years old but never has had a physical home. It now occupies a portion of Frankfort Barracks, a 141-year-old building that housed federal troops stationed in Frankfort between 1871 and 1876. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The address is 614 Shelby Street, Frankfort, KY 40601.
In addition to offices for KDA's staff, which has ballooned to three people, it will also serve as information center and gift shop for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour.
Beam Inc. has reported its second quarter results. Sales are up and bourbon is why. In worldwide sales, Jim Beam itself is up 11 percent for the year, Knob Creek is up 9 percent, and Maker's Mark is up 29 percent. That's pretty incredible, but there is another Beam bourbon that is doing even better: Basil Hayden, up 33 percent.
Almost everything in Beam's portfolio is up. Effen Vodka is one notable exception. When Beam bought Effen Vodka from Sazerac three years ago, I said it was a mistake. Sure enough, Effen sales are down 14 percent, probably because Beam has lost interest in it since Beam now has Pinnacle Vodka, a much bigger brand and one that is not based on a vulgarity.
This month, Sazerac's Buffalo Trace Distillery will releases the sixth round of Single Oak Project bourbons. Twelve of these experimental bourbons are released each quarter. With release six, therefore, the score is 72 released, 120 to go.
Each release has a theme. This time, all twelve bourbons in the set are from Warehouse L, a masonry warehouse with concrete floors that many Tracians consider their best. The other common feature is low barrel entry proof (52.5% ABV). Since most bourbons go into the barrel at close to the legal maximum of 62.5% ABV, low entry proof is of great interest to distillers and aficionados.
The Kentucky Distiller's Association (KDA), of which Sazerac is not a member, is 132 years old but never has had a physical home. It now occupies a portion of Frankfort Barracks, a 141-year-old building that housed federal troops stationed in Frankfort between 1871 and 1876. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The address is 614 Shelby Street, Frankfort, KY 40601.
In addition to offices for KDA's staff, which has ballooned to three people, it will also serve as information center and gift shop for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour.
When You're The World's Biggest, What's Small?
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In marketing terms, 'niche' is usually a nice way of saying 'little.' One way to grasp just how huge spirits industry leader Diageo really is by looking at what they consider 'niche' brands. This examination became more convenient last September when Diageo created Catalyst, a business unit focused on 28 spirits brands the company classifies as 'niche.' Together they bring in about $250 million a year.
Diago's stated goal is to double that by 2014. The unit experienced a setback when its first president, a 20-year Diageo veteran, abruptly left the company just four months into her new job.
The Catalyst portfolio includes line extensions such as Tanqueray Sterling Vodka, acquisitions such as Stirrings Liqueurs, new products such as Moon Mountain Vodka, and small but venerable brands such as Pimms and Myers’s Rum.
Whiskey enthusiasts will be interested to know that the Catalyst group contains several esteemed single malts: Lagavulin, Glenkinchie, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Caol Ila, Clynelish, Oban, and Talisker. George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey is 'niche,' as are pseudo-whiskeys Jeremiah Weed and Yukon Jack.
The word 'catalyst' has become fashionable in company names without much regard for its dictionary definition, which is something that causes change without being changed. The word 'niche' also seems misused, since it usually means a product or service that appeals to a very narrow and specific audience. One thing true niche brands do not do, almost by definition, is double in size.
If you examine it, Catalyst starts to look like a free-standing luxury brands portfolio, especially if it shed Weed, Jack, and Moon. The single malts are an exceptional collection, and George Dickel is a brand full of potential that Diageo has never quite realized.
No one has said anything about a spin-off, but wouldn't that be nice?
Diago's stated goal is to double that by 2014. The unit experienced a setback when its first president, a 20-year Diageo veteran, abruptly left the company just four months into her new job.
The Catalyst portfolio includes line extensions such as Tanqueray Sterling Vodka, acquisitions such as Stirrings Liqueurs, new products such as Moon Mountain Vodka, and small but venerable brands such as Pimms and Myers’s Rum.
Whiskey enthusiasts will be interested to know that the Catalyst group contains several esteemed single malts: Lagavulin, Glenkinchie, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Caol Ila, Clynelish, Oban, and Talisker. George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey is 'niche,' as are pseudo-whiskeys Jeremiah Weed and Yukon Jack.
The word 'catalyst' has become fashionable in company names without much regard for its dictionary definition, which is something that causes change without being changed. The word 'niche' also seems misused, since it usually means a product or service that appeals to a very narrow and specific audience. One thing true niche brands do not do, almost by definition, is double in size.
If you examine it, Catalyst starts to look like a free-standing luxury brands portfolio, especially if it shed Weed, Jack, and Moon. The single malts are an exceptional collection, and George Dickel is a brand full of potential that Diageo has never quite realized.
No one has said anything about a spin-off, but wouldn't that be nice?
Basil Hayden Growth Confuses Bourbon Fans.
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Last Thursday, in a little news digest post, I mentioned that Beam's Basil Hayden bourbon is up 33 percent in sales this year. If you read the comments, most are about that. Many readers found that news hard to swallow. Serious bourbon enthusiasts generally dismiss Basil Hayden as too light at 40% ABV, and too expensive at about $40 a bottle.
You shouldn't take too seriously a big one-time bump in sales on a small brand such as Basil Hayden. After 20 years in the marketplace, it is still a small brand. If it sustains a 33 percent growth trend over several quarters, then something is happening. If it does that, it won't be a small brand for long.
Eagle-eyed bourbonians have noticed that Beam recently received approval for a Basil Hayden label with no age statement (NAS). Just because a label is approved, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be used. I don't believe a NAS Basil Hayden bottle has shown up at retail yet.
The trend away from age statements has been to give producers flexibility, in this time of booming sales, to mix in some younger whiskey if it meets the brand profile. Many enthusiasts always believe the worst of the big producers, but the highest priority for most producers is to match the brand's flavor profile with each and every batch. It's not in their interest to make changes that actually change how the whiskey tastes, even if they can save a little money and put out a bit more volume by using younger spirit.
So what is moving Basil Hayden's needle? Beam seems to have had success focusing Basil Hayden on a cocktails-oriented, fashion and style-oriented consumer, something to drink while watching "Project Runway." Maybe it simply has taken 20 years for Basil Hayden to find its drinkers.
All four of the bourbons Beam calls The Small Batch Collection are very good but over-priced. The only one that seems appropriately priced for what it is is Knob Creek, which has been the most successful. There have been reports of Basil Hayden selling for closer to $30, but it's hard to know if they have permanently adjusted the price, or if they've just been dealing it a lot.
Heavy dealing can also account for a short-term 33 percent sales increase, which doesn't mean anything if they can't sustain the price point that's driving the extra sales. The idea, of course, is that deals drive sampling and usage, and the hope is that at least some of those consumers will stay with the brand after the price goes back up.
Most of the Beam bourbons are based on the Jim Beam recipe. Basil Hayden is not. It is based on the Old Grand-Dad recipe, which has about twice as much rye in the mash, and consequently less corn. It's still bourbon, not rye, but it has more rye flavor and may be enjoying some boost from the recent fascination with ryes.
You shouldn't take too seriously a big one-time bump in sales on a small brand such as Basil Hayden. After 20 years in the marketplace, it is still a small brand. If it sustains a 33 percent growth trend over several quarters, then something is happening. If it does that, it won't be a small brand for long.
Eagle-eyed bourbonians have noticed that Beam recently received approval for a Basil Hayden label with no age statement (NAS). Just because a label is approved, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be used. I don't believe a NAS Basil Hayden bottle has shown up at retail yet.
The trend away from age statements has been to give producers flexibility, in this time of booming sales, to mix in some younger whiskey if it meets the brand profile. Many enthusiasts always believe the worst of the big producers, but the highest priority for most producers is to match the brand's flavor profile with each and every batch. It's not in their interest to make changes that actually change how the whiskey tastes, even if they can save a little money and put out a bit more volume by using younger spirit.
So what is moving Basil Hayden's needle? Beam seems to have had success focusing Basil Hayden on a cocktails-oriented, fashion and style-oriented consumer, something to drink while watching "Project Runway." Maybe it simply has taken 20 years for Basil Hayden to find its drinkers.
All four of the bourbons Beam calls The Small Batch Collection are very good but over-priced. The only one that seems appropriately priced for what it is is Knob Creek, which has been the most successful. There have been reports of Basil Hayden selling for closer to $30, but it's hard to know if they have permanently adjusted the price, or if they've just been dealing it a lot.
Heavy dealing can also account for a short-term 33 percent sales increase, which doesn't mean anything if they can't sustain the price point that's driving the extra sales. The idea, of course, is that deals drive sampling and usage, and the hope is that at least some of those consumers will stay with the brand after the price goes back up.
Most of the Beam bourbons are based on the Jim Beam recipe. Basil Hayden is not. It is based on the Old Grand-Dad recipe, which has about twice as much rye in the mash, and consequently less corn. It's still bourbon, not rye, but it has more rye flavor and may be enjoying some boost from the recent fascination with ryes.
Sam Cecil Talks About The Beam Family.
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The Beam Family Reunion is coming up on September 8, at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. If you are descended from Jacob Beam, you should check it out.
Like most of the Beams, Sam Cecil was born and raised in Nelson County, Kentucky. Like so many of them, he spent his entire career in the whiskey business. In his case, the career spanned more than 40 years. Even after he retired in 1980, Cecil worked occasionally for Heaven Hill, giving history-oriented tours of Bardstown and vicinity.
In 1999, he published The Evolution Of The Bourbon Industry In Kentucky, an invaluable historic resource. Cecil died in 2005.
In 1992, he was interviewed for the documentary "Made and Bottled in Kentucky," which you will see is available for purchase in the column to the right. If you live in Kentucky, you can probably catch it on KET, where it first aired 20 years ago and is still in heavy rotation.
In this excerpt, Sam Cecil sorts out the many threads of the whiskey-making Beam family.
The Beam Family Reunion is coming up on September 8, at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. If you are descended from Jacob Beam, you should check it out.
Like most of the Beams, Sam Cecil was born and raised in Nelson County, Kentucky. Like so many of them, he spent his entire career in the whiskey business. In his case, the career spanned more than 40 years. Even after he retired in 1980, Cecil worked occasionally for Heaven Hill, giving history-oriented tours of Bardstown and vicinity.
In 1999, he published The Evolution Of The Bourbon Industry In Kentucky, an invaluable historic resource. Cecil died in 2005.
In 1992, he was interviewed for the documentary "Made and Bottled in Kentucky," which you will see is available for purchase in the column to the right. If you live in Kentucky, you can probably catch it on KET, where it first aired 20 years ago and is still in heavy rotation.
In this excerpt, Sam Cecil sorts out the many threads of the whiskey-making Beam family.
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