Faker's Mark: Helping You Pay More for Less

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I don't usually reprint press releases, but I thought this one was worth passing on. It comes from the beloved Faker's Mark Distillery, a subsidiary of Mr. Bean Global:


We at Faker's Mark deeply value our customers and want all of them to have access to our bourbon. At Faker's Mark, we have a tradition of only making one thing and doing it well. Despite the apparent ubiquitousness of our bourbon, however, our production has not kept up with demand. For instance, several people complained on our Facebook page that they were not able to secure bottles of our collectible Little League World Series commemorative bottle (it's collectible because it's a different color than the regular bottle); another person complained that they had to have a Jack Daniel's Choco-bourbon-tini when a TGI Fridays in Kenosha, Wisconsin ran out of Faker's. In our view, this is totally unacceptable. In order to address this serious shortage of product, we have made the following changes:

• Effective immediately, we will be reducing our Faker's Mark bourbon from 45% abv to 42% abv. If that goes well, we will reduce it to 40% in another six months;
• Effective immediately, Faker's Mark will only be available in 375 ml bottles (Our taste tests confirmed that using the 375 ml bottle did not substantially change the flavor profile.);
• In order to prevent consumer confusion, 375 ml bottles of the 42% Faker's Mark will be available at the same convenient price as the current 750 ml bottles.

We at Faker's are shocked at some of the early responses we've received to these changes. People don't seem to realize that we are only making these changes to help our loyal customers, particularly those who will buy our lovely, commemorative, wax dipped bottles no matter what we put in them. Keep in mind, it is important for us to have more Faker's on the shelf so we make more money so we can give back to the community by suing anyone else who uses a red wax seal.

Please direct all inquiries to Mr. Bean Global.

Faker's Mark Changes Course

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Here's another press release from the people at Faker's Mark:


You kicked our ass, we listened.

Dear Friends,

Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) of Faker’s Mark in response to supply constraints and greed, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Faker’s Mark. While we thought what we were doing was an easy way to screw our own consumers – you told us in large numbers to go screw ourselves instead.

You called us assholes. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we caused a public relations nightmare for both ourselves and our corporate overloads at Mr. Bean Inc.

So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Faker’s Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we’ve made it since the very beginning (except for the export and higher proof versions we've done).

Your trust, loyalty and money are what’s most important. We realize we can’t lose sight of that. We understand that there are probably other ways to make you pay more that will have fewer consequences for us, and we will begin investigating those immediately. We have also fired our PR firm, even though they came to us with stunning successes as the brains behind both New Coke and Netflix's Qwikster.


Sincerely,

Samuel Roberts
GWWSSTU (Guy Who Wasn't Supposed to Screw Thinks Up),
Faker's Mark

Whiskey Lists: High Proof American Whiskey

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This week, I've got a host of whiskey lists to share, starting with a list of high proof American whiskeys.

If nothing else, the Maker's Mark fiasco has shown us that people take their whiskey proof seriously. I've seen a number of people asking recently about high proof American whiskey, so I thought I'd try to make a list of all the recent, regular release American whiskeys over 55% abv (110 proof). Let me know if I'm missing anything.

Beam Inc.

Beam has three high strength offerings: (1) Booker's; (2) Knob Creek Single Barrel; and (3) Old Grand-Dad 114.

Brown Forman

Zip. Zilch. Zero. Three distilleries and no high strength whiskeys. Shame.

Buffalo Trace/Sazerac

Buffalo Trace may be the king of barrel strength, both in terms of numbers and strength. The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection includes George T. Stagg, the wheated William Larue Weller and Thomas Handy Rye. In addition, last year they released the EH Taylor Barrel Strength bourbon, and they make a barrel strength Blanton's, Blanton's Straight from the Barrel, but only for export. They have also released some barrel strength whiskeys from the A. Smith Bowman distillery in Virginia, though they may only have been for retailers. Even their White Dog is bottled at full strength.

Diageo

Nope.

Four Roses

Four Roses annually releases a high proof limited edition version of their Small Batch and Single Barrel. In addition, the single barrel releases they do for retailers are high strength. All of these tend to be in the 55% range.

Heaven Hill

Heaven Hill doesn't have any high proof whiskeys in regular release, but they do have the following: (1) Parker's Heritage Collection, the annual release has sometimes been at higher proof, including the most recent Blend of Mashbills edition; (2) Elijah Craig 12 cask strength is a gift shop exclusive but it's rumored to be slated for wider release; (3) the Trybox series of new make.

Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey Rare Breed usually hovers right around 55%. The new Russell's Reserve single barrel will also be 55% abv.

Independent Bottlers

Angels' Envy Cask Strength
Chattanooga Whiskey Co. 1816 Cask, 113.6 proof (56.8% abv) (LDI)
Noah's Mill (KBD)
Old Rip Van Winkle 23 (Stitzel-Weller - 2010)
Temperance Trader Cask Strength (LDI, bottled by Bull Run Distilling)
WH Harrison Governor's Reserve (LDI)
Willett Single Barrels (Bourbon & Rye from KBD)

Craft Distilleries

Surprisingly few craft distilleries seem to release their whiskeys at high proof, but there are a few. Given the number of craft distilleries out there, this is a non-exhaustive list (let me know if there are more):

Balcones True Blue Corn Whiskey
Charbay's Hopped Whiskeys
Glacier Distilling did a cask strength expression of their Bad Rock Rye
House Spirits has a barrel strength white whiskey
Old Potrero Single Malt Rye (except for the Hotaling's, they are mostly barrel proof)
Oola Distillery has a cask strength version of their Waitsburg Bourbon
Roughstock Montana Whiskey
St. George did a cask strength single malt for K&L

If I missed anything, please leave a comment or drop me an email.

Whiskey Lists: Oldest of the Old

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Yesterday's list of high proof bourbons surprised some readers with how few there were. Today, in this age of disappearing age statements, I thought we would look at super aged whiskeys, those over 15 years old, in current or recent release, as well as the oldest expression made by each major producer:

Beam, Inc: Beam's only foray into super-aged whiskey was the Distiller's Masterpiece series of a decade ago which included an 18 year old and a 20 year old bourbon. Currently, their oldest offering is the Knob Creek line at 9 years though apparently they are going to be releasing a Jim Beam 12 year old bourbon.

Brown Forman: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is their oldest; it is usually 12-14 years old.

Diageo: Bulleit 10 year old is their oldest age statement.

Four Roses: Four Roses has done 16 and 17 year old Single Barrel bottlings available only at the distillery. In 2010, they released a 17 year old single barrel to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the distillery.

Heaven Hill: If Buffalo Trace was the king of high proof whiskey, Heaven Hill is the king of old whiskey. They had Elijah Craig 18 year old back when distilleries would shy at breaking the ten year barrier. They have since added an Elijah Craig 20 year old and Rittenhouse 21, 23 and 25 year old rye whiskeys. For a time, they had an Evan Williams 23 available at the distillery. In 2008, they released their oldest bourbon in recent memory, the Parker's Heritage Collection 27 year old.

Old Rip Van Winkle: The famous Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23 year olds.

Sazerac/Buffalo Trace: The oldest whiskeys they make are in the Antique Collection: George T. Stagg, usually 16-18 years old, Sazerac 18 year old and Eagle Rare 17 year old. The Bowman distillery in Virginia has also done an 18 year old bourbon. The Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection has also occasionally included older bourbons, such as last year's 19 and 23 year old "Giant French Oak Barrel" bourbons.

Wild Turkey: Wild Turkey Tradition, at 14 years old, is their oldest; they had previously released Wild Turkey American Spirit and Wild Turkey Tribute, both at 15 years old.

Independent Bottlers: Independent Bottlers, particularly KBD and Black Maple Hill, were some of the first to bottle super aged whiskeys in recent times. Black Maple Hill hasn't done one in quite a while, but KBD still puts out some old whiskey under both the Willett and Vintage labels and previously had under the Classic Cask label. Michter's recently bottled a 20 year old American whiskey, and the Hirsch label has released whiskeys from undisclosed distilleries at 20, 21, 22, 25 and even 28 years old, which is probably the oldest bourbon released in modern times. McLain & Kyne makes the Jefferson Presidential Select 17 and 18 year old bourbons from Stitzel-Weller, and there are still a few bottles of AH Hirsch 16 floating around from the original Michter's Distillery. High West bottled a 16 year old and a 21 year old rye distilled at the Barton Distillery. A few bottlers have put out older versions of LDI bourbon: Smooth Ambler has a 19 year old version of its Very Old Scout, and Hooker's House has a 21 year old LDI bourbon.

Did I miss any super old whiskeys? Let me know.

Whiskey Lists: Bottled in Bond Whiskeys

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Our last whiskey list looks at Bottled in Bond whiskeys. The Bottled in Bond act was passed in 1897 to restore some consumer confidence to the whiskey industry. It guaranteed to consumers that whiskey labeled "bottled in bond" would conform to certain standards of quality. Even through mid-century, the bottled in bond ("BIB") label was a sign of quality. In an early 1960s catalog I have from an old Los Angeles liquor store, the bourbons are divided into regular and bonded.

A bonded whiskey has to conform to the following standards. It must be (1) made of one type of whiskey (i.e. bourbon or rye); (2) produced by one distillery in one distilling season; (3) aged at least four years; (4) 100 proof/50% abv. (Any spirit can be bonded, but whiskeys are the most common).

Today, bonded whiskey has faded from the shelf, and few people beyond major whiskey nerds know what the term means. I've tried to put together a list of all of the bonded whiskeys that are currently available, though many of them are available only in the Kentucky area. Heaven Hill seems to make the widest variety of bonded whiskeys; indeed, more than half of the labels listed below are from Heaven Hill.


Bottled in Bond Whiskeys

David Nicholson 1843 (Luxco, distilled by Heaven Hill)
EH Taylor (except the Barrel Proof) (Buffalo Trace)
Evan Williams BIB (Heaven Hill)
Heaven Hill BIB (several expressions)(Heaven Hill)
Henry McKenna (Heaven Hill)
JTS Brown BIB (Heaven Hill)
JW Dant (Heaven Hill)
Mellow Corn (corn whiskey) (Heaven Hill)
Old Bourbon Hollow (Beam)
Old Fitzgerald BIB (Heaven Hill)
Old Grand-Dad BIB (Beam)
Old Heaven Hill BIB (Heaven Hill)
Old Potrero Hotalings (Anchor)
Old Tub (Beam - distillery only)
Rittenhouse 100 (Heaven Hill)
TW Samuels (Heaven Hill)
Tom Moore BIB (Barton)
Very Old Barton BIB (Barton)


If I left any out, please let me know (and thanks to everyone who helped add to my high proof and extra aged whiskey lists).

New Arrivals: Michter's 20 year and 10 year single barrel bourbons!!

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Hey all,

Holy cow am I excited about today's new arrivals. It feels like Christmas mourning around here, but instead of snow it's raining heavenly bourbon! I could make a case for this being the best release of the year. But wait a minute you say? What about Pappy Van Winkle? Well as many of you may know Stitzel-Weller barrels (a distillery Julian Van Winkle was involved with until it closed in 1992) are getting harder and harder to come by since none have been produced in 20 years. Stitzel-Weller bourbon is the main component of Pappy Van Winkle 15, 20 and 23 year, and it use to be used in the 10 and 12 year bottlings as well, which are now being made by Buffalo Trace. I have a feeling Michter's 20 year bourbon, which is probably closer to 23 or 24 years old , may be a single barrel from Stitzel-Weller. Really no way to know for sure as the company is very tight liped about revealing their sources, but my palate usually doesn't steer me wrong. Regardless it's one of the best bourbons I've ever had.

I was also able to secure a decent amount of the Michter's 10 year bourbon. Michter's has this notion that they can and should exceed your wildest expectations for a given age statement. While the 20 year is closer to a 23 or 24 year, the 10 year is likely in the 15 to 16 year range. Basically they want their 10 year to be better than any other 10 year on the market, so how do they do that? By putting out a 16 year and calling it a 10 year, kind of clever in a way. The last bottling of 10 year Michter's bourbon is rumored to have been a Stitzel-Weller bottling as well, and after opening the current one I have to say, it tastes surprisingly similar. But again no way to confirm that notion. Even if they're not Stitzel-Weller products these two bourbons have an incredible amount of depth and oak (they are seriously much older then their age statement), are elegant, refined and some of the best sauce going right now. Don't sleep on these, they definitely won't be around for long!

Nate

New Arrivals: Aberlour 12 year, 16 year, and A'bunadh

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Hey all,

Happy to announce the arrival of Aberlour, a Scotch that's been a personal favorite of mine for a while, and one many of you have been requesting. Aberlour whiskies are one of the more flavorful Highland single malts on the market. The combination of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry butts contributes a lot of complexity (versus just using one type of barrel), leading to layer upon layer of flavor. I get notes of toffee, milk chocolate, plums, black cherries, ginger and cinnamon. Their whiskies are really dense and lush on the palate, which would lead me to believe they primarily use first or second fill barrels, as the colors and textures are amazing. Here's what I got in:

-Aberlour 12 Year Double Cask Matured
-Aberlour 16 Year Double Cask Matured
-Aberlour A'Bunadh Cask Strength Non-Chill Filtered (Matured Exclusively in Oloroso Sherry Butts)

You want these!

Nate

New Arrivals: Hooker's House Bourbon, Rye and 21 Year Bourbon

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Hey all,

Got some new whiskies in from Hooker's House, a brand a lot of people have expressed interest in the last year. I was really impressed with what they had to offer. The rye is on the younger side, around 4 years old and is likely sourced from LDI. They finish it in Zinfandel barrels which I think adds a lot of depth, some musty grape notes and just a hint of spice. It's the first red wine finished rye I've ever seen.

Both of the bourbons are finished in Pinot Noir barrels and manage to take on even more red wine character than the rye. Their regular bourbon is a six year likely sourced from Heaven Hill. It tasted significantly older than six years to me, more like the depth and oak of a 10-12 year. The Pinot Noir flavors are incredible giving the bourbon a great minerality, notes of stone fruits, blackberries, earth, pencil shavings and charred oak.

The 21 year bourbon was something to behold. Although we weren't told the source my co-worker Dave thought it might be Stitzel-Weller. It reminded me a lot of the older Willett Family Estate bourbons I've tried. Regardless, one of the best bourbons I've ever had and very unique. It says cask strength on the bottle but what I've been told is they diluted the whiskey with water while it was still in the barrel, so even though its 47% alcohol no water was added to the whiskey after it came out of the barrel making it "barrel strength". What's interesting is when I first tried this bourbon it was so cloudy and murky the rep immediately told me they planned on filtering it before bottling. I told him it was great as is and that they should leave it unfiltered. Realizing that would save them a couple steps and a decent amount of time he agreed to release it that way (aaaahem, your welcome). I get an amazing amount of depth and oak on this with flavors of burnt caramel, port wine, concrete, gravel, eucalyptus, rye spice, dark chocolate and flint. My rep has already told me they aren't going to be getting any more barrels this old, so get it while you can!

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Hibiki 12yr, Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr, Michter's Sour Mash!

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Hey all,

Got a bunch of new whiskies and a few back in stock the last week or two, wanted to keep everyone in the loop. Here's the laundry list:

New Stuff:
-Jura 16yr Single Malt Set with Glasses
-Jura 3pk Sampler (10yr, 16yr and Superstition)
-Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey
-Woodford Master's Collection Four Wood
-George Dickel Rye
-Balvenie 17yr Double Wood Single Malt
-Balvenie 17yr Peated Cask Single Malt
-Balvenie 12 Single Barrel
-Dalwhinnie 25yr Single Malt
-Red Breast 15yr Pot Still Irish Whiskey
-Highland Park 18yr Single Malt
-Talisker 30yr Single Malt
-Bulleit 10yr Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Rye
-Smooth Ambler Yearling (wheated) Bourbon
-Whistle Pig 11yr (111 proof) Rye
-Hooker's House 21yr Pinot Noir Finished Bourbon
-Collier & McKeel Healthy Spirits Exclusive 2 Barrel Cask Strength Blend

Back in:
-Hibiki 12yr Whisky
-Yamazaki 18yr Single Malt
-Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr Bourbon
-Moylan's Cask Strength Bourbon
-Moylan's American Rye
-Buck 8yr Bourbon

Feel free to ask me questions about any of the individual whiskies in the comment section as I've tried most of them. Cheers

Nate

CLEMENT STORE GRAND OPENING! Saturday March 2nd, 2013 11AM-3PM

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Hey all,

The guys over at Clement are throwing their GRAND OPENING party!


WHEN:  Saturday March 2nd, 2013 from 11AM - 3PM

WHERE:  1402 Clement St. (the corner of 12th ave and Clement St.) San Francisco, CA


WHAT'S GOING DOWN:

-10% off  everything in the store! (from 11AM-3PM)

-We'll be selling rare and vintage beers from our cellar! (bottle limits will apply)

-1st 100 customers receive a FREE Healthy Spirits canvas tote-bag, while supplies last

-Rami's Mommy's Middle Eastern snacks and dips tasting!  We'll also provide non-alcoholic beverages for in-house consumption.

-All-day incentive giveaways, such as Beer / Whiskey signs and other paraphanelia!



The event will begin when the doors open at 11AM.

We hope to see you there!

Here's a Whiskey Angle on the 2012 DISCUS Report

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Each year at about this time, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) takes over the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan for its annual state of the industry presentation.

DISCUS is a trade association. Its members are most of the major distilled spirits companies that do business in the United States. DISCUS does those things the industry needs to do, and is allowed to do, collectively; such as lobbying and promotion, both here and in foreign markets.

The ‘news’ announced on this occasion is widely reported in the business and general media.

Here at The Chuck Cowdery Blog, we mostly care about the whiskey parts.

In the United States, Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey (BTW) continued to be the best-selling whiskey category, outpacing other domestic whiskeys, as well as imported whiskeys by category.

BTW logged almost 17 million cases in 2012, edging out Canadian whisky at 16 million. The BTW category was up 5.2% from 2011. Sales of the two higher-priced segments of BTW, representing bottles (750ml) that sell for more than $18 at retail, were about 54% of the total.

It’s a sign of robust good health when most of your sales come from your most profitable lines.

The highest price segment, super-premiums (>$30/bottle), was up 12.4%.As good as the super-premium BTW segment looks, compare it to single malt scotch, up 13%; and Irish whiskey, up 22.5%.

Exports were another bright spot. The 2012 value of distilled spirits exports set a new record, at $1.5 billion, led by American whiskey (68% of export volume).

The top three export markets are the other three English-speakers; Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The value of US spirits exports to Canada, our best customer, grew 212% last year.Most of the rest goes to the EU, starting with Germany. Japan comes in sixth, Mexico comes in ninth, but grew by 358% last year.

New trade agreements account for much of the growth.

Finally, the growth of craft distilleries in the US was cited as a trend. The number of distilled spirits plants bottling fewer than 100 thousand gallons annually more than doubled between 2010 and 2012; as did their sales volume, from 700 thousand cases to 1.2 million.That's about 1/2 of 1% of total US spirits sales.

Why Is Maker's Mark Watering Its Whiskey Instead of Expanding?

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The news began to leak yesterday and became official this morning. Effective immediately, Maker's Mark is lowering the alcohol concentration of its standard expression from 45% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) to 42%. (90° proof to 84° proof, if that's how you roll.)

After aging, Maker's comes out of the barrel at about 60% ABV and water is added to bring it down to bottling proof. Maker's will now add a little more water and a little less whiskey to every bottle.

Why? To get more bottles from each barrel. This is necessary, they say, because "demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it." That's nothing new. Maker's has been on allocation for something like 30 years. 'On allocation' means that when customers tell Maker's how much they want, Maker's tells them how much they can have.

So what has changed? "We never imagined that the entire bourbon category would explode as it has over the past few years, nor that demand for Maker’s Mark would grow even faster." The proof cut "will enable us to maintain the same taste profile and increase our limited supply so there is enough Maker’s Mark to go around, while we continue to expand the distillery and increase our production capacity."

The bottom line, for them, is that lowering the proof doesn't change the taste, and nothing else about the unique way Maker's Mark is made has changed. "In other words, we’ve made sure we didn’t screw up your whisky," said the letter co-signed by Rob and Bill Samuels.

They've taste-tested it, they say, and no one can tell the difference.

That may be, but there is no denying the simple fact that they have cheapened the product without lowering the price, so consumers will get a little less of what they paid for and Maker's (i.e., Beam Inc.) will make more money.

They're not talking about that, of course, but there's an even bigger story they're not talking about either. They claim they are expanding the distillery and increasing capacity, but are they?

In 2005, Beam (then called Fortune) teamed up with Pernod Ricard to buy and dismantle Allied-Domeq, which owned Maker's Mark. Maker's was the prize Beam wanted most.

Just months before the Allied sale was announced, Maker's announced a plan to expand the distillery's capacity by about 50%. In 1996, Maker's had doubled its capacity by creating an exact duplicate of the original distillery, right next to the original. The plan was to build a third identical plant there too.

Maker's announced the plan and Allied was ready to pull the trigger when it was acquired instead. It took several months for the transfer of Maker's to Beam to occur. Maker's said they assumed it would take Beam some time to evaluate everything, but since the expansion plan was ready to go and the brand was growing steadily, it seemed like a no-brainer. Once it had all of its ducks in a row, Beam surely would go forward with the planned expansion.

In 2008, Kevin Smith, who was then Master Distiller at Maker's, talked to me at length about the expansion plan for an article that ran in issue 72 of WHISKY Magazine. "My job is to guard the brand and make it the same way it's been made since 1954," said Smith. He explained that infrastructure improvements had been completed, such as raising the dam on the distillery's spring-fed lake to provide additional water.

As Smith explained it, Maker's Mark was the fastest-growing bourbon in the United States, with 2007 sales of 800,000 cases. The current distillery could support up to 1.5 million cases, the expansion would bring that to 2.2 million. The concern then was that, at the then-current rate of growth, they would hit 2.2 million in about 2016, and water source limitations would prevent them from growing further.

Yet here we are in 2013, and construction of the third distillery has not occurred. Asked this morning when construction on it would begin, Rob Samuels said he didn't know, but thought it would be soon.

So how did Beam let themselves get so far behind the curve on this? Since 2008, they have expanded visitor capacity, but not production capacity.

Did they really get blind-sided? Bourbons in the same price class as Maker's have seen strong growth for the last decade or so (hence Allied's expansion plan), but it has shifted into another gear in the last two or three years. One reason has been triple-digit growth in many non-U.S. markets. Rob Samuels says that wasn't a factor and Maker's export business is small and "strategic," but here's an interesting fact.

In Australia, Maker's Mark is 40% ABV (80° proof).

Some Calm Thoughts About the Maker's Mark Proof Change

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Now that we've all had a few days to settle down, a few reflections on the Maker's Mark proof change.

All of the producers have put themselves into a bit of box with the 'nothing ever changes' claim, because when they do change something, they have to hide it or spin it, as Maker's is doing now.

Maker's has never been about a particular proof point. It's not like they ever ran a lot of ads touting 90 as the best proof.

The claim that's it's about 'making sure there's enough to go around,' is a bit insulting. Watering whiskey is an age-old way for the seller to keep more and give the customer less. It's the equivalent of a price increase. Who's kidding who?

It's still Maker's Mark and if you love Maker's Mark, you're cutting off your nose to spite your face if you stop buying it because of this.

They still haven't answered the question about why they didn't avert this by expanding the distillery when they had the chance.

Maker's Mark on Proof Change: "Never Mind"

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One week after announcing that it is cutting its proof from 90° to 84°, Maker's Mark and Beam Inc. have decided it was all a bad dream. The people have spoken, the proof cut is off.

I know what you're thinking and, of course, we'll never know for sure, just as we never knew with New Coke.

I was at my neighborhood Jewel-Osco store last night and noticed the Maker's Mark section was pretty bare.

Anyway, here's the spin...I mean, announcement:

"Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) in Maker's Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We're humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker's Mark. While we thought we were doing what's right, this is your brand - and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

"You spoke. We listened. And we're sincerely sorry we let you down.

"So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker's Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we've made it since the very beginning.

"The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker's Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you'd even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we'll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.

"Your trust, loyalty and passion are what's most important. We realize we can't lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker's Mark, and its fans, so special.

"We'll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

"As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what's on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us.

"Sincerely,Rob Samuels & Bill Samuels Jr."

New Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Is Now in Stores

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Back in December, we told you about the new Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon. Now the folks at Wild Turkey would like us to mention it again, since it should be appearing in a store near you very soon if it's not there already.

As we told you in December, Russell's Reserve began in 2001 as a Wild Turkey line extension, named in honor of veteran Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. As the brand has evolved, it has looked less like a line extension and more like a brand in its own right.

The folks at Campari America, which owns Wild Turkey, still know their way around vodka (Skyy) a little better than they do bourbon, so they can be forgiven for not realizing that "Small Batch Single Barrel" is redundant. They do know we like high proof (110° proof or 55% ABV) and don't like chill-filtering.

For any Wild Turkey whiskey, 110° is just about barrel proof because they have an unusually low barrel entry proof. The point of high proof whiskey is not that you're supposed to drink it that way (a little water is recommended), but that you're getting something very nearly straight from the barrel and are not paying for extra water. That's why we like high proofs.

We also like label age statements on whiskeys that cost $50 a bottle, but we don't get one here. That's too bad. The other two Russell's Reserve expressions are a 10-year-old bourbon and a 6-year-old rye, and they're more modestly priced. Considering its higher price, the Single Barrel should have one.

Some Calm Thoughts About the Maker's Mark Proof Change

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Now that we've all had a few days to settle down, a few reflections on the Maker's Mark proof change.

All of the producers have put themselves into a bit of box with the 'nothing ever changes' claim, because when they do change something, they have to hide it or spin it, as Maker's is doing now.

Maker's has never been about a particular proof point. It's not like they ever ran a lot of ads touting 90 as the best proof.

The claim that's it's about 'making sure there's enough to go around,' is a bit insulting. Watering whiskey is an age-old way for the seller to keep more and give the customer less. It's the equivalent of a price increase. Who's kidding who?

It's still Maker's Mark and if you love Maker's Mark, you're cutting off your nose to spite your face if you stop buying it because of this.

They still haven't answered the question about why they didn't avert this by expanding the distillery when they had the chance.

Maker's Mark on Proof Change: "Never Mind"

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One week after announcing that it is cutting its proof from 90° to 84°, Maker's Mark and Beam Inc. have decided it was all a bad dream. The people have spoken, the proof cut is off.

I know what you're thinking and, of course, we'll never know for sure, just as we never knew with New Coke.

I was at my neighborhood Jewel-Osco store last night and noticed the Maker's Mark section was pretty bare.

Anyway, here's the spin...I mean, announcement:

"Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) in Maker's Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We're humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker's Mark. While we thought we were doing what's right, this is your brand - and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

"You spoke. We listened. And we're sincerely sorry we let you down.

"So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker's Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we've made it since the very beginning.

"The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker's Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you'd even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we'll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.

"Your trust, loyalty and passion are what's most important. We realize we can't lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker's Mark, and its fans, so special.

"We'll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

"As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what's on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us.

"Sincerely,Rob Samuels & Bill Samuels Jr."

New Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Is Now in Stores

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Back in December, we told you about the new Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon. Now the folks at Wild Turkey would like us to mention it again, since it should be appearing in a store near you very soon if it's not there already.

As we told you in December, Russell's Reserve began in 2001 as a Wild Turkey line extension, named in honor of veteran Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. As the brand has evolved, it has looked less like a line extension and more like a brand in its own right.

The folks at Campari America, which owns Wild Turkey, still know their way around vodka (Skyy) a little better than they do bourbon, so they can be forgiven for not realizing that "Small Batch Single Barrel" is redundant. They do know we like high proof (110° proof or 55% ABV) and don't like chill-filtering.

For any Wild Turkey whiskey, 110° is just about barrel proof because they have an unusually low barrel entry proof. The point of high proof whiskey is not that you're supposed to drink it that way (a little water is recommended), but that you're getting something very nearly straight from the barrel and are not paying for extra water. That's why we like high proofs.

We also like label age statements on whiskeys that cost $50 a bottle, but we don't get one here. That's too bad. The other two Russell's Reserve expressions are a 10-year-old bourbon and a 6-year-old rye, and they're more modestly priced. Considering its higher price, the Single Barrel should have one.

Beam Descendants Hope to Revive Historic Yeast

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You can't make alcohol without yeast. Yeast also contributes to the flavor of alcoholic beverages. About one-quarter of the flavor in a bourbon or rye comes from the yeast. Before yeast-making was a science, it was an art. In Kentucky, master distillers were master yeast makers too.

Yeast for making whiskey could be propagated, grown from a starter, but that didn't last forever. When your yeast ran out, you had to make a new batch from scratch.

Since yeast isn't so much made as caught, you need bait, your particular yeast mash recipe. Yeast makers also had favorite fishing spots, although Jim Beam famously made his on his back porch. When a captured yeast began to work, the maker would look for certain smells and other cues to judge if it was a keeper.

In honor of the one-year birthday of their micro-distillery Limestone Branch, Beam descendants Steve and Paul Beam will attempt to extract a sample from a yeast storage vessel, known as a dona jug, that was donated to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown by their uncle. “It just depends on if, or how well, my Uncle Walter (Toddy) Beam cleaned out that jug,” said Steve Beam.

The public is welcome to watch. Just come to the Getz Museum next Thursday, 2/28, at about 11:00 AM.

Paul and Steve are descended from Minor Case Beam through his son, Guy. Both were master distillers and yeast makers. Their particular yeast strain has been lost for more than a hundred years. White Labs will analyze the sample and see if it's possible to duplicate the strain.

The next day, March 1 at noon, at their distillery in Lebanon, the Beam's will release their first barrel-aged product, MCB Revenge, a sugar shine aged in used bourbon barrels. The brothers will be on hand to sign bottles between noon and five.

RIP Magic Slim, 1937-2013

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Bluesman Magic Slim, born Morris Holt, died yesterday at the age of 75, which is like 150 in bluesman years.

Magic Slim got his nickname from 'Magic Sam' Maghett, who came with him from Mississippi to Chicago in the '50s. Sam quickly became a star and Slim played bass in his band. Sam dropped dead from a heart attack in 1969, age 32. Slim switched back to guitar and became a leader. He called his band the Teardrops. Members at various times included his brother, Nick; his son, Shawn; and for 13 years, John Primer.

I saw Magic Slim and the Teardrops perform dozens of times, usually at B.L.U.E.S., Etc., on Belmont, here in Chicago. Slim wasn't always magic and was never slim, but he was never less than rock solid, and occasionally lit up the joint.

New Arrivals: Hibiki 12yr, Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr, Michter's Sour Mash!

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Hey all,

Got a bunch of new whiskies and a few back in stock the last week or two, wanted to keep everyone in the loop. Here's the laundry list:

New Stuff:
-Jura 16yr Single Malt Set with Glasses
-Jura 3pk Sampler (10yr, 16yr and Superstition)
-Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey
-Woodford Master's Collection Four Wood
-George Dickel Rye
-Balvenie 17yr Double Wood Single Malt
-Balvenie 17yr Peated Cask Single Malt
-Balvenie 12 Single Barrel
-Dalwhinnie 25yr Single Malt
-Red Breast 15yr Pot Still Irish Whiskey
-Highland Park 18yr Single Malt
-Talisker 30yr Single Malt
-Bulleit 10yr Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Rye
-Smooth Ambler Yearling (wheated) Bourbon
-Whistle Pig 11yr (111 proof) Rye
-Hooker's House 21yr Pinot Noir Finished Bourbon
-Collier & McKeel Healthy Spirits Exclusive 2 Barrel Cask Strength Blend

Back in:
-Hibiki 12yr Whisky
-Yamazaki 18yr Single Malt
-Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr Bourbon
-Moylan's Cask Strength Bourbon
-Moylan's American Rye
-Buck 8yr Bourbon

Feel free to ask me questions about any of the individual whiskies in the comment section as I've tried most of them. Cheers

Nate

February Bourbon Club ready for pick up!

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Hey all,

It's that time a again, Bourbon Club is ready for pick up. This month I'm featuring Bulleit's new limited 10 year bourbon. It's the same recipe as the younger expression, so bold spicy notes of peppercorns, lavender, fennel and earth, with a lot more barrel character and lush notes of nougat, crème brulee and burnt caramel. If your not in the club feel free to join at either our Castro or Clement St. location. I'll also have a few extra bottles on the shelves at both shops. Cheers

Nate

Whiskey Dinner this Thursday 2/21 with Chip Tate of Balcones!

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Hey all,

Wanted to keep everyone in the loop about a 5 course whiskey dinner involving one of our favorite micro distilleries, Balcones from Texas. Master Distiller Chip Tate will be featuring his acclaimed whiskies while Michelin star Chef Joseph Humphrey cooks up some amazing dishes. Check out the link below if you wanna go, its coming up this Thursday. Cheers

http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/whisky-events

Nate

It's all about style.....

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Whenever someone finds out I'm a whisk(e)y enthusiast, I can count down 3.....2.....1 "so...what's your favorite whiskey?"  I understand the motivation for the question but that's like asking what your favorite food is.  I like many types of food and the same goes for whiskey so the question really has no answer.

Thus the education begins ".....whiskey is diverse as wine in many respects...." and I go on to explain the origins of whiskey, the various grains that make up whiskey, the distillation differences, cooperage differences, aging differences, etc. etc.  This cornucopia of whiskey information typically leads then to the real question.  What style do you like?

When it comes to bourbon, I pretty much like them all.  When it comes to Scotch, almost anything except Islay (ok, for those paying attention to this blog know that last exception is a lie).  I dislike MOST Islay....there are exceptions like my Bruichladdich 15 year second edition. 

I cut my teeth on Wild Turkey back in the day and then when reintroduced to bourbon, I gravitated toward wheated bourbons like Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B.  Today, I like a very broad cut across the whisk(e)y offerings so for me, I don't have a favorite whiskey but when it comes to styles, I do like barrel strength bourbons and in Scotch, I like Highland and Speyside primarily.

Style can cover many aspects:

Barrel proof to cut proof (that sweet spot that is your preferred drinking proof)
Single Barrel, Small Batch, or Vat
Extra age to young
World region (e.g. Japanese over Irish)
Mashbill of Rye, Wheat, Barley or Corn
Vintage or current
...and the list could go on

So, what's your style?  Is your preference a broad drinking experience like mine or do you narrow in on a specific style?  There is no wrong answer.....it all comes down to what you like.

New - Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

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This month Wild Turkey will be releasing a new offering; Russell's Reserve Single Barrel bottled at 110 proof.  For you long time WT drinkers, you probably remember with fondness the Russell's Reserve 10 year 101 proof which to me was an excellent bourbon.  The current iteration is bottled at 90 proof and is still aged 10 years.  This new release is non-aged stated and bottled at 110 proof and will be priced at around $49.  I'm interested in this release and will more than likely pick up a bottle to give it a try.  It will have to be pretty darn good because it will share space in the bunker bar with the original RR101, WT 8 year 101 and WT 12 year 101. 

Here's the contents of the press release I received. 

LAWRENCEBURG, KY (February 20th, 2013) – When it comes to whiskey making in the United States, Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie are America’s bourbon aristocracy. After an incredible 90 years
combined experience distilling award-winning whiskey, the two are rolling out one of their richest and most flavorful bourbons to date: Russell’s Reserve® Single Barrel Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.This much anticipated bottling at a take-no-prisoners 110 proof is nonchill filtered, resulting in an unparalleled burst of flavor in every sip. As the crowning glory of America’s famed Wild Turkey bourbon family, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel promises to not only be the choice for bourbon connoisseurs, but it will also be what Jimmy and Eddie reach for time and time again. As they say in Lawrenceburg, “Our experience guarantees yours.” What makes Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel unique is not only its highproof, but the fact that the whiskey bypasses the chill-filtration process. Chill-filtration is a common process whereby the whiskey is chilled at temperatures below freezing and is passed through an absorption filterthus removing fatty acids and other flavor contributors such as esters and proteins. By avoiding the chill-filtration process, the whiskey is bottled with more flavor compounds and a deeper color which is denoted by an impressive haze when ice or chilled water is added. Every expression of Russell’s Reserve – both the Bourbon and rye Whiskey - is matured in only the deepest number 4 or “alligator” charred American white oak barrels to ensure the richest flavor and color. Jimmy and Eddie insist on this char level and are among only a handful of whiskey distillers who use it. The best aged whiskey barrels are hand selected by thislegendary pair themselves and only from the center cut of the rick house – since that's where the optimal maturation occurs. Adamant about quality, the Russell’s will only use the natural, weather-driven process for maturation – never air conditioned or heated “because it’s the right thing to do.”
“This is Bourbon at its best,” declares Jimmy Russell, Master Distiller. “What is incrediblyspecial about the Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is that each barrel has its own personality,but still captures the rich, creamy toffee vanilla style of Russell’s Reserve. This bottlingcelebrates what we love about Russell’s Reserve, but takes it to another level.”Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel delivers a burst of intense vanilla and hints of burnt orange,along with tastes licorice and anise seed, on the palate, culminating with a rich and long finish.

How did you get in here? 6"x6" oil

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SoldJust playing around with different arrangements.   In doing a series the challenge is exploring different set ups  and staying interested and excited about it so that the painting does not suffer.   Does that make sense?   Usually at the end of a series I no longer care about the subject and am ready to move on.  It hasn't happened yet with this subject.My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
My website: http://claudiahammer.com
My email: iclaudiahammer@insightbb.com
My DPW gallery: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/chammer-209

Lady Pisemsky 11"x14' oil

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Please click here for purchase information.The model made this costume for a theatre production she was in and uses it in Renaissance fairs.   Her craftsmanship on the costume is very impressive.  There are 5 layers to her costume, eight pieces in all plus the feather fan.   This Russian costume shows how the wealthy dressed in 1580.My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
My website: http://claudiahammer.com
My email: iclaudiahammer@insightbb.com
My DPW gallery: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/chammer-209

Silverware toss 6"x6" oil

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Please click here to view purchase information.A friend of my suggested I paint a pile of silverware.   I started with a hand full of about 12 and it was a mess and, to me, not very interesting so I tried 5, which is a good number.   Threw them many times and pulled on the fabric and finally came up with this composition.  I'm happy. ;-)
My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
My website: http://claudiahammer.com
My email: iclaudiahammer@insightbb.com
My DPW gallery: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/chammer-209

Nothin but forks 6"x6" oil

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Please click here for purchase information.Decided to just paint forks today, because of the shadows.  It has been in the back of my mind to document my painting process for this series.   Some of the techniques are the same but there are a couple that are specific to this series.   I finally thought to do this before I started so I could capture the beginning. If you are viewing this on DPW please click on my blog to view demo.I took a photo so you could see the set up.  
I start with a gessoed masonite panel and paint it with a grey/green mixture of acrylic.   Then block in the silverware with a medium/dark grey and used a grey/blue for the shadows so they stay separate.  I keep all this rather loose and it takes about 10 minutes.
Because the panel is a medium value I go ahead and loosely paint in the lighter background so the whole panel is not covered in wet paint.
As you can see on the left side I have started to carve out and form the tines and details of the forks, paying attention to wether it is cool or warm.   Here is where I get so confused.   I tell myself each time that I am going to paint the forks a warm color and keep the shadows cool because the light source is warm.... makes sense right?   But when I am stareing at the forks I see cools and warms in the shadows and cool and warm on the forks!!   So I nix the plan and go with what I see... sort of.   Maybe someday I will be brave enough to go with the plan.
Now you see that I have completed the more complete block in on the forks.   At this point I am about half done as far as time.
Here is the completed painting and as you can see I finessed the shadows, added more detail to the forks, put in more cools and warm tones, and finished the background color with the brightest being in the upper left corner.
My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
My website: http://claudiahammer.com
My email: iclaudiahammer@insightbb.com
My DPW gallery: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/chammer-209

Yummy golden tomatoes 6"x6" oil

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Please click here for pricing information.Snacking on these juicy tomatoes is one of my favorite things.   One year I grew them on a vine out back and every day I would go out and eat the ones that were newly ripe.  Hot off the vine is the best!My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
My website: http://claudiahammer.com
My email: iclaudiahammer@insightbb.com
My DPW gallery: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/chammer-209

Here's a Whiskey Angle on the 2012 DISCUS Report

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Each year at about this time, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) takes over the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan for its annual state of the industry presentation.

DISCUS is a trade association. Its members are most of the major distilled spirits companies that do business in the United States. DISCUS does those things the industry needs to do, and is allowed to do, collectively; such as lobbying and promotion, both here and in foreign markets.

The ‘news’ announced on this occasion is widely reported in the business and general media.

Here at The Chuck Cowdery Blog, we mostly care about the whiskey parts.

In the United States, Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey (BTW) continued to be the best-selling whiskey category, outpacing other domestic whiskeys, as well as imported whiskeys by category.

BTW logged almost 17 million cases in 2012, edging out Canadian whisky at 16 million. The BTW category was up 5.2% from 2011. Sales of the two higher-priced segments of BTW, representing bottles (750ml) that sell for more than $18 at retail, were about 54% of the total.

It’s a sign of robust good health when most of your sales come from your most profitable lines.

The highest price segment, super-premiums (>$30/bottle), was up 12.4%.As good as the super-premium BTW segment looks, compare it to single malt scotch, up 13%; and Irish whiskey, up 22.5%.

Exports were another bright spot. The 2012 value of distilled spirits exports set a new record, at $1.5 billion, led by American whiskey (68% of export volume).

The top three export markets are the other three English-speakers; Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The value of US spirits exports to Canada, our best customer, grew 212% last year.Most of the rest goes to the EU, starting with Germany. Japan comes in sixth, Mexico comes in ninth, but grew by 358% last year.

New trade agreements account for much of the growth.

Finally, the growth of craft distilleries in the US was cited as a trend. The number of distilled spirits plants bottling fewer than 100 thousand gallons annually more than doubled between 2010 and 2012; as did their sales volume, from 700 thousand cases to 1.2 million.That's about 1/2 of 1% of total US spirits sales.

Why Is Maker's Mark Watering Its Whiskey Instead of Expanding?

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The news began to leak yesterday and became official this morning. Effective immediately, Maker's Mark is lowering the alcohol concentration of its standard expression from 45% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) to 42%. (90° proof to 84° proof, if that's how you roll.)

After aging, Maker's comes out of the barrel at about 60% ABV and water is added to bring it down to bottling proof. Maker's will now add a little more water and a little less whiskey to every bottle.

Why? To get more bottles from each barrel. This is necessary, they say, because "demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it." That's nothing new. Maker's has been on allocation for something like 30 years. 'On allocation' means that when customers tell Maker's how much they want, Maker's tells them how much they can have.

So what has changed? "We never imagined that the entire bourbon category would explode as it has over the past few years, nor that demand for Maker’s Mark would grow even faster." The proof cut "will enable us to maintain the same taste profile and increase our limited supply so there is enough Maker’s Mark to go around, while we continue to expand the distillery and increase our production capacity."

The bottom line, for them, is that lowering the proof doesn't change the taste, and nothing else about the unique way Maker's Mark is made has changed. "In other words, we’ve made sure we didn’t screw up your whisky," said the letter co-signed by Rob and Bill Samuels.

They've taste-tested it, they say, and no one can tell the difference.

That may be, but there is no denying the simple fact that they have cheapened the product without lowering the price, so consumers will get a little less of what they paid for and Maker's (i.e., Beam Inc.) will make more money.

They're not talking about that, of course, but there's an even bigger story they're not talking about either. They claim they are expanding the distillery and increasing capacity, but are they?

In 2005, Beam (then called Fortune) teamed up with Pernod Ricard to buy and dismantle Allied-Domeq, which owned Maker's Mark. Maker's was the prize Beam wanted most.

Just months before the Allied sale was announced, Maker's announced a plan to expand the distillery's capacity by about 50%. In 1996, Maker's had doubled its capacity by creating an exact duplicate of the original distillery, right next to the original. The plan was to build a third identical plant there too.

Maker's announced the plan and Allied was ready to pull the trigger when it was acquired instead. It took several months for the transfer of Maker's to Beam to occur. Maker's said they assumed it would take Beam some time to evaluate everything, but since the expansion plan was ready to go and the brand was growing steadily, it seemed like a no-brainer. Once it had all of its ducks in a row, Beam surely would go forward with the planned expansion.

In 2008, Kevin Smith, who was then Master Distiller at Maker's, talked to me at length about the expansion plan for an article that ran in issue 72 of WHISKY Magazine. "My job is to guard the brand and make it the same way it's been made since 1954," said Smith. He explained that infrastructure improvements had been completed, such as raising the dam on the distillery's spring-fed lake to provide additional water.

As Smith explained it, Maker's Mark was the fastest-growing bourbon in the United States, with 2007 sales of 800,000 cases. The current distillery could support up to 1.5 million cases, the expansion would bring that to 2.2 million. The concern then was that, at the then-current rate of growth, they would hit 2.2 million in about 2016, and water source limitations would prevent them from growing further.

Yet here we are in 2013, and construction of the third distillery has not occurred. Asked this morning when construction on it would begin, Rob Samuels said he didn't know, but thought it would be soon.

So how did Beam let themselves get so far behind the curve on this? Since 2008, they have expanded visitor capacity, but not production capacity.

Did they really get blind-sided? Bourbons in the same price class as Maker's have seen strong growth for the last decade or so (hence Allied's expansion plan), but it has shifted into another gear in the last two or three years. One reason has been triple-digit growth in many non-U.S. markets. Rob Samuels says that wasn't a factor and Maker's export business is small and "strategic," but here's an interesting fact.

In Australia, Maker's Mark is 40% ABV (80° proof).

Some Calm Thoughts About the Maker's Mark Proof Change

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Now that we've all had a few days to settle down, a few reflections on the Maker's Mark proof change.

All of the producers have put themselves into a bit of box with the 'nothing ever changes' claim, because when they do change something, they have to hide it or spin it, as Maker's is doing now.

Maker's has never been about a particular proof point. It's not like they ever ran a lot of ads touting 90 as the best proof.

The claim that's it's about 'making sure there's enough to go around,' is a bit insulting. Watering whiskey is an age-old way for the seller to keep more and give the customer less. It's the equivalent of a price increase. Who's kidding who?

It's still Maker's Mark and if you love Maker's Mark, you're cutting off your nose to spite your face if you stop buying it because of this.

They still haven't answered the question about why they didn't avert this by expanding the distillery when they had the chance.

Maker's Mark on Proof Change: "Never Mind"

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One week after announcing that it is cutting its proof from 90° to 84°, Maker's Mark and Beam Inc. have decided it was all a bad dream. The people have spoken, the proof cut is off.

I know what you're thinking and, of course, we'll never know for sure, just as we never knew with New Coke.

I was at my neighborhood Jewel-Osco store last night and noticed the Maker's Mark section was pretty bare.

Anyway, here's the spin...I mean, announcement:

"Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) in Maker's Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We're humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker's Mark. While we thought we were doing what's right, this is your brand - and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

"You spoke. We listened. And we're sincerely sorry we let you down.

"So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker's Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we've made it since the very beginning.

"The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker's Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you'd even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we'll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.

"Your trust, loyalty and passion are what's most important. We realize we can't lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker's Mark, and its fans, so special.

"We'll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

"As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what's on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us.

"Sincerely,Rob Samuels & Bill Samuels Jr."

Annual Fundraiser Is Uniquely Kentucky

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This coming Saturday, February 23, a group of hardcore Kentuckians will gather at Louisville's iconic Seelbach Hilton Hotel to drink Kentucky's whiskey so that Kentucky's Thoroughbreds may retire with dignity.

This will be the 5th annual “Old Friends Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail” dinner and Bourbon-tasting. Tickets are $100 and the hotel is offering a special $119 room rate.

The Bourbon-tasting is put on by the Kentucky Distillers Association. There is also a four-course Bourbon-themed dinner as well as live and silent auctions of exclusive equine artwork, autographed Bourbon items, racing memorabilia, fine jewelry,etc.

Old Friends, which has locations in Georgetown, KY and Greenfield Center, NY, is devoted to providing a dignified retirement to horses whose racing and breeding careers are over. The farms are home to such retired champions as Eclipse winner Sunshine Forever, Breeders’ Cup victor Gulch, Tinners Way (one of the last surviving sons of Secretariat), and Belmont Stakes winner Sarava.

Both whiskey culture and horse culture go back to Kentucky's earliest days, and both have seen many changes but remain dear to born and adopted Kentuckians alike. Built in 1905, the Seelbach is another venerable Kentucky institution.

This is a public event and all are welcome, so it's a great way to immerse yourself in an authentically Kentucky experience.

Reservations can be made by calling the Seelbach’s Jennifer Biesel at (502) 585-9292.

New Arrivals: Aberlour 12 year, 16 year, and A'bunadh

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Hey all,

Happy to announce the arrival of Aberlour, a Scotch that's been a personal favorite of mine for a while, and one many of you have been requesting. Aberlour whiskies are one of the more flavorful Highland single malts on the market. The combination of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry butts contributes a lot of complexity (versus just using one type of barrel), leading to layer upon layer of flavor. I get notes of toffee, milk chocolate, plums, black cherries, ginger and cinnamon. Their whiskies are really dense and lush on the palate, which would lead me to believe they primarily use first or second fill barrels, as the colors and textures are amazing. Here's what I got in:

-Aberlour 12 Year Double Cask Matured
-Aberlour 16 Year Double Cask Matured
-Aberlour A'Bunadh Cask Strength Non-Chill Filtered (Matured Exclusively in Oloroso Sherry Butts)

You want these!

Nate

New Arrivals: Hooker's House Bourbon, Rye and 21 Year Bourbon

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Hey all,

Got some new whiskies in from Hooker's House, a brand a lot of people have expressed interest in the last year. I was really impressed with what they had to offer. The rye is on the younger side, around 4 years old and is likely sourced from LDI. They finish it in Zinfandel barrels which I think adds a lot of depth, some musty grape notes and just a hint of spice. It's the first red wine finished rye I've ever seen.

Both of the bourbons are finished in Pinot Noir barrels and manage to take on even more red wine character than the rye. Their regular bourbon is a six year likely sourced from Heaven Hill. It tasted significantly older than six years to me, more like the depth and oak of a 10-12 year. The Pinot Noir flavors are incredible giving the bourbon a great minerality, notes of stone fruits, blackberries, earth, pencil shavings and charred oak.

The 21 year bourbon was something to behold. Although we weren't told the source my co-worker Dave thought it might be Stitzel-Weller. It reminded me a lot of the older Willett Family Estate bourbons I've tried. Regardless, one of the best bourbons I've ever had and very unique. It says cask strength on the bottle but what I've been told is they diluted the whiskey with water while it was still in the barrel, so even though its 47% alcohol no water was added to the whiskey after it came out of the barrel making it "barrel strength". What's interesting is when I first tried this bourbon it was so cloudy and murky the rep immediately told me they planned on filtering it before bottling. I told him it was great as is and that they should leave it unfiltered. Realizing that would save them a couple steps and a decent amount of time he agreed to release it that way (aaaahem, your welcome). I get an amazing amount of depth and oak on this with flavors of burnt caramel, port wine, concrete, gravel, eucalyptus, rye spice, dark chocolate and flint. My rep has already told me they aren't going to be getting any more barrels this old, so get it while you can!

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Hibiki 12yr, Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr, Michter's Sour Mash!

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Hey all,

Got a bunch of new whiskies and a few back in stock the last week or two, wanted to keep everyone in the loop. Here's the laundry list:

New Stuff:
-Jura 16yr Single Malt Set with Glasses
-Jura 3pk Sampler (10yr, 16yr and Superstition)
-Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey
-Woodford Master's Collection Four Wood
-George Dickel Rye
-Balvenie 17yr Double Wood Single Malt
-Balvenie 17yr Peated Cask Single Malt
-Balvenie 12 Single Barrel
-Dalwhinnie 25yr Single Malt
-Red Breast 15yr Pot Still Irish Whiskey
-Highland Park 18yr Single Malt
-Talisker 30yr Single Malt
-Bulleit 10yr Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon
-E. H. Taylor Rye
-Smooth Ambler Yearling (wheated) Bourbon
-Whistle Pig 11yr (111 proof) Rye
-Hooker's House 21yr Pinot Noir Finished Bourbon
-Collier & McKeel Healthy Spirits Exclusive 2 Barrel Cask Strength Blend

Back in:
-Hibiki 12yr Whisky
-Yamazaki 18yr Single Malt
-Wild Turkey Tradition 14yr Bourbon
-Moylan's Cask Strength Bourbon
-Moylan's American Rye
-Buck 8yr Bourbon

Feel free to ask me questions about any of the individual whiskies in the comment section as I've tried most of them. Cheers

Nate

It's all about style.....

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Whenever someone finds out I'm a whisk(e)y enthusiast, I can count down 3.....2.....1 "so...what's your favorite whiskey?"  I understand the motivation for the question but that's like asking what your favorite food is.  I like many types of food and the same goes for whiskey so the question really has no answer.

Thus the education begins ".....whiskey is diverse as wine in many respects...." and I go on to explain the origins of whiskey, the various grains that make up whiskey, the distillation differences, cooperage differences, aging differences, etc. etc.  This cornucopia of whiskey information typically leads then to the real question.  What style do you like?

When it comes to bourbon, I pretty much like them all.  When it comes to Scotch, almost anything except Islay (ok, for those paying attention to this blog know that last exception is a lie).  I dislike MOST Islay....there are exceptions like my Bruichladdich 15 year second edition. 

I cut my teeth on Wild Turkey back in the day and then when reintroduced to bourbon, I gravitated toward wheated bourbons like Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B.  Today, I like a very broad cut across the whisk(e)y offerings so for me, I don't have a favorite whiskey but when it comes to styles, I do like barrel strength bourbons and in Scotch, I like Highland and Speyside primarily.

Style can cover many aspects:

Barrel proof to cut proof (that sweet spot that is your preferred drinking proof)
Single Barrel, Small Batch, or Vat
Extra age to young
World region (e.g. Japanese over Irish)
Mashbill of Rye, Wheat, Barley or Corn
Vintage or current
...and the list could go on

So, what's your style?  Is your preference a broad drinking experience like mine or do you narrow in on a specific style?  There is no wrong answer.....it all comes down to what you like.

Makers Mark 180

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As many of you may know, Makers Mark announced a little over a week ago they were dropping the proof of their bourbon from 90 to 84.  I don't think Makers could have anticipated the firestorm that developed from that decision.  Initially the negative feedback on their Facebook page didn't seem to phase them.  Well, that quickly changed as days progressed. 

At first Rob Samuels at Makers released a statement explaining in further detail the reason why they changed the proof and to explain the process they went through to determine that there would be no loss of quality to the Makers Brand.  The 3% drop, as Rob explained, would enable them to meet market demand, which I will agree is valid reason.  I personally think the decision was the path of least resistance and cost; at least that's what they may have thought.  Brand Ambassadors and loyalists pitched a hissy fit in the ensuing days. 

Well, this evening  I received an e-mail from Rob Samuels as I'm sure many of you did stating this:

"Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) of Maker’s Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand – and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.

So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker’s Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we’ve made it since the very beginning.

The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker’s Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you’d even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we'll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.

Your trust, loyalty and passion are what’s most important. We realize we can’t lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker’s Mark, and its fans, so special.

We’ll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what’s on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us."

My opinion of this about face is Makers saw the potential fall out of this decision and did the smart thing; eat a little crow, apologize and seek other solutions to meet market demand.  As Rob said in his note, growth is a good problem to have.  I applaud Makers for keeping the proof at 90.  I believe this in turn, will make their growth problem even worse attracting more drinkers of Makers Mark.  For all those that ran out day one of the announcement snatching up bottles of 90 proof Makers.....I hope you kept your receipt.