whiskey

Buffalo Trace Addresses Inventory Shortages

Bourbon is a hot product at the moment.  Long readily available brands are now becoming scarce on store shelves.  Buffalo Trace Distillery put out a statement addressing it’s supply shortages:

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (May 8, 2014) The bourbon boom shows no signs of letting up. At Buffalo Trace, the 228-year-old Distillery continues to take steps to mitigate the problem, but shortages still remain. About a year ago, Buffalo Trace Distillery warned consumers a shortage was looming, but many markets across the nation are just now feeling the full effects.

“We’re making more bourbon every day. In fact, we’re distilling more than we have in last 40 years,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “Still, it’s hard to keep up. Although we have more bourbon than last year when we first announced the rolling blackouts, we’re still short and there is no way to predict when supply will catch up with demand.”

Along with increased production, adding more bottling lines and hiring more people, Buffalo Trace has also hired a full-time barrel allocation manager, just as the company intended last year. The new allocation manager will balance bourbon inventory with sales volume. Monthly allocations will ensure all markets get some Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s every month, preventing long periods of time when these brands are unavailable.

“We taste, approve and bottle what barrels we have available each month. There are shortages, because Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s sell out quickly, but no shortage should last more than one month before reinforcements arrive,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director. “We’re asking for continued patience from our fans. The recent surge in demand is quite flattering, but we just need to keep in mind these bourbons were put into the barrel many years ago.”

Comstock added that other highly allocated whiskeys such as Pappy Van Winkle and the Antique Collection will continue to be released annually every fall.

Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years, bourbon demand still outpaces supply. The overall bourbon category is experiencing 5% growth, but premium brands are up nearly 20% from last year. Bourbon must be matured in new oak barrels and Buffalo Trace ages many of its barrels for eight to ten years, and some over two decades. That’s a long time to wait for a bottle of bourbon. Not to mention, with the amount of bourbon lost to evaporation over time, barrels are half empty after ten years. The increase in sales, coupled with the aging process and evaporation loss, leads to a shortage with no end in sight.

I’ve seen shortages of Blanton’s, WL Weller 12 Year and Eagle Rare.  They’re gone as soon as they hit the shelves.  Buffalo Trace isn’t the only distillery facing this problem.  I hear Heaven Hill is halting it’s single barrel program.  It’ll be interesting to see how this shortage of supply resolves itself.  Will it result in stricter allocations?  Higher prices?  Time will tell.

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Review

The next few reviews are devoted to Four Roses’ regular releases:  their yellow label, single barrel, and small batch.  This post covers the latter.  (Thanks to the Baddish Group for the sample.)

Four Roses/ 108

I remember hearing great things about Four Roses bourbon when I ventured outside the world of Jack Daniel’s years ago.  It wasn’t until recently that I started paying attention.

Four Roses has a long, interesting history.  In a nutshell, they’ve been around since the late 1800s.  By the 1930s, it was the number one selling bourbon in the US.  Seagram’s bought it and decided to  stop selling the popular bourbon here and sold it only overseas.  Here at home, they instead sold a blended whiskey with the name Four Roses.  Apparently that stuff was described by the current and long-time Master Distiller of Four Roses Jim Rutledge as “rot-gut”.  After several new owners in the late 1990s – early 2000s, Japanese beverage company Kirin bought them in 2002.  Rutledge bought back all the horrible tasting Four Roses blended whiskey, dumped it, and began selling their bourbon back in the US.  There are articles that provide much more depth on the subject if you’re looking for more, like this one.

Four Roses has two mash bills (one with 20% rye and one with 35% rye) and five different yeast strains, each giving a slightly different flavor.  In essence, they distill ten different bourbons.  Their small batch contains a blend four of those bourbons.

How is it?  Coming in at 90 proof, Four Roses Small Batch bourbon smells fantastic.  You get a nice depth of aromas, from caramel to a little fruit, and even a little anise or licorice.  It’s a sweet bourbon.  I get a lot of that caramel sweetness up front, followed by some spice.  It falls a little flat compared to the nose.  It feels a little velvety and light.  The finish lasts a little while, but doesn’t linger.

This $30+ bourbon is fantastic.  It’s well rounded and light, and  I found it quite refreshing with some ice.  If that’s what you’re looking for, try it.

8/10

Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star Review

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Ancient Age.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year.  Try saying that three times fast.  These are the three bourbons produced under the Ancient Age label, distilled by Buffalo Trace.  You won’t have trouble finding Ancient Age. It’s usually a bottom-shelver bourbon.  The 10 Star is a little harder to find, and the 10 Year isn’t available outside of Kentucky (unless you get really lucky).  10 Star… 10 Year…  confusing, right?  The 10 Year is just that – a 10 year old bourbon.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star is over four years old, but probably closer to six.  There’s no age statement, so I don’t know for sure.  Onward to the important stuff –

This is one easy sippin’ whiskey, and at 90 proof it’s pretty tame.  There’s a slight sweetness when you smell it… almost like honey.  Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star is made from Buffalo Trace’s rye-heavy mash bill #2.  You can definitely taste the rye.  It also has a mild caramel taste too.  The finish is dry and spicy.

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This is one of my buddy Hank’s favorites.  He prefers “easy sipping” whiskies.  I like a bit more character or bite in my  bourbon.  There’s nothing wrong with Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star, especially at the $15 price tag.  I doubt you’ll find a better bourbon for that price.  It’s just a matter of personal preference.  If you like a mellower bourbon (don’t let the 90 proof fool you), this is right up your alley.  If you’re looking for some bite, look somewhere else.

7.5/10