NIGHTCAP: April,May, and yeah June
Welcome everyone to Nightcap: April, May, and yeah June. You may or may not have been wondering what happened in the missed recap columns. Lots of things- I went on vacation, and no one wants to read about someone else’s vacation, so we skipped April. Then May came, and I was busy as hell at my real job, no one wants to read about that either, so May got skipped. Fear not, the Nightcap series is ongoing. This column might be a short Nightcap, but once I get started you never can tell…. This months photos will showcase the growing use of AI in articles and image generation and how it’s terribly bad for the industry, and you the reader. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Beware photos in articles. Many of them are being generated by AI. This “writer” forgot to remove the AI prompt. SMH.
Notable American treasure, Keanu Reeves is partnering with Suntory for their upcoming release of a pair of Japanese single malt whiskies. What does this have to do with Bourbon, or Rye? Not a damn thing, but Keanu is a damn decent human being, and anything he does I am absolutely here for.
Another #BEAMFLEX is underway. A new 17-year-old bourbon under the Hardin’s Creek label, is a specific Beam warehouse, and is meant to showcase terroir. This is a three bottle release, each different, yet from the same mash bill each distilled 17 years ago. They were all aged at different aging locations, and is meant to showcase how different environments have impacted the whiskey. I think it’s fair to say that this is part of the emerging trend of “single rickhouse” releases. Retail price is $170 and the first release is now available with the next two in the series to drop in August, then September.
A short, but nice piece on Woodford’s efforts to bring locally grown Rye grain back to Kentucky Farms.
This is a great piece on Weller. And also, $500 MSRP Weller is farcical at best and another reason I don’t buy many BT products (well, not like I can find them anyway…).
I’ll be doing a piece shortly on Noah’s Mill. It’s time we talk about the Bourbon World’s best kept secret. The 2023 release is now 100% Willett distillate, so act accordingly.
RY3 just released their brand new Cigar Series. Holy smokes people, this release is special. RY3 has come so far after a lot of effort. Their growth as a brand has been a lot of fun to experience, and my gawd, I would not be surprised to see this new release win some awards.
Wow, look at all of those “bourbons” that celebrate the spirits golden age… SMH AI generally doesn’t do eyes, hands, fingers, teeth, or “bourbon” labels very well.
A couple thoughts on the Penelope purchase from MGP. Firstly, the $100 million purchase price is incorrect. It’s $100 million and change up front, with incentives that would add almost another $150 million kicker. Most acquisitions of late have been about adding distilling capacity and distribution. Penelope does not distill, so this buy might appear puzzling on the surface. Penelope has purchased a lot of barrels from brokers, and they hold whiskey from a number of distilleries and brands, so the joke take that MGP paid a very large amount of money to acquire their own distillate, while amusing, doesn’t tell the complete story.
I think that Penelope as a brand has proven adept at being innovative, and has operated like a startup company not beholden to decades of rules and processes. They’re trying so many new things, constantly, and not trying to do a traditionally standardized product. They are known in the marketplace as a trend maker, adopting things early on, getting them to market quickly, and moving on. I believe that MGP didn’t purchase Penelope for their stocks, they likely purchased them for the label inventory, and the innovative team behind the label. Plus it’s giving MGP another platform for barrels that aren’t needed elsewhere in their portfolio.
Penelope becomes the defacto crazy kids part of the company, conjuring up all sorts of wildness, and appealing to a very different demographic in the whiskey world that continually covets something new and hot for the social media world. They also have distribution out the wahoo. We thought we’d seen a lot of MGP in the world, I think we’re about to see even more.
Clearly, our AI overlords have a long way to go before we are all forced to bend the knee and eat tasty wheat that tastes like chicken.
SOME THINGS I THIINK THAT MAY BE CONTROVERSIAL-
I think that Blue Run’s meteoric rise in online popularity will decline just as quickly and in fact I believe it’s already begun.
I think that Kentucky Owl as a brand has lost its way, and the damage to the brand is going to be very difficult to repair. So many gimmick releases, and their new baseline is just ok. At Bourbon Fest here in New Orleans, their “special” pour was a Dixon era rye. That’s telling and yet somehow incredibly sad.
Bardstown Bourbon Company whiskey isn’t yet a badge of honor for brands that source or contract distill from them. Yet.
The story of Justin’s isn’t complete. Yes, a part of the case against them was dropped, they did pay some fines for record keeping, but something just feels off, and I think that the law of unintended consequences relating to the Kentucky Vintage Spirits law is about to reveal some very bad things for us as consumers. The law allows for limited NEW release bottles like Blanton’s and Weller to be available for resale on secondary at higher prices…. which could result in even higher prices for the actual drinkers of these bottles.
I feel like every episode of Bourbon Pursuit Podcast is now an unrelenting advertisement for Pursuit Spirits, and I hate that. I get why they talk about their own stuff so much, but it irks me nonetheless. To be fair, it would be stupid of them to not use the very large marketing platform that they in fact built, but the experience for this listener has suffered accordingly.
I am running out of social media accounts that I trust. There are an awful lot of influencers being paid under the table for posts. Every influencer knows that “paid partnership” tags on posts are very risky to their “brand” of authenticity. We are clearly shifting from a community of whiskey enthusiasts that talk shop with one another, into full blown paid media. Most people probably won’t care, but I do.
The “Blind Tasting or die” people are so pompous with their continual bleating that their way is the only way to properly assess the quality of a whiskey. Blinds are important yes, it’s good to do as part of a balanced approach to understanding whiskey, but when you know your preferences, biases, and your palate, you can still know what it is you’re tasting, and still assess whether you like it or not. Blinds are best for judging competitions, because if they weren’t, we all know I’d pick Fighting Cock and Old Tub every time just to make a point.
I dunno what is going on here…… neither does AI probably.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS I’VE NOTICED ON SECONDARY-
Parker’s Heritage Curacao finish continues to rise in sale price. $355 is the average the last month. Again, this thing sat forever, now people overpaying and it’s not very good.
There are literally hundreds of Taylor, Blanton’s, etc.. up on auction sites every week, and they sell for dumb money. There isn’t a shortage of these bottles, they can all be had, if you’re willing to pay for it. Every week I track prices, and I’m left incredulous at how many listings there are. These are not rare bottles, they’re just hoarded, traded, and sold. The actual value of these long term will crater when people begin to liquidate (pun intended) their massive bunkers.
Old Overholt 11 year keeps slowly rising. In April it his $300, and in June it hit $360. Finally some recognition for a truly special, and actually limited edition.
Pinhook 10 year collaboration series #1 closed at $335. I have a feeling an awful lot of Pinhook’s will one day trade at Boss Hog valuations.
I’m seeing some very goofy things on auction sites that are outside of the normal stupidity like paying $250 for EH Taylor Rye…. This one was for the Willett 80th anniversary release with the ugly label and ugly tube it came in. $810 plus the 15% buyers fee, plus the almost 10% Chicago Outfit Tax, plus the $25 shipping (you know I did the math for you because I’m not a cruel human), comes to $1,035 and whatever loose change they shook outta their pockets. $1,035 for a really not terrific bottle of whiskey when that money could’ve gone towards so many terrific releases that are under appreciated. Like Knob 18. Like at least three of those, and something else to go with it. Stupid money behaving stupidly is really doing damage to this hobby of ours.
Boss Hog is out of the bag. Every single more recent batch releases are now well over MSRP price, which WhistlePig purposely made high to discourage this nonsense. But when Siren’s Song averages $750, it’s game over. You’ll struggle to see coming releases at even MSRP as now people can flip for an easy couple hundred extra. Matter of time before people start paying attention to Lock Stock and Barrel….
I asked the AI to generate a Redhead pinup robot holding a cocktail. I think, the AI is tired of my nonsense and is contemplating ending it all? Suicide is not a joke, but AI generating it is concerning.
SOME LOCAL NOLA THINGS THAT MAY ONLY INTEREST ME -
Buffa’s may have closed by the time you read this. They got an outpouring of support after the announcement that they would be closing, but it remains to be seen if the increased income will sustain them for very long. Another piece of what makes a place unique has been lost. Pandemic impact on tourism, rising rents, and shifting drinking preferences in the market.
Piece of Meat Butcher is also closing due to their lease being up. I loved this place. Having discovered it at Emeril’s now defunct Boudin, Bourbon and Beer festival, I ate many a sandich and had several superb dinners there. They lost their lease of course and NOLA is somehow less than it was before.
Tales of the Cocktail is July 23-28. I didn’t buy a ticket this year, because last year all of the things I truly enjoyed were free events outside the main convention building. A weeklong focus on visiting some joints I’ve still never been to (sorry Manolito, I’m coming I promise!) and trying cocktails and spirits I have never had is why this event is so special.
If you're visiting New Orleans, you cannot miss Jewel of the South. Not all bars need to have an extensive whiskey selection to be considered a must-visit establishment. The ambiance is refined yet relaxed, and the elegant vintage decor captures the essence of classic New Orleans style. The expertly crafted cocktails come in beautiful glassware, and the food menu of small plates is the perfect pairing for social drinking. From the knowledgeable and friendly staff to the carefully curated cocktail list, every detail at Jewel of the South is designed to enhance your experience.
Ok, note that the above paragraph was AI generated, and I edited it heavily, because they got some very important facts wrong on first look. It claimed they had over 4,000 bottles of whiskey, they don’t. I did this to showcase the power of AI and how it’s being so liberally used in articles, in fact, most of the articles I read on whiskey are obviously crafted by AI with edits from the “writers.”
I will say this, when you visit, you just have to hit Jewel, it’s highly regarded by cocktail enthusiasts from around the world, and well worth stopping at even if it’s just for a drink before dinner.
This is NOT an AI generated photo of Giada, she just has “backups.”
That’s it for this month(s) column, thank you as always for dropping by and sharing some of your precious online time with me. I’ll be at Tales of the Cocktail July 23-28 so say hello if you’re attending. I won’t be covering the event like NOLA Bourbon Festival, I will be attending and enjoying as a civilian because I need a relaxing time at a festival for a change.
You can also now find me on Threads for some good old fashioned text conversation. I will be more frequently posting there than on the Bird.
Cheers everyone, good to be back in action.
- Mickey Pinstripe