🛢️🛢️ A “Dirty Little” Secret About The Whiskey Industry?

[@chuffpup]

I'll never forget the bottle of black label Johnny Walker I salvaged from a spooky old house in Wellington NZ. The house was due to be demolished. I found the whiskey (in perfect condition) under a mound of newspapers and boxes dating back almost century, this was in the mid 1970s. It had a cork stopper, wrapped in thin lead foil, bearing an embossed stamp. The label was beautifully printed, a lithograph I think, with gold details. It must have been from around the forties or fifties judging by the bottle. It seemed a shame to open it, but... The whiskey was very good, Exquisite. But the story behind it, made it even more enjoyable.

[@jasonmgavitt2357]

Damn that stuff could have been from the 1800s.most jonnywalker is aged for quite awhile before hitting the shelf.

[@chuffpup]

Actually I got a pretty good collection of old booze last year from a place near my home in Wellington. A 94 year old lady was moving house and her family gave me permission to take an extensive assortment of liqueurs and spirits amassed over the years, but destined for the tip. Needless to say, I took the opportunity. There was a great collection of unopened bottles of brandy, chartreuse, Grand Marnier, and other liqueurs, plus an old bottle of vat 69 I gave my kids teacher at xmas. I don't really drink, but have enjoyed the odd tot of liqueur recently. The old black label though, was nectar of the Gods I have to say.

[@osiversen]

I found a couple bottles of Ballantines recently, 17yo must have been bottled in 1970s. Nice stuff.

[@mrcokez1]

r/thathappened

[@Jackthesmilingblack]

Johnnie Walker, just reach in the bin and pull out an empty. Seriously, what a Muppet. Oh, and it's whisky,, right. Scotch, from Scotland. Not Irish or American.

[@JackTR21]

These alcohol lessons are why I keep coming back to this channel. I enjoy the cocktail videos but love the education.

[@cmcocktails]

+JackTR21 thanks !

[@JackTR21]

No problem, love the show.

[@EricEbell]

Thank you for the information. I just completed my Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour this past weekend, and heard a lot of back stories and history from the distilleries that "hand-craft" their own recipes. When I got home, stumbled upon articles about MGP. I feel like I have had the wool pulled from over my eyes now. At first I was insulted that I had been tricked by these large distilleries, as if their rick houses and massive steel corn mash filled drums were there for theatrics. But I guess this isn't any different than "American" companies like Levi's and Nike that source their materials and employees from other countries.

[@cmcocktails]

Well, there technically is a difference... none of those companies are giving you back stories that show you American workers in production lines or how they're filling the dreams of Americans by creating quality cloths on our shores....but actually having them made overseas. Everyone sources something for some reason or another, or their products are hugely expensive. Costs go down over time, no doubt, but most companies wouldn't get the sales required to optimize to that level, they'd be gone way before that happened. Maybe "once upon a time", but not in the world of big box store and buying products for 20% of the cost of a higher quality product. You could make the best quality socks in the world that cost 4x more than anywhere else, but Wal-Mart is still going to beat you every single time. And, if you're not a division of a huge company willing to pump brand awareness into the market for you, you're never going to make it alive. So...what then? You find ways to cut costs and soon enough, if you're not already bankrupt, you're outsourcing to help pay the bills.

[@CopperParrot]

A friend of mine ran into a distiller at the liquor store. The distiller got him to buy a bottle of "his" bourbon. My friend was really excited about it. I had to let him know it was a MGP product. My friend was rather crestfallen. This is one of those things that a lot of people in the industry known this is happening, but it's really hard to inform the general public. It's good you put out this video.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks. But, at the same time, I'd encourage your friend to support new brands like this in the local community. I'm sure the person has invested a great deal of money into retail, marketing, one-on-one relationship building with customers (as seen in this example) and is working to build a small business that will no doubt impact and help your local community if he becomes moderately successful and can branch out or even distill his own product in house. Some folks start distilling right away, but it can take months or years to get the recipe they want correct with the proper aging and these new releases (MGP or no) helps to fund that dream.

[@CopperParrot]

I actually like your view of the situation on the whole. Many people are strictly against any blending of preexisting products. In the Scotch industry, there are companies that blend barrels from select distilleries and sell them at a premium. The labeling is very straight forward about this and many of the bottles are highly sought after. I understand the struggle of starting a distillery as my distillery has been open for a little over a month. Trying to make a profit does not excuse lying or very clear obfuscation.

[@CopperParrot]

Forgot to mention. I told me friend that the whiskey may still be good and if he likes it, he should enjoy it or buy more.

[@ronnieronson4390]

James Davidson I don’t understand what that changes?

[@ronnieronson4390]

Like how does it make it a worse product?

[@charliecrash3450]

FYI: Angel's Envy is a 95% rye mashbill made at MGP in Indiana. It is identical in mashbill to Bulleit rye, Templeton rye, Dickel rye, Smooth Ambler Rye, James E Pepper rye, Redemption rye. That mashbill is also used in a few of High West's Rendezvous Rye/Double Rye variations. The main difference is Angel's Envy is finished in Port barrels.

[@its1110]

Whisk(e)y is really all about the aging. That's what makes it brown. Same with brandy and __good__ rum.

[@sparkie5150]

Dang. I actually went to Angels Envy and toured their still. I wondered how I was able to buy aged $70 bottle from a 2 year old place.

[@StillIt]

Nice to see you talking about this kinda stuff man. I dig it !

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks!

[@Greywolf831]

Not my words, but "buy the whisky, not the story".

[@yearginclarke]

Exactly.

[@mumbairay]

Donald Trump's awesome

[@wheaties2912]

@@mumbairay his awesome what?

[@ORflycaster]

It’s YUGE

[@michaelkenyon3372]

*whisky

[@willietheboggle3954]

I live near LAWRENCEBURG. The building still says Seagrams on it

[@gwcrispi]

Its in BRICK!

[@adriansillsii8809]

Dude, you just broke my heart. What the hell.. I'm checking the labels on all my bottles now...

[@savannahwhite2393]

I just heard about KZbin boycott from advertisers, and I hope it hasn't hurt the show too much. Keep up the great work!

[@cmcocktails]

nah, status quo here, most of the advertisers that probably advertise for spirits are used to controversy :)

[@littlegoobie]

MGP reminds me a lot of "newfie screech" drink that newfoundlanders are soooo proud of. It's sad that so many of them don't even know that it's jamaican rum that's imported, diluted, and spiced up before rebottling with a new label. What's worse is that some of them even believe that Jamaica imports rum FROM Newfoundland.

[@certified_proffesional]

This was super interesting

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks!! It took me hours of research and revising over and over to make it easier to verbally say and digest for the listener. Probably about six hours of work. Glad it's appreciated!

[@eternalzealot546]

Common Man Cocktails outstanding info. Much appreciated.

[@rajparmarman]

agree, loved learning about the industry

[@freddieh5539]

Should be taught in school.

[@macdaddy9344]

1.) now educated, thanks! 2.) goes to IN to source a barrel 3.) bottles it for my friends!!! Cheers!!! 4.) SUBBED!!!

[@benthebartender]

If more "distillers" where honest about the source of thier juice, there would be less of a stigma surrounding new upstart brands people love!

[@cmcocktails]

yeah, but you know who wins in almost all "big" successful companies? Marketing. Marketing is always dominating. I spent many years in technical sales and I had to deal with "reality vs. marketing" when customers would hear something and ask me how that worked and I had to explain that it didn't work like the marketing people said it did :)

[@fredlabosch5164]

Some of the best american whiskies are sourced from MGP distillery, names like Smooth Ambler and Angel's Envy for example. And imao, Bulleit Rye is still my favourite rye on the market despite the fact that it's really affordable.

[@IamY5150]

Angel's Envy is not MGP anymore! :) But yeah when done right like what Smooth Ambler does. Sourcing can be a great thing.

[@surfsessions100]

Bulleit is pretty money

[@Thurston.Howell.the.3rd]

And Beam Brands is owned by Suntory Holdings (Japan)

[@cmcocktails]

yep, as of a few years ago I believe

[@charlesncharge6298]

After watching the video I thought I was about as disappointed as I could get, and then I read this.

[@ownpetard8379]

For relaxing time... make it Suntory time kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWm4nXiweMyrpbM cutto! cutto! cutto! cutto!

[@miketravis4980]

I'm a hobby distiller and have a dream of opening a small batch local distillery in my town. Just something to go and have good food and some good local made liquor... Just knowing the cost and hurdles to jump to get anything going is discouraging.. But I'll keep dreaming and playing the lottery! Thanks for the video CMC!!

[@cmcocktails]

no prob!

[@AzureKite]

Don't play the lottery, invest instead. Playing the lottery is wasting money.

[@miketravis4980]

@@AzureKite oh most definitely! I was more or less just trying to get a laugh. Slowly investing in my craft as of now but venturing out to other possibilities

[@StevenCryar]

Ive always known about MGP and a lot of whiskies being sourced but I never realized George Dickel rye was one of them. I am kind of sad now because I always thought Dickel did their own thing

[@cmcocktails]

it happens :) I like to ruin dreams :)

[@benparker6825]

You are an asshole! I Love It!

[@benparker6825]

How dare you tell the truth!

[@ronaldbeerguy]

George Dickel #8 and #12 are distilled and bottled in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee. Just the rye isn’t...

[@johnfarmer4612]

I forget the movie, maybe Runaway Jury, but I can still hear Gene Hackman, asking for a "double on the Dickel!" 😄

[@456megazx]

great vid this channel is so underrated probably one of the best channels out there

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks. It can be rated better, like, share and tell everyone about us :)

[@thundercraftrc]

Excellent information on MGP. I agree that "sourcing your juice" is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the brand is truthful on the label. As a consumer, we should take the time to read the label on everything we buy. The NOM database in the Tequila world has really helped with the transparency of that spirit.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks! Yeah, but ironically only Mexico came up with a good identification system.

[@CatsMeowPaw]

As with wine, drink the liquid and not the label. Too many people I know ask me 'how much did this wine cost?' before they take a sip. If I say it's expensive their opinion is always glowing.

[@nige601]

Being a Scotsman I'll just stick to my malts. If you are looking for something really nice may I suggest Talisker Skye which IS distilled on the Isle of Skye and my personal favourite. SLANGE VAR 🥃🥃

[@davidszakacs6888]

Nigel Taylor, I lean towards the Spayside whiskeys. Drinking Speyburn right now.

[@nige601]

@@davidszakacs6888 As is said 'If you haven't found a whisky that you like, you just have to keep trying them until you do!' There are many great malts but everyone has their own taste. I'm a boy that was born in a Scottish town called Alloa, which has a long distilling & brewing history. If you look it up it may just surprise you.

[@TheWoWBane]

@@nige601 Thanks for not being a snob. I see too many whisky snobs on youtube.

[@Nationred1]

This is one of those videos that I'm both glad and sad that I watched. Glad for the education value, but sad that there are quite a few brands with embellished stories. Anyways, keep up the great work.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks!!

[@AnthonySforza]

Haha, not only sad in that regard, but as someone who's putting together something myself... hearing the "Who's gonna buy yours?" breakdown. Whelp, back to the drawing board.

[@i-love-comountains3850]

I'm still recovering from the fact that Laphroaig is a Beam Brand...💥🤯💥

[@mikebMN]

@@i-love-comountains3850 I experienced that same thing when I realized Basil Hayden's is also a Beam product.

[@russellhenry1188]

@@mikebMN basil Hayden was beams longtime master distiller

[@hughjass6764]

Great video! The ADL (Alberta Distillers Limited) is the big Canadian distillery that produces much of the Rye that is sourced across North America (Whistle Pig) do you have any info on the brands that source from them?

[@cmcocktails]

Not really, no, I didn't do any research/googling on them, just saw in passing on some of the stuff I was reading

[@markgarin6355]

Yeah but Alberta rye is pretty cheap.... ha

[@jackdeath]

Most likely Diageo distillery in Salaberry-De-Valleyfield, Quebec, which is 50 away from Burlington, Vermont.

[@lutherbelle1]

This video was great!! Went down to Buffalo trace; the tour guide pointed to a building, that was't part of the tour. He said. "You ever heard of fireball? That crap is made in that building."

[@cmcocktails]

lol

[@MrBeatboxmasta]

The best way to solve this issue, (since the government doesn't really care about lying corporations) is to ONLY buy products that say where it was distilled. If it doesn't mention it, don't buy it. If they twist the way they say. Don't buy it. No exception. That would force companies to post it on their bottles. They could explicitly lie but that would just make it easier to win lawsuits against them. Give them 0 wiggle room.

[@its1110]

I'm aware of sourcing. I'm also aware that the end products vary in taste quite a bit and I have my favourites. Happy you're talking Rye... that's my drink. I miss Wild Turkey 101 Rye!

[@cmans79tr7]

1110- i wonder how many remember their "first" bottle. Back in 1976, 18 was the legal Drinking age. My buddies and i doused a bottle (quart size, i dont think Litres back then) of Wild Turkey at a friend's home. When the father found out, we had to pay for the bottle. I think we had to come up with $12 between us at the time. It was a fun night, the "Turkey" went down smoothly, and we didnt get hung-over. We also learned that: "If ya wanna play, ya gotta pay." Dad's bottle on the shelf is not necessarily "fair game". ;-)

[@its1110]

@@cmans79tr7 Well... I guess it could have been a quart. All the local state liquor law. had stuff coming in varied sizes. But a 5th of a gallon was a standard. I'm not completely sure if it was a 5th of a US or UK gallon, though. I didn't buy my first whole bottle til several years later than you. It's allways been "metric 5ths" (750 ml) for me... or 1/2 5ths (375 ml).

[@welshtoro3256]

Great review, thanks. I'm really glad you put this out there because most people don't have a freakin clue. This is not just confined to the U.S.A of course. How many Irish whiskies are out there and how many distilleries in Ireland. If you don't have the capacity you run the risk of churning out poor distillate. MGP do a good job and I understand why young companies want to market the way they do but it sucks if they refer to themselves as 'craft' distilleries when there's no actual distillery at all.

[@cmcocktails]

Yeah, I think there is a higher level of trust and loyalty with honesty and transparency as your goal. But, the short-term gains of a non-authentic story seem to be enticing to some people.

[@DebatingWombat]

There are actually quite a few distilleries in Ireland: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_whiskey#Distilleries_in_Ireland However, Irish Distillers’ New Middleton Distillery is probably the biggest one (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Midleton_Distillery) Also, you can’t legally call your product “Irish whiskey” if it’s not distilled on the island of Ireland (i.e. in either the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland) and any aging must be on that same island.

[@RoopeRontu1999]

Sometimes I'm just glad I didn't get fooled by this MGP-stuff and went with old favourites, like Four Roses and Evan Williams

[@earthman4222]

This is truth. As to vodka, Titos vodka buys vodka for "bottled in texas". Titos plant in texas receives no grain shipments, nor do they have any distilleries. You can check it on Google maps. Check out your whiski, vodka, rum, or what have you on Google maps.

[@dru713281]

So Tito’s vodka basically buys vodka premade....bottles it in Texas......and then hence the Tito’s vodka sourced in Texas ?

[@chrisphillips3354]

Tito's is distilled in Texas' oldest legal distillery in Austin.

[@kks086]

There are other videos on this subject here on KZbin. But I've never seen any with your prospective before. Thanks you giving us your point of view.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks. It's rare I'll be the first to weigh in on stuff like that, I like to wait and see how things land before I go crazy on rumors / drama. But, I figured it was about time.

[@d2344]

Very helpful. I learned something new today. Thanks.

[@cmcocktails]

thanks

[@mozilla2576]

Solid information on this vid. Thing is....ALL producers sell bulk whiskey. Not all the time or every day...but, when they have excess....they sell it. Distilleries need to turn over their warehouses so that new juice can start aging. Some distillers have way more rickhouse space than others. So, some sell their juice more often than others do. And some...refuse to sell you bulk juice, IF, you tell anyone that they sold it to you. Which puts the clamps on honesty, sometimes.

[@cmcocktails]

yeah, but the difference here is that these distillers are primarily juice vendors, not excess. Is that bad? Not really, they have become good at it. But it's a far way from just selling off excess product :)

[@mozilla2576]

​@@cmcocktails Your point is true. Nothing wrong with selling bulk at anytime a distiller wants to. The Lawrenceburg Indiana distillery has never had their own product line from my recollection. So, what they are doing now is exactly what they did for the Seagrams family of products, If I remember correctly from my conversations with former Seagrams team members. I have spoken with MGP sales staff on numerous occasions....they always seemed very helpful, but, weren't willing to let well aged juice out of their possession. I believe they have contracts with bottlers that take up most of their yearly production of aged and unaged distillate. All the samples we received were excellent in flavor...even tho none of them were over 3 years aged.

[@cmcocktails]

I believe the line they ran was bulleit bourbon/rye but I don't think they're doing that anymore themselves, but I believe that was one of the only brands that ran from that distillery and was part of it as well.

[@mozilla2576]

@@cmcocktails If my memory serves me well....when Tom Bulleit started that label...Ancient Age Distillery(now Buffalo Trace) made the distillate for Tom. When he sold his majority interest to Diageo...Diageo used the distillate they stored at the old Shively plant of Stizel Weller to fill the bottles. The plant at Stitzel was holding barrels from many distilleries that Diageo was sourcing their whiskey from. Some of the whiskey I saw at Stitzel was from MGP, Barton, Bernheim, Ancient Age, Four Roses and a few others. And from what I heard...they used juice from many distilleries to come up with the flavor profile that fit. Diageo didn't have a working distillery of their own that made bourbon distillate...so, they sources all of their juice.

[@cmcocktails]

At Tales of the Cocktail I believe they were talking about (at a specific seminar around this stuff) that the MGP 'rye' recipe and bourbon recipe bases _are_ the Bulleit products "in bottle." Sorta like the template. Not a freaking bad template, good product.

[@Anamericanhomestead]

THIS is why I sub to CMC! Great video! By the way, I found my new favorite RUM. Pussers! REVIEW IT PLEASE! Distilled in Wood...that's right, I said DISTILLED IN WOOD!

[@robertpoche1585]

An American Homestead Pussers is darned hard to find in most places. I’ve only seen it available in Maryland stores.

[@ryansmith8]

@@robertpoche1585 Seriously? Pussers is widely available and easy to find where I live.

[@its1110]

Oh yes! I discovered Pussers a few months back. I'm in NC. Seems only 2 out of a 1/2 dozen stores locally keep it, though. And it's even at a good price. Can't beat tbat! It and Appleton Estates changed my mind on rum.

[@cmans79tr7]

@@its1110 - Ya, i vacationed in Jamaica and part of the cost of the room was a bottle of booze. I chose rum and they brought a bottle of Appletons. That is a rum that is great neat or with ice. I dont even need the "Estate" version. I feel like i am doing something "bad" if i am going to mix it with Coca Cola or OJ, so if i am going to mix it, I'll switch to Bacardi Gold which is no slouch. But if i drink Appletons, i am magically transported back to Jamaica🤗

[@its1110]

@@cmans79tr7 I'm in complete agreement with you. Appleton is the only rum I've never mixed. That wasn't the intention when I bought it... but once I tasted it I realized it'd be a sin.

[@MrTrilbe]

There's also the issue of what defines a Distillery, by the OED (being a brit myself) "A place where spirits are manufactured." by that definition i can buy a distillation or range of whiskey's from Scotland and mix them in England and say it's distilled in England since that's where the final product is made and bottled thus finishing the manufacturing of the Whiskey. the WB (US dictonary) dictates it as the production of the Alcoholic distillate. Odd that the UK has a distinction between Distillation and Distillery when it comes to import's to the US

[@cmcocktails]

yeah, we have to call that "bottled in" vs "distilled in"

[@V8kerker]

This is why I like the Bottled and Bond Act of 1897, thanks to Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. I wonder how many vodkas would be BiB if they had a similar type of law.

[@Quintinohthree]

Vodkas can in fact be BiB, as can gins, but to be BiB, a spirit must be kept in a wooden container for at least 4 years, and with vodka having to remain unaged that requires specifically treating the containers with paraffin for instance, making it all much more expensive without making it all any better. Anyway, why would you want a BiB vodka? It's ethanol and water and nothing else, besides being 100 proof, BiB gives you nothing.

[@briancorley1159]

This is the best video on KZbin. Thank you for the info. You really did "blow my mind" about things. Thanks.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks!

[@shtigers01]

"(Not even argentina)" 😂 cracked me up

[@cmcocktails]

yeah, sometime I saw from Last Week Tonight where John Oliver mentions a place, shows it on the map and then says "this isn't even ______, it's here. No, just kidding, it's here __________" showing people that they don't even know where things are on the map :)

[@rabaham]

Great video and one more thing to worry about. I buy lots of whisky and bourbon brands just to enjoy the taste in my own way without worrying about all the Hubli. Today's choice "Gentlemen Jack". Not bad.

[@cmcocktails]

meh, really not worth "worrying" about, but information to keep in mind when laying down your cash.

[@IvanPopov]

Damn, I love Bulleit! (Thanks MGP for the good base!) And quite envy, that the 10 YO and the Barrel strength can't be found around.

[@cmcocktails]

ours is gone, Bulleit is pretty expensive tho

[@IvanPopov]

Here (BG) at some point I found it for around 16 euro (do your math), but more commonly it can be found for around 18 euro. The Bourbon that is. For the rye the price is 20-22 euro. If that is too cheap, I don't know what the reason might be, but here this is considered mid-range price. For instance the regular Jim Beam can sometimes be found for a bit less than 10 euro, and the likes of Elijah Craig, and Woodford Reserve range around 32-35 euros.

[@rickc2102]

Bulleit splits the difference between Beam and Knob, in both taste and price.

[@jarrettjordan]

Bulleit is fairly cheap where I live ($20-$25 for a 750mL). It’s my go-to mixing bourbon. More of an Angel’s Envy or Basil Hayden’s fan for straight bourbon, but also really like the Bulleit Barrel Strength.

[@Brownbutter801]

oh man this is some great information! I hope your channel blows up one day Derrick. I've been lurking for some time now and these type of videos really peak my interest. Thanks for your knowledge and dedication. I used to be a bartender and your videos helped me stay up to date on the info. Much love from UT

[@cmcocktails]

awesome, thanks. Always looking for things to get the interest of our subscribers, it's tough finding stuff!

[@Tantrum777]

This was a great video, informative and you presented it very fairly. Good Job!

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks!

[@LauchlinMacGregor]

I'll be hitting up Maker's Mark at the end of the month after the Louisville Marathon. Very thankful to live near Bourbon country, so I don't need to worry about where my Whiskey comes from. That being said...great video as always! Cheers!

[@cmcocktails]

thanks :)

[@darkomtobia]

I drink Bushmill's. I prefer their "Black Bush". It is incredible.

[@joeq1839]

never have tasted Black Bush, sure would like to....

[@rockets4kids]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpu5q3qPj7GbrNE

[@ratlips4363]

They say, "Once you try black, you'll never go back"

[@jamesbarros950]

One of the best guitars I've ever played is sold by a company that actually makes quite a deal of how they went to Korea and checked out the facilities and picking out the korean pickups and other parts. I think a small shop that made a big deal about working with MGP, sampling, and making decisions about their juice.

[@JimHausch]

Not totally clear about one thing: Does MGP only distill (i.e., produce un-aged white spirits) or do they barrel and age, too? In other words, do they sell a rye or bourbon that can go straight in the bottle? Another commenter mentioned "Bottled in Bond". Does that ensure end to end genuine ownership of the product, or are there some loopholes there, too? I am guessing the explosion of Rye whiskies has something to do with the aging and barrel requirements of Bourbon. Is rye easier/quicker/cheaper to get to market? Great video.

[@cmcocktails]

They barrel age as well, they have an entire facility for it. And you can go there to blended (or I believe have them do it too) the barrels. As for "Bottled in Bond", there are always loopholes. For instance, if what the regulation enforces was always true, we'd not have companies that tricked people on the label as to where it was distilled. How did they do it? It simply didn't get caught in the approval process from what I understand. So, the government had to crack down on the slip up and get their shit together, but that's pretty usual. You're asking for government regulation and such, you don't think government flubs up from time to time or ignores things because they didn't get caught right in "the process"? It's the government :-) It shouldn't have, but sometimes things happen. And, from what I understand, it took quite a movement to get their attention and expose some of this activity.

[@Iceberg86300]

Thanks. Read your question just before asking mine!

[@pbkayakyer]

Angel's Envy actually does have their own distillery now(right across from the Louisville Slugger building), but I'm sure it will be several years before they bottle the wiskey they've distilled.

[@cmcocktails]

yeah, you'll probably see that with Bulleit as well, their distillery just started, it will be awhile before I bet its production is really "in market"

[@thecaptain2720]

Old number 7 will always be my whiskey of choice!

[@mattdoe2368]

Hell ya

[@sheilamore3261]

Does black velvet have a lot of sugar in it?

[@BushcraftingBogan]

In less than 15 minutes I’ve become a whiskey snob.

[@richardkarlsten4037]

What do you mean at 9:06, about the beam brands? That they are owned by the same company? Or that they are the same product/sourcing?

[@cmcocktails]

they are all owned by the beam brands, that blows some people's minds. There are some folks that have big distain for Jim Beam yet they're favorite products are Beam Brands and when they learn it they're mind explodes :)

[@richardkarlsten4037]

Common Man Cocktails great, thanks for the quick reply! I was worried for a second that laphroaig was produced by MGP. Thanks for a really good video!

[@michaelkenyon3372]

lol does old grandad still have a label with "agricultural textile product harvesters" on it?

[@arielangel1]

This was super informative! And really interesting. Thanks Derrick!

[@cmcocktails]

no problem

[@lttlewhtedove]

I love Knob Creek 120! 👍🏻♥️

[@cmcocktails]

yep, it's great stuff, we use it.

[@denisdooley1540]

I generally HATE when bourbons and ryes have flavors added to them, but I tried their smoked maple bourbon and I've twice make an except for that. It's quite tasty. I also do a mixed shot with the smoked maple bourbon with Bakon vodka to make a smoked maple bacon shot. I almost handed the bottled to my wife and told her to hide them because that is soooooo good.

[@macdaddy9344]

Denis Dooley ... runs to buy a couple bottles... For Science!!!

[@Aesculus1989]

@@macdaddy9344 let me know what you think! I did one last night. Damn tasty.

[@Mike_Ray3]

Super awesome video. I'm from Kentucky and every year for my birthday my wife and I go visit one of the distilleries. Been to Jim Beam and Maker's and will be going to Woodford later this week. Now you said Angel's Envy was distilled by MGP but I just looked at my bottle and it says distilled in KY. Do they have their own distillery now?

[@cmcocktails]

Yes +pbkayakyer said they have their own distillery now, just not sure if all the bottles are distributed across everywhere now or if it's just starting. Maybe because you're closer to the source you've seen the new bottles first?

[@Mike_Ray3]

Common Man Cocktails That could be it. Plus I just bought the bottle a month ago so it's also fairly new.

[@MooseBme]

Wild Turkey: "Kickn' Chickn'! :)! Wild Turkey Rare Breed: "Kick Ass Kickn' Chickn'!" Another GREAT VIDEO :)!

[@julinski88]

Are there good cheap alternatives sourced from this mgp or sticking to full circle distillers a better bang for your buck?

[@cmcocktails]

I don't know the pricing of all the brands that utilize their product, I'm sure some are affordable while others cost more (for being aged longer, cask finished, etc.)

[@julinski88]

Hi, can you please do a Review/Comparison between bulleit and redemption and or other mgp products.

[@cmcocktails]

sorry, no can do, I don't have any of them. The only one I've had (and have access to if I want to spend the money) is Bulleit. I don't currently make enough money on the show to justify spending $300 on a review that will get me a thousand views and $3 in ad profit :)

[@mozilla2576]

You can try something from Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg Ky. Four Roses(formerly Seagrams) and MGP(formerly Seagrams) made identical products with identical processes for many years. It's my guess that MGP still uses many of the same processes. I know for a fact that Four Roses still makes whiskey the same as they did while under Seagrams umbrella. I highly recommend the Four Roses Yellow label as a great place to start your journey.

[@th33b33]

Buffalo trace, blantons mmmm

[@johnwayne3491]

Thank you. I've been wanting a video like this for awhile. I drink not only for taste but for history/heritage. Think you could do a video with authentic bourbons legitimately from certain state like Kentucky?

[@cmcocktails]

Not unless there is someone out there with that knowledge to feed it to me and then get me bourbons :)

[@charlescordite3751]

It!s all a shell game. The stuff you drink costs just a few bucks to make. Most of the costs is federal alcohol taxes. Do double blind taste test and you will be shocked. I do it all the time with bourbon drinkers. Pappy VanWinkle has never took 1st place. At $500.00+ per bottle it gets beat by $30.00 bottle bourbon all the time.

[@cmcocktails]

we do double blind tastings as a matter of requirement here on the show :) We've not done them in awhile, but the corner of my back bar contains the current winners (usually, unless we drink them all)

[@its1110]

For Bourbon I've settled on Evan Williams or Elijah Craig. Sometimes Maker's Mark. ... And Geo Dickle... never Jack.

[@gogofr3sh]

Where did you find that list at 7:00?

[@cmcocktails]

on their website :) www.diageo.com/en/our-brands/brand-explorer/

[@passionforguns]

Thank you for the education!!! Good to know. I tried whistle pig and was not impressed. Went right back to my Scotch.

[@cmcocktails]

Really? I didn't find it that bad, but I know Curtis, one of our semi-yearly co-hosts has more of an issue with the business practices than the juice itself.

[@passionforguns]

Didn't it lived up to the hype, The guy was saying he grows his own grains, master distiller, blah blah what's a really good bourbon? Knob Creek best I've had yet.

[@youngh902]

Agreed. Whistle pig is not worth the price at all. I didn't know the back story when I first tried it. So the first time I tried it in NYC (I'm from Canada). I told my American friend, this taste like cheap CDN rye. Then found out later when I read an article that it was exactly that. Whistle Pig is literally lipstick on a pig!

[@its1110]

Whistle Pig always seemed (and sounds like) to be Another Pile on the Rye Wagon product to me. Never have tried it. Don't really like Bullet(sp?). Miss Wild Turkey 101. Emptied a bottle of Old Overholt in 2 days. (Really fast for me.) Went down like water. I'm not sure what that says about it.

[@katerbiller04]

I grew up seeing the Segrams Distillery in Lawreceberg Indiana in production, when it " closed" till now.

[@sunnohh]

Laphroaig is still made in Laphroaig though....

[@rat4spd]

Lets not drag Scotch into this cesspool. When Scotch "brands" do this, we celebrate being able to get cheap versions of name brands.

[@its1110]

The only thing I'm going to say here is that most blended Scotch is just crap. There are some good ones... but most...

[@christopherconte6020]

Who the hell else would try to do that on purpose?

I'm never going to touch American garbage.

[@ongvalcot6873]

Don't be naive. They do the same thing everywhere. In UK.

[@jkr-hg6lh]

Holy cow! Been watching you for a few years now and I gotta say I love this rant. I would love to see you collaborate with the guys from whisky vault.

[@cmcocktails]

Did you watch our vodka one I did recently? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pp_KhomBn9CWeJo

[@idzoavitsi4211]

lol i live in indiana so i guess its all that indiana pride whisky lmfao

[@cmcocktails]

see, always look on the positive side :)

[@sethreed1567]

Hahaha. Love this comment. Indiana lad here

[@michellerhoades8774]

I'm an Indiana bartender. I always make "shopping local" jokes. People are like. "Huh?"

[@macdaddy9344]

Grew up on the west side of the IL/IN line but I will gladly drink your whiskey... cheers!!!

[@ericgamble9153]

This was quite interesting & informative. Not sure each would fall into the category of ‘dirty secrets,’ but it would be great to see videos like this in each type of spirit.

[@cmcocktails]

I plan to launch a rum one tomorrow. As for titling, let's just say, I need to get you to learn something and watch, that often requires something to make you wanna do it. If I just said "whiskey information" nobody would have watched.

[@cmcocktails]

oh, and incase it wasn't clear in the video, here is the vodka one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pp_KhomBn9CWeJo

[@ericgamble9153]

Oh, that wasn’t a criticism. It’s actually a great idea for drawing in viewers. Glad to see more videos! Thanks!

[@writereducator]

Evan Williams - inexpensive and tasty.

[@its1110]

I've got to agree. Lots of stuff out there where lower price surely does not mean lower quality. On the other hand... there is Christian Bros: Cheap AND Nasty!

[@charliecrash3450]

Few bucks more and get EV Single Barrel!

[@writereducator]

@@charliecrash3450 I'm too poo'.

[@kims4495]

Completely agree. I bought they whiskey because it was so cheap and didn't expect much, but it was actually pretty decent. Not my favorite, but for the price, I doubt I could have done much better.

[@jshicke]

Yes, this is my go to, every day, bourbon. Oakey, smokey, and doesn't taste watered down. Perfect for the cold winter nights.

[@russt.1430]

I appreciate the info dude. I buy cheap yet except beer

[@camwvu]

This is why Scotch is the best whiskey. Especially all the single malts. You know where they are coming from.

[@michaelkenyon3372]

*whisky

[@phil2156]

@@michaelkenyon3372 it's whiskey here you tool

[@bertsimpsan]

@@phil2156 if it's scotch it's whisky you uneducated slab of human excrement

[@macdaddy9344]

bertsimpsan ... ouch... lol

[@brettrun8575]

Vigilant .Tapir sounds like you’re the tool now.

[@Raaa1111..]

Wild Turkey 101 is my go2 as well as Woodford double oak and jack Daniel's single barrel gold label red and green

[@timothyharrison5338]

Nooo not Makers Mark!!! That disappointing!!

[@denisdooley1540]

They had their own distillery back in the 1990s. I interviewed for a job at the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet headquarters in Frankfort and it was right across the street. Man, it smelled good. But that was 25 years ago, so maybe they shut it down and went to sourced whiskeys.

[@alittlebitgone]

When I went to the Maker's Mark distillery and watched them distilling what was I seeing?

[@Abdega]

So do they have their own “waxing” center?

[@counterfit5]

Maker's isn't sourced, it's just owned by Beam

[@gabrielluongo6363]

This is critical information for the consumer. Thank you for weeding through everything to bring us this summary, most of which I had no idea was true.

[@tomsawyer8525]

I disagree that sourcing is not the problem along with the lying if we are paying extra for the lie that is the result of the sourcing.

[@justmutantjed]

Thanks for addressing this, Derrick. It's good info to have! I'm disappointed in the smoke-and-mirrors presentation that my favorite companies have used, even if I enjoy the end product. BTW, I just finished a bottle of (ri)1. I think it's disgusting, and probably the 2nd worst rye I've had since JP Wiser's. Rather than sell it, I tell my customers to avoid it. Maybe in a few years my manager will try to put it on clearance.

[@wheaties2912]

I bought a near 2 liter of fireball the other day, I'm enjoying it, it's not as good as weed but I can deal.

[@tseawell90]

Sexy McDeepVoice Be careful man. Don't rely on substances

[@wheaties2912]

@@tseawell90 you're the reason I drink, baby.

[@jerichothirteen1134]

Cant fake a Florida orange. Lol. I am Aussie and still remember getting fresh OJ from a stand on a road through an orange grove in Florida. Oh mate thats a good squeeze.

[@cmcocktails]

Ironically, store bought orange juice is all flavored by the companies using special flavor pak recipes, they're pretty much all fake.

[@macdaddy9344]

Jericho Thirteen ... sucker, that little kid and his stand sourced it from Cali... lol ;-)

[@andrewrussell3318]

I'll stick with my wild Turkey 101.

[@cmcocktails]

not a bad one

[@robertb.3651]

It was the favorite Bourbon of John Wayne 😎😎😎😎

[@GeoffMossburg]

Maybe I'm wrong, but is it really a problem if a whiskey is distilled somewhere other than where it is bottled? I understand that where the ingredients are sourced from is very important to defining a whiskey, but the processing could be carried out anywhere and the end result should taste the same. Please correct me if I'm off-base here.

[@cmcocktails]

yep, it's a problem. Because, by law, it has to be stated on the bottle. Now, if it's stated on the problem and you won't buy it because you don't like where it's distilled...well, now that is _your_ problem :)

[@thomaswalz3515]

Awesome... I always suspected skullduggery... when I saw someone try to find the Bullit distillery, came up empty handed. I like Beam... had many high end bourbons... always come back to Beam... Thanks for the education.

[@cmcocktails]

no prob

[@phil2156]

Get some Woodford reserve and thank me later

[@stevenbryant4718]

Ethanol + Water + flavor. Behind the bartender is the assortment of bottles that you pay way too much money for. Some are cool bottles, but are they worth what they charge for them?

[@cmcocktails]

what bartender? Just your average bar? If you buy drinks at a bar they're always going to be more expensive.

[@CamStLouis]

Is there a website hub to learn which liquors are company-made vs which are homemade? Trader Joe's is a great example of good-quality spirits without the "brand markup". Would love to find more resources like this for other brands!

[@cmcocktails]

Not that I know of, as most companies work to keep this type of thing secret... unless you wanted to start one! :)

[@pjunior3692]

All I wanna know is,for example if I buy a bottle of jim bean whiskey. Does it have the ingredients from the original recipe or are we drinking something else that’s close to the original?

[@cmcocktails]

I'm fully confidence whiskey recipes change over time as people change, master distillers change and trends change. Is the Jim Beam on the shelf the original recipe from its origins? Who knows, but I really don't see why it matters if it's enjoyable to the drinker. The only way to know would be a taste and chemical analysis from a bottle produced during the first few years of the distilleries existence...assuming the bottle was unaltered over the years and had no seal leaks, etc. But again, it should be about enjoyment anyway so why would it really matter how "original" it is, if you like it as it is.

[@zakkwyldesliver]

Beam used to buy food grade ethanol out of GPC in Washington, Indiana a few years ago. Not sure where they get it now, though.

[@Crobinso2508]

My friend's husband works for MGP. Has since the Seagrams days. They make good stuff.

[@cmcocktails]

nice

[@mrcokez1]

'we're teaching you how to drink' I love that. thank you for the knowledge good sir * subscribed *

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks

[@johnmeyer9937]

I had always been told that unless it was distilled in Kentucky you could not legally call your whiskey a Bourbon. Is that corrct?

[@cmcocktails]

A 1964 U.S. Congress resolution established the guidelines once and for all: A legitimate bourbon must be made in the United States - not necessarily in Kentucky, though Kentucky Distillers' Association estimates that 95 percent of bourbon is produced there. Its mashbill must contain at least 51 percent corn

[@denisdooley1540]

Well, I agree that at the end of the day, taste buds are an important factor, but I don't see them as the only factor. If product whiskey A, whiskey B and whiskey C are all sourced from MGP and one is $15, one is $35 and another is $85 a bottle (or more), then there's a problem. I would have to say in hindsight that I way overpaid for that one bottle of James E. Pepper 1776 Rye I bought a few years ago. It passed the taste bud test OK, but I'm feeling like I should have paid about half what I did for it. The highest price for an American whiskey of any kind I've seen in Oregon is a Whistle Pig product that was insanely expensive. The fine print on the back indicated it was sourced from Canada. That alone convinced me not to buy it because I read long ago that Canadian allows just about any whiskey to be called a rye, even if the mash is less than 50% rye. But what justifies that price? Especially if it was sourced from some giant ass Canadian distillery? Sure, he explains the cask conditioning here, but it just feels like a shell game to me.

[@cmcocktails]

Age and cask conditioning does (and should) have a lot to do with price, however, that isn't always the only case. It is not abnormal for products in the spirits industry to price their product high just to make it an exclusive brand. Scarcity does have a lot to do with price, if you make a small batch of something special it might justify the cost (as there isn't much of it) and it's probably well aged (in terms of brown spirits). It will also be higher priced for higher proof, which is usually because taxes are based on alcohol percent not brand/category so a higher proof spirit (no matter how great it tastes) will cost more than a better tasting lower proof spirit. But I think there are plenty of brands in large companies portfolio's in which the price is dictated by how "premium" they want it to be at the counter.

[@denisdooley1540]

​@@cmcocktails Yes, I am recalling an economics-oriented article that was spawned by the Elliott Spitzer scandal on why he would pay $5,000 a night for a prostitute. The article used the term "prestige pricing" to explain it. So, that term probably covers the concept you are referring to. It's probably a little bit of price quality signalling combined with an "I pay that because I can" conspicuous consumption. The particular bottle of Whistle Pig I reference above was priced over $600 at the local Oregon state liquor store. The bottle did properly identify Canada as it's place of distillation. I carefully placed it back on its shelf. I opted instead for a bottle of Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye, which is my favorite rye so far. Anyhow, thanks for the response.

[@cmcocktails]

I know many brand ambassadors and others that have left brands because of specific situations and one thing was clear: many brands don't pick pricing based on quality of the product, but to "keep inline with other offered products in the portfolio." The premise being, you can't offer a $65 gin, $65 bourbon, $70 tequila and have a vodka at $15.99 because it damages the brands reputation, so that $16 bottle jumps to $50 to reflect "brand pricing." It is inline with the portfolio. Then, you have the three tiered system here in the US that works backwards. For instance, I know a tequila brand that prices their blanco between $23 to $30 and that price is what they recommend based on their wholesale pricing / margin / costs. Then, they walk into a store and that bottle is selling for $65. How?? Because they price the product so the retailer/distributors make their proper margins but the retailer (or distributor) opt to sell it for 3x the cost because they can get a few people to buy it. So, what occurs is that the brand, who sells it nice and cost effective for what they're trying to hit, finds their product selling super slow in the stores. They priced it to be accessible to more people, but once people start to buy it and realize "this is great! and at a good price!" the rest of the distributors and retailers say "well, if they'll buy it for that price, they'll spend a bit more" and double it. Of course, sales then slow down because they can sell 1 bottle for the price of 3, so why stock or carry 3? Yet, the brand, who priced it low, needs to sell in _volume_ to make a profit and they expect to sell in volume because the product is priced right. Instead, they get the shaft, the product makes minimal margin for the creator and maximum margin for the retailer and the creator struggles to keep business going because they don't make enough money. In the end, the consumer loses and the core brand creator loses.

[@denisdooley1540]

​@@cmcocktails If I can recommend a book, "Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions" by Dan Ariely is worth reading. He covers his research on just that sort of pricing structure in this book's first chapter, "The Truth About Relativity." As it's the first chapter, you can read a good portion of it right off of the Amazon website. I used to work with John Pogue of at Old Pogue in Maysville, KY when he worked as a geologist in Portland Oregon. Several times previously, I'd brought a bottle of Old Pogue in Covington before heading to the airport (it isn't distributed to Oregon). The last time I was back to Cincinnati, I passed because it had jumped from being in the $60+ range to being over $100 with tax. I sent him a facetious text about the price jump and he texted me back with a similar explanation to what you just gave me. Instead, I brought a bottle of "their" Five Fathers Rye. When I texted that I'd bought that, John filled me in on how they were sourcing that, even though they had produced one batch at their distillery in Maysville. He just didn't want to divert their limited, small-scale production away from their signature Old Pogue Bourbon. I didn't mention this to him, but the blended whiskey tasted better than the bottle of their own batch I'd bought when I did the Bourbon Trail tour of Old Pogue.

[@cmcocktails]

Yeah, I need to create a video "the hidden secrets of the three tiered distribution system of the US" or something :)

[@bailleyvang]

Never buy for the brand, name or story. Always buy for your own taste, flavor, preferences and $$$ savings. Don't let the marketing gimmicks fool you. That's why I watch CMC, no bs and just the unbiased truth.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks :)

[@Velveteenloungekitsch-en]

Totally agree. Many of these are good spirits, but it seems sketchy if they're not disclosing the truth about them. No need to hide it!

[@cmcocktails]

Yep! Just let us know so we know what we're in for!

[@RoccosPlace1]

This is very informative, thank you for the info. I 'liked' it and I just had to subscribe.

[@cmcocktails]

Thanks :) :)

[@chaoringmeister]

Wow! Didn’t know just how relaxed labelling was in the US, I don’t like the whole selling a fake story thing, but thanks for reassuring me about the quality.

[@cmcocktails]

it's not that it is relaxed as much as the government team is probably short staffed (welcome to Government) and didn't catch all they should; I believe they're getting better now.

[@PaulChristianJenkinsJD]

Here in Colorado we have a budding Whiskey industry, however one such brand, 'Tin Cup' is buying from MGP.

[@cmcocktails]

probably because they're smaller and new and needed product to sell

[@ARCSTREAMS]

I was searching for a different whisky secret and could not find any info fitting my question,,i am wondering what really happens between the barrel and bottling? surely it is not as simple as they tell us that once properly aged they simply blend a variety of casks and voila they simply do a particle filter and bottle is it? i mean white dog even proofed down still has bitterness and harshness and certain flavors that do not mellow out nicely even after i age it in oak,yes i do not age it as long as they do but i still think even after decades it wont come out perfect,,where does the roundness and certain aromas or flavors of chocolate and coffee etc come from? i think there must be additives or extra processing going on before they bottle ,i learned one way is they add glycerine to help round off the harshness and give a smooth body and sweetness ,also using active charcoal filtration to remove the bitter harshness,,so i wonder if the industry does the same

[@cmcocktails]

So, let's first start defining "they" in "they add glycerine" -- homemade moonshiners or professional distillers? "They" also say glycerine is used to cut vodka too, but nobody has found a brand that does it (e.g. greygoose) even through chemical analysis. The easiest way to find that out is to take a high proof white dog and rub it on your hands, if they dry "sticky" then there is probably sugar added. Now, rum brands often add sugar, sometimes 3g to a bottle of 750ml. It doesn't make it sweet, but might curb off some of the more cutting edge flavor. They also may "age" via caramel color like jose cuervo gold does :-) I've barrel aged many products and the barrel will indeed curb some of the more bitter flavor. Of course, the barrel, how old the barrel is, what type of wood it is and the conditioning of the barrel makes a big difference. Want more caramel notes in your product? Char the inside of the oak barrel, it will give off a darker rich color as well as bringing those brown sugars, vanilla, caramel notes which will no doubt mask some of the bitterness. Of course, some wood's tannins will give off a bit of bitterness as well if aged for long periods of time. The size of the barrel against the aging process also matters. If you age at home in a small cask it will age "1 year" in a single month because of the art of science (small surface area, with more volume of product inside, etc.) Aged in barrels in a humid climate is going to give a different flavor than aging in a dry climate as well. How much product burns off and evaporates changes the flavor. Or, how strong the product is when you put it in the cask vs. dilution ahead of time (vs. diluting the entire product after the aging is done). Or, solera blinding where you move aged product down from barrel to barrel combining as you go into older product (young product is added to old, old product is added to older, etc.) It's by no means a hidden secret, it's just a series of many variables and changes you can make to a product over the course of its time. It's a combination of science and tradition. You may not be able to make a white dog taste fantastic, but a master whiskey distiller that has learned from folks passing down quite literally hundreds of years of knowledge and technique? That person is going to do it better than you every time because they know the "secret" is knowledge, not sugar :)

[@ARCSTREAMS]

ok so bottom line is you are saying there is nothing more between the barrel and the bottle? so all these different flavors ,sweetness and smoothness i get when i drink say a JWR is basically the art of blending from different barrels and thats it? as for me i had my shine in oak that has been charred to diffrent levels,started with 2 pcs of 260degF then added two more at 340f then 420f had em in there juts over a week and yes the shine took on a nice vanilla cinamon aroma and it even went a bit smooth but the taste developed some bitterness that was not there before and must have come from the wood and its not as sweet as it was before and has a rather watery texture finish,,perhaps time is the secret ingredient here and after a good time all these will balance out?

[@Beowolf14]

Where did you get your shirt from? I have been looking for a silky or "athletic" black and blue shirt for a long time now to match these pants I have.

[@cmcocktails]

Underarmor store :)

[@roberthodges5272]

Whistlepig started business with sourcing, but migrated over time to a full distilling, aging, and bottling operation. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was a sound business plan.

[@cmcocktails]

and it's done by many a whiskey business as well! And gin/vodka businesses.

[@toddellner5283]

A few of our local Whiskey "craft distilleries" do exactly that. I go to the ones who actually produce their own,.

[@JGLtv]

Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Bourbon is one of the best I’ve tried yet! Sipping on it now

[@RolandsSh]

So how does it compare to European whisk(e)y industry, e.g., Irish, Scotch or Welsh? I'm not much of a whiskey person, but I know for a fact that most (if not all) of the common household names have their own distillery despite being owned by megacorporations like Bacardi, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Beam Suntory, and that there are quite a few distilleries being reopened/built as of right now. Is there some EU regulations in place? Or is sourcing just as common here?

[@cmcocktails]

I have no idea, I've got very little experience on EU regulations and such (as I don't have access to most of that stuff nor do the laws impact/effect me, I've never had any need to figure it out). Most brands have their own distilleries, I believe, regardless to where they are owned. But I don't know the details/specifics.