Is Bourbon Dying?

[@phizzlefury]

Big issue is price. ER used to sit on shelves for 35-40, now it's behind the counter for 100. W12 used to be readily found for 50, now it's 4x. Now distilleries are marking up to match secondary. WTMK used to be 150, now its 350. MWND used to be 80, now its 160. The flood of new name young bottles for near 100 is a turn off. It used to be fun but now it's a mind opener for being responsible. I've lost all interest in overpaying for bourbon. Other options taste great at a fraction of the price bourbon has become.

[@SPUPRR]

@phizzlefury those prices are not the distillery. Eagle rare is $43 retail. W12 is $48. You are blaming distillers for trash stores ripping off consumers

[@phizzlefury]

@@SPUPRR There is some confusion. I was blaming both. I first called out the stores by saying "behind the counter", which may have confused you. In my next sentence, I gave examples of how distillers are now following suit. I.e. WTMK used to retail for 150 and now it's 350, etc.

[@DiabeticTrucker302]

@@phizzlefuryagreed!

[@100puremustard5]

ER10 was at my Costco a couple weeks back for $32.49 I passed because I don't need another bottle!😂😂😂

[@RK-ow1zg]

I still have a hard time finding another spirit that’s as good as OF 100 or WT 101 for the price

[@putterpeter]

Agree with you and am doing the same thing. It just gets old. Watching new releases come out, trying to go find them, and if you can, some store owner has it on their shelf behind the counter for some ridiculous price. I don’t care that you have to buy 300 cases of Wheatley vodka to get a bottle of Stagg. It’s not fun anymore.

[@KareemHubbard-cs5ip]

Even worse they act indignant like Their having to give the Wheatley away

[@MarkHall-xy8le]

I've been drinking bourbon for 30 years. Maybe the fact that there are a 1000 more distilleries now. When I started there wasn't all of these bourbons. I'm not going away.

[@remohio]

Too many recent mediocre, overpriced, special releases. People are getting tired of sitting in lines every weekend and spending $100+ for average bourbon. There is still ECBP & Larceny BP 0924 sitting on the shelf at my local store. Prior releases didn't make it to shelves. You'd be lucky to get one 30 minutes after the store opened.

[@jaredthomas1809]

Was just in the Total Wine near my work today and there was a shelf full of both and they've been there over a week

[@RobCatron]

Well, at our local Total Wine, they have plenty of 0924, but they have it priced at $87 "limit one" Our local grocery store's liquor store has it for $63. So perhaps the price ranges do not help

[@jaredthomas1809]

@@RobCatron yeah same price here...TW seems to be bumping up their prices

[@Best_Overserved_--_No_Ice]

@@jaredthomas1809, I've noticed for a couple years now that Total Wine isn't the value it used to be.

[@Best_Overserved_--_No_Ice]

@@RobCatron, My Total Wine has the highest price on Knob Creek store picks of anyone in my city. Higher than the Mom & Pops. Not that long ago Total Wine was cheaper than the small neighborhood stores.

[@elcamaleon97]

as a liquor store owner I can say folks simply aren't paying $70+ on a bottle every other week anymore the same people are buying, but its for certain offerings from long established brands. Gone are the days of customers blind buying a distillery they've never heard of for anything more than $30.

[@smikebacts]

I agree. My selection of whiskey at home is large enough. I don't just impulse buy something reviewed well. I'm hoping more stores offer tastings and chances to try before you buy. Any bottle over 70 I have purchased has come from a brand I know and love.

[@aaronberkowitz1803]

Bourbon has been on a tear fueled by influencer hype and fomo. Crash is inevitable.

[@billb7114]

Fomo is why I have too much whiskey, and I am not buying more until my stockpile is down

[@C_H_1972]

I’ll speak from my personal experience. I’ve been collecting for 5 years. In the past, it has been fun to get rare bottles at good prices to enjoy. Now, I’m getting tired of spending a lot of money on bottles from greedy and short sighted producers. It’s taken the fun out of hunting. So, now I find that bottle and have to shell out a ton of cash for it? Is Master’s Keep better than high end 18 year old scotches? Nooo! It’s a major turn off. The museum stores have also been a downer. Additionally, whiskey tube has been a turn off. The gluttony on display with crazy bottle hauls makes me want to buy less and fight bourbon ocd! The fact is, most collectors have bought too much and don’t need anymore. The new health guidelines concerning alcohol consumption will hurt the industry and feed into the alcohol free movement. I’ll keep enjoying it and buying a bottle here and there that I want, but not everything in sight. Lastly, I’m no longer interested in young whiskey. Thanks for the video and discussion!

[@glenhalstead2301]

Part of the Bourbon Boom is Bourbin KZbinrs, like yourself, who have multiple, multiple bottles. And the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) that some people seem to have. They run out to buy the latest "must have bottle". And usually buy a "back up" bottle as well. That, and all the people that got into bourbon during Covid, lead to an increase in prices and shortages. Some of the "shortages" and increases in prices are artificial. Like when Elmer T. Lee went from regular production to a much more limited production. People who enjoyed good bourbon at reasonable prices have just given up or are sick of paying inflated prices. Couple that with increased prices due to inflation in general, and people don't want to pay or can't pay the increased prices.

[@johnk6206]

KZbin has been a big part of the problem. I won't make any accusations against any specific KZbinrs, but these distillers, manufacturers, retailers, or any other business selling a product have discovered what a powerful tool KZbin can be. A lot of these big channels are nothing more than highly overpaid shills. Tool review channels seem to be the worst, but whiskeytube is not far behind. All that being said, I honestly believe David is one of the more honest ones.

[@DirtyHairy01]

Brown Foreman closing its cooperage is sad news.

[@deankruse4491]

I hadn’t heard that. Lousy news indeed.

[@Average_BourbonDad]

I think there is also some fatigue. You kind of touched on it when you said people know what they like and aren’t buying new stuff. Over the last few years we’ve seen an explosion not only in new distilleries but expanded line ups from older ones. I remember in the 80’s-90’s when beer and soft drink companies had 2-8 versions of the same product. People bought them for a while but eventually everyone just goes back to the old reliables. We’ve seen the explosion in amburana and finishes whiskies that is waning as well. You reach a point where you are tired of trying to find the latest and greatest and just want to enjoy a pour of something you KNOW is going to be good.

[@dkingsland967]

Not only this, but a lot of these new craft distilleries and NDP's are selling very young bourbon for premium prices. Not only are these bottles not worth the price, but a large percentage of them aren't even good.

[@TheVolcano2334]

I got tired of the allocated bullshit. Not waiting in line anymore for a possibility of getting something allocated.

[@drrobert8678]

I get it. I only have about 1/3 of the bottles that I had five years ago. Back then, my collection was a hodgepodge of stuff that I didn't care for and many, many one-off releases that I couldn't replace and would end up not enjoying fully for fear of the bottle kill. Now, I have a decent collection of bottles that I can really enjoy in all price ranges and I know that with a bottle kill, it should easily be replaced. I'll still buy special releases that are a decent price (WT 70th, for example) and not sweat out a bottle kill anymore, just appreciate the bottle, but overall, I'm done with chasing all of these special releases, many overpriced and low quality. I'm much more happier with this method.

[@srm158]

All the bottles of whiskey that i enjoyed have gone up on the minimum of 10 dollars, and 40 dollars on the high end. A bottle i thought was good for 40 dollars, 4 years ago, isn't worth 60+ today. Plus I've noticed a decline in quality with some major distillerys and the new labels.

[@bigboychungo]

My 2 cents is the boom went on long enough that certain aspects of hunting/finding coveted bottles has changed permanently… meaning, the boom might end, stores might get more of these unicorns… but the store owners will still hide them in back for only themselves and “friends”. Until that trend stops, you still won’t get the unicorns for a good price, no matter how much supply is out there…. I have stores around me that are more than happy to let a bottle sit forever with a museum price, than sell it at MSRP…. Or again…. The lying about having it, then selling it to their buddies. That is what I am most tired of… store owners with zero integrity. So I stopped hunting altogether at my local stores.

[@BourbonJazzyLife]

For me personally getting into other whisky categories did a number to my bourbon fandom. So much more available besides the common bourbon notes. Irish, Scotch, Japanese, ASM’s & world whisky were ignored for ten years of being into bourbon. Now I have a tendency to want to scale back that bourbon portion of my collection for sure. Not to be rude but I also feel like bourbon fans are some of the most ignorant towards other spirits & whisky. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard an established bourbon tuber be really lacking in some basic knowledge. From mispronouncing everything their bourbons are finished in (new wave of bourbon) to not knowing what a pot still is. Glad I started with bourbon & I’ll always like it but there’s just so much more out there. Even just in whisky.

[@mattwillard79]

I just came to the realization that I’m paying ridiculous amounts of money for something you drink

[@rpredl]

It’s about time.

[@areyoureally123]

Wine consumption is way down as well

[@nchokie80]

Anecdotally, I will say a lot of my friends are casual whiskey ppl who during Covid went from having just a few bottles to collections north of 100-200 bottles just riding the fad and using the stimulus money and stuff. It was fun and exciting to find unicorns during that time but most of them now are just a) tired of having to put so much time in hunting b) some are strapped for cash c) struggling to drink what they have (you can only drink so much, you know) d) just want to enjoy what they have collected and are only looking to add quality bottles moving forward (or replace the bottles they actually enjoy)

[@dunnosmapdi]

My local store increased their bourbon aisle size by about 50% about 6 months ago because inventory is building up. Rows of Penelope, Smokehouse, Nulu, etc... added on top of the old regulars. Manager said bourbon sales are down about 20% overall. There are cases of Larceny BP sitting in the aisle - 2 releases now, stacking up on top of each other. They've have had a couple cases of McKenna 10yr for a few weeks. ECBP (and store picks) can be found sitting on shelves in some places. KC12 and even 18 aren't remarkable to see. All used to be near unicorns. Still can't find Stagg or BTAC any easier than Jimmy Hoffa, though. In fact there's little apparent change in most BT availability save for white dog and maybe the base bottle. So I guess some mythic stuff is still mythic. Other than that, it's softened dramatically.

[@jamesw6899]

I think there's an element of the monster eating itself. It's gotten so saturated that every store has their call lists and if you're not on it, you're SOL. Basically there's only so many people that can be connected and it's just not worth the chase any more for a lot of people.

[@johnwill7962]

Think a company like Limestone Ranch charging 200 for a bottle could also be a part of why stuff is sitting lol

[@Best_Overserved_--_No_Ice]

I've noticed channels lately saying things like "not a bad price" or "worth it" for $200 bottles.

[@chrislaframboise7577]

I’ve taken your advice. I’ve found some bottles I love. For example Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof whiskey and rye. Thank you for the information.

[@shawnhughart3544]

Can’t beat those 2 for the money!

[@ericepperson8409]

I started to get interested in building up a small bar in my new home just under a couple of years ago. Told myself I was not going to find myself hunting Bourbon, but did for a bit anyway. I found a reliable source for Eagle Rare near MSRP. I know that I like a lot of WT and RR for around $40-60. Costco carries the HH 7yr BiB for $40 in my area and most of the liquor stores around me have come down to near the same. If I want something a bit different, one of the bigger liquor stores always has single barrel picks for a $10-20 markup. I'm not going to spend more to get anything and waste my time driving around for special releases. There just aren't a lot in my area anyway. Sazerac pissed me off with it's distribution games anyway - like pulling Early Times BiB for months from some markets. My plan going forward is to just grab good RR/WT bottles when I see them in my local Costco and the occasional Store Pick when I need to round out something in my cabinet.

[@thomassteeley9734]

Can you do an episode on selling a collection? I'm in Virginia and my understanding is that you can't sell any liquor unless you are licensed. Honestly, not in market to sell right now, but will be someday and I think others might be interested in this topic.

[@fushnick06]

As long as the Legacy Distilleries are around like BT, WT, JB, JD, HH.. I'll be happy.

[@jasonacosta3860]

I knew the boom was over when I saw Weller SR in a gas station for $30 this week

[@JCrow-kz4nw]

There you go.

[@FakingANerve]

I've never understood why anyone would pay $30 for it, let alone more.

[@jasonacosta3860]

@@FakingANerve I use it mostly for making blends

[@curetiamhices289]

I always thought it was funny that a lot of businesses got shut down during COVID, but liquor stores were deemed essential. 🥃 🍻

[@johng5710]

Well...they were 😂

[@TheReal_DeanD]

Also what I’m seeing are Russell reserve store picks and Elijah Craig barrel proof store picks that are $90 each are now sitting on shelves. I always thought of these to be great values for the bourbon enthusiast and a great experience but pricing has gone nuts. So unless they drop down, they will sit on shelves longer.

[@TheVolcano2334]

Went to Buffalo Trace distillery a couple years ago. Couldn’t buy anything but one 750 of Trace. Nothing else available. Outrageous

[@FloydFp]

I used to drink a glass or 2 a night but I am seeing news articles over and over again that any amount of alcohol is bad for your health so I am planning on cutting back on my drinking habits. My wife has been nagging me as well to cut back if not quit drinking altogether because it is bad for my health. I currently have no health problems but I don't know if I am hurting my future health. I am currently participating in "Dry January" and will try to limit my drinking to just weekends if not cut back even more. I hope one day they will come out with synthetic alcohol or alcohol-free whiskey but what is available now isn't good at all. I tried alcohol-free beer and they are pretty bland tasting. The voice in my head tells me I should quit drinking altogether except perhaps when I go to a party or out to dinner.

[@TruthOverLies]

Floyd, I’m in the exact same scenario. I was drinking 2-3 heavy pour bourbons every night for months and months. My latest physical & blood work revealed my liver function numbers were not great. I recently stopped drinking completely 2 weeks ago except on 1 Saturday night out I had some bourbon. I will limit my drinking to an occasional social event only from now on. No more drinking at home if I can help it. I am 66 and want to be around for a long time and live healthier than I’ve been.

[@FloydFp]

@@TruthOverLies Thanks for your story. I'm 58 and afraid I am heading down the same path you were on so I''m trying to stop before my health suffers. I just need to replace this hobby with something more constructive. I do love my whiskey though.

[@justinvandee9428]

Lady friend drank 3 fingers of scotch every day for over 50 years. She passed away at 102 years old and was not cause of liver. So who knows

[@FloydFp]

@@justinvandee9428 Yes. It is a gamble one way or another. I enjoy drinking but if I get liver cancer at 80 then at the time, I will be kicking myself for drinking. But if I quit drinking and I would have been fine if I kept on moderately drinking, I would have missed out on one of life's pleasures. What to do?! What to do?!

[@Fish-Erman]

Anything in moderation. I'm 60, I was drinking whisky 5-6 night a week, 3-4 ounces a night, and I felt less than great. Now I limit myself to 2 nights a week, only after an especially rough day, or on a weekend night to really relax. I feel much better.

[@thomascrompton7775]

Have 300 bottles. Doing dry January and February. I haven't bought a bottle in months and likely won't for some time

[@TheUMIA]

Not sure if I have any empathy for some of the newer distilleries who jumped in the market and thought they could start charging $70+ on unproven bottles.

[@scottmattern482]

The last allocation drop i was at was at least 500 people deep and most were there for 8-12 hours. I think that all the countries who promised to add tariffs to bourbon, if trump does a tariff war, like he promised, is the real reason for the scare of the bourbon market - that international sales are about to come to a rapid halt. The bigger distilleries know this and are preparing their business to remain profitable. People who collected, drove up a bubble market that was artificially inflated by people looking to make money. That is their own terrible ideas that are backfiring at them, like will happen to all unregulated markets. Kill off the secondary market and if bourbon isn't tariffed to death by other countries, the market will be as healthy as ever.

[@MHMerriman]

I don’t see this as a negative in the least. I’ve stopped buying bottles from the NDPs and a lot of small craft places because….frankly the investment wasn’t worth it. I’ve heard plenty of complaints of “this all starts tasting the same” which makes sense due to MGP producing juice for 50 different NDPs (I’m exaggerating but not by much) If this weeds out the B and C players that were just trying to capitalize on the boom and forces better product….bring it on.

[@bluidog2]

People are sick of it. The new shit is overpriced.

[@shabblabbat]

I'm over bottle hunting. If I see a nice store pick I'll get it, but there is no way I'll drive around looking and pay more than retail any more. There are so many great bottles under $80, and some delicious ones under $50 that finding some unicorn that is more expensive is a waste of money.

[@Best_Overserved_--_No_Ice]

Overpriced and *young* .

[@robertsmithUH60driver]

I kinda want it to be over so I can get some good stuff near msrp.

[@donaldalderman2424]

Same here

[@midnitekreapa8372]

Havent seen a msrp Eagle Rare in Illinois for about a year now.

[@pal8h]

Cheers! Enjoying some local bourbon from Ragged Branch. Honey barrel finish. Happy to support the locals in addition to buying the bottles that i know I like

[@KarenCarter-i5y]

Going there tomorrow to get a bottle of. How is it

[@TheWhiskeyPanda37]

I believe we are seeing what has always been the trajectory of the bourbon market. It became a huge fad and now people are finding that next thing and they are just moving on. Don’t want to see solid craft or small distilleries suffer because of it, but that’s the nature of the market as well. All I can is hope for lower prices and keep enjoying whiskey.

[@neilpowell1641]

And brown Forman just closed its cooperage and laid off a significant number I read

[@red5standingby419]

Yep, came here to say this. I don't think all the big players are/were ready for the level of slow down considering one of the biggest out there is laying off 12% of their workforce and just straight up getting out of the cooperage business.

[@toxicgatekeeper132]

I think that B-F is tightening up their belts for impending tariffs. JD has got to be the most widely exported whiskey out of the US and that's going to hurt them significantly if their product goes up 50%.

[@christopherm.2413]

12 percent of its global workforce.

[@christopherm.2413]

​@@red5standingby419makes me wonder if Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace were wasting money with these huge expansions that they went through.

[@keithvittitow2474]

​@@red5standingby419 The cooperage closing is an onion of a few layers probably.The biggest starting around 5-6 yrs ago that took us from being able to produce 2500 barrels a day easily to struggling to hit 2000.

[@evergreengamer5767]

Would agree with many of your points on the decrease in consumption the sales reports in my division show a similar trend. Consumption in liters is reducing consistently for past 4 years and the past 2 years have dropped significantly but the sales of premium bottles are increasing.

[@roscoepcoltrane23]

I don’t think it’s dying but it has definitely slowed down. You can get pretty much what ever you want here now.

[@travissmith1303]

Not in my area, store owners are still keeping allocated things hostage at 3x msrp or in the back room. As things get worse, they think that charging more for the allocated stuff is the answer. Hopefully a few more bad quarters and they will get on board...

[@nelsonmercadojr2749]

Me to man. I finally saw a blantons straight from the barrel in a store by me. The store wanted 400 dollars for it. I ran out of that store so fast 💨

[@roscoepcoltrane23]

Yeah same here unless you have points. Which is a fair system I believe. Stagg was 149 unless you had the points then it was msrp.

[@travissmith1303]

Nonessential things getting cut from many people's budgets. I only have a few small pours a week to enjoy the experience or at gatherings. A bottle would last me several months. I still hunt and look but I am way more selective on what I buy. No longer taking a chance on a new release just because the hype.

[@jasonwatson]

As someone that has been into bourbon since 2004ish I’m hoping for a bust and have a glut of old aged non finished whisky of my choosing and a cheaper price.

[@RK-ow1zg]

I think that, while limited releases from heritage distillers will always be hard to come by, the craft whiskey boom is over. One silver lining is that all this young craft whiskey/MGP distillate will continue to age. In a few years, we’ll have a nice supply of well-aged good bourbon to enjoy.

[@glennsotona8819]

Don't need anything that ain't on the store shelf ! 👍

[@JonBlankman]

Well said, David. No apologies necessary for speaking the truth.

[@maoisn]

Alcohol is recession proof. In fact people drink even more during down economies. Bourbon market is saturated, people slowing down collecting, some of the hype has died down, ...etc. We saw the same thing with the craft beer market. At some point $100+ bottles aren't that appealing anymore.

[@joshbieker7388]

I have a decent size collection and sold wine for years. But since Covid I found myself drinking more than any other point in my life. Six months ago I cut way down and only drink occasionally. My friends also. I see a lot of that happening now too.

[@mgrego2]

This is the first time I’ve seen Elijah Craig and Larceny Barrel Proof just sitting on shelves. They just aren’t as good as they were 4-5 years ago. ECBP has always been an immediate buy, but not so much anymore. I’m curious what is going to happen with store picks. They seem to be sitting around a lot longer than they used to as well. At what point will it get cost prohibitive for retailers to continue buying barrels?

[@johng5710]

ECBP C923 spoiled us all...now HH just released the A125 batch which is only like 10 yrs 5 months old and that one will be sitting on shelves as well. They need to get back to at least 12 years old to get me interested again.

[@RossMalagarie]

That's great now the prices will go down and I can find bourbon but i'm looking for

[@robertpeterson9438]

So, will I see Eagle Rare on the shelves soon?

[@alekseymel7852]

In south fl , you can walk in total wine and see elijah craig barrel proof , larceny barrel proof knob creek 12, eagle rare all sitting on the shelf. Nobody is buying. Plus, prices are outrageous.

[@midnitekreapa8372]

I haven't seen a ER in Illinois for about a year now... Crazy how the south gets ER sitting in shelves

[@richard9045]

It's on the shelf in supermarkets in UK, about £30 - £35 a bottle. We don't have a huge choice of bourbon but WT101 at £24 during the Christmas Holidays was a good buy.

[@rjb346]

The small decline in sales has many causes identified in your excellent presentation, however, the overwhelming cause of declining sales can be traced to the current state of the economy. (excluding the recession-proof National Capital Region)

[@jayjackson9624]

Switching to tequila and mezcal. New and interesting world for me.

[@thomasetesta5641]

Great video David, pricing is the major issue. I have cut back also and only purchase moderate priced bottles. $30-40 is my sweet range

[@mikkilairson7223]

Is bourbon dying? Appreciate your perspective David. Mine, in a pretty amateurish opinion, would be it's not and never will be. Changing sure. Got money?

[@crazy22200]

Yes that JD Rye pick is definitely delicious 😊

[@christopherm.2413]

People are hoping the boom is over because they want the unobtainium to become obtainable along with a huge drop in prices. I think we're simply seeing a market correction coupled with people being happy with what they have in their collection.

[@bourbonbeachTV]

Been into Bourbon maybe a year now and have noticed the changes.....Just got a 750mil Eagle Rare 10 at Walmart liquor for $33.84 before tax. It was a unicorn here a year ago and a hundred if you could find it. . Maybe a market correction will be healthy for the consumer.

[@vikingsoftpaw]

There are many producers that cannot adapt to the spike in commercial interest rates. Interest rates of 1 and 2% are not the norm. The microbrew industry is well into this cycle now.

[@TheReal_DeanD]

I saw that Brown-Forman laid off 12% of their staff. Sadly, I might see that happen more. Either layoffs or the mid to small size distilleries closing down. I’ve seen liquor stores that open during the pandemic close down. I also see some of those stores still holding on, but they are not budging at all on their allocated bottles. They said forget the secondary. I gotta get my money to cover rent. I saw a stag Junior for 229 and a small mom and Pop store.

[@blainewilson-fb2ch]

I think we all enjoy a bargain when purchasing liquor or anything else. The fact is, the dollar goes a lot further when buying Gin, Brandy, Scotch etc. There are plenty of good bourbons out there that won't break the bank, so why spend big bucks. High taxation here in Washington State force many folks to visit Nevada or California for values. Keep up the great talks, we are fans!

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

If this has no effect on the availability of the major releases then whatever is over has no effect on me. It has major effect on small distillery owners and the people who want that type of whiskey only. Unless it's going to help me get Russel's 13 or Jack Daniels 12 easy and cheap, I don't care. And that's not happening.

[@Lawyerboyleslie72]

It never will. Too many people into bourbon permenantly now for that to happen.

[@agustroestamadji5543]

Thanks David for the update. I am still optimistic that by next year bourbon connoisseurs will be back hunting again

[@cowtowncustoms2110]

I liked the hype and bought mostly bottles under $50. I am in Ohio so we don't get everything but at least we don't overpay! I liked old Jim Beam Black that was only $20, Then the "HYPE train" went full BS and it went from 6-8 yr blend to 7yr and 2% abv bump. OK but, the price went up to $28?? When I went to buy other bottles that I had bought before and liked, they were not as good as the first one, overproduction, rushing to meet demand?? Now it's just good ol' Jack Daniels as a good daily pour that is priced fair and tastes the same every time I open a new bottle. The companies killed themselves with greed and failing to meet the hype that was put out by a lot of compensated shills! Thanks for letting me rant! What do you think?

[@marklewandowski5996]

with inflation eating into peoples budgets they have to cut back somewhere and that usually shows up in discretionary spending. (alcohol, cars, watches, clothes vacations etc)

[@jimk2470]

It's healthy for any market to correct after explosive growth. Good for us but bad for distilleries. Especially for those that got it late or expected it to continue forever.

[@johng5710]

Hey if this causes secondary prices to drop, then I'm all for the incoming bourbon crash because honestly I'm just not interested in buying mediocre whiskey anymore. I started buying a bunch of whiskey about two years ago, learning along the way what I liked and what I didn't like, and it led me to realize that I mostly just want premium stuff when I have the opportunity to get it at a reasonable price. I will pay secondary on some bottles, just not crazy secondary prices.

[@aubjew1]

What do you think of that Screaming Titan? Found one a couple weeks ago, but haven't got to it yet

[@blythewilson357]

I think there are several reasons. For me I have cut back on buying, mostly because I have amassed a small collection of 400 + bottles and am much more particular on what I spend my money on. There are lots of options so I don’t go out and get “everything” and am over FOMO as there’s always another around the corner.

[@RK-ow1zg]

2:22 the market for Pappy/BTAC is very different from the whiskey market as a whole. It’s like comparing Rolexes to regular watches

[@chiprucker5735]

Russell's 13 doubled in price over the course of a year. Absurd! I'm done with the greedyness of Wild Turkey. Minus 101 and rare breed. Elmer T Lee used to sit on the shelf for 35 dollars and hardly anyone was buying it. It's average whiskey at best and stores are charging 300 dollars. Midwinter's night dram; what a joke. I bought Weller 12 two years ago for 40 dollars. Again, its pretty good, but that's what its worth. After all, bourbon is made from the cheapest, most subsidized crop on the planet. I get it, Oak isn't cheap and inflation has gone up. But, I can't think of another product that has increased as significantly as whiskey. Anyway, there's way too much mediocre whiskey out there and at the end of the day it all starts in a barrrel. And all these Buffalo trace products that people have been flipping out over are so similar. Basically two mashbills (not including weller) are the workhorse of the distillery. And back to Elmer, it's watered down to 90 proof. That's a lot of water when you start at 125 and it gains proof over time. So, I'm glad people are finally seeing the light.

[@justinschultz4325]

I am an occasional drinker that went from Old Fashioned to Manhattan to sipping whiskey. I'm 43. Call me a slow learner. I'm certainly new to following whiskey centric youtube.

[@doughensley9314]

I live in Ohio, I can’t get more than half the bourbon I want, my local sellers which are controlled by the state, only gets a few bottle of good stuff per week, there’s a line out the door on delivery day, the bottles are always gone before a person not willing to stand in line for 2 hours on Friday morning has a chance to get one.

[@Th3DavidPugh]

the problem is my insurance premiums went up $550 since last year so it's not in the budget... plus i'm not paying more than $50 for a bottle unless i try it first... I've been burnt to much in the last year buying a subpar bourbon for $75 a bottle (i've also bought 2 great bottles for $70 but that's out of like 10 bottles...)

[@MichaelSullivanCincinnatux]

I've scaled back on consumption (based on shifts in what doctors consider "light to moderate drinking" - 1 or 2 pours per week) to the point where it would be irrational for me to buy a new bottle. It will take me a long, long time to work my way through what I already own if I'm only having 1 or 2 pours each week. I don't object to getting new bottles, but have no reason to do so right now. If even 5% of regular bourbon drinkers read the new medical guidelines and decide to become "irregular" bourbon drinkers, that's enough to cause a visible slowdown in the market.

[@Lawyerboyleslie72]

How did this news shock anyone?..when was alcohol not bad for us?

[@RobbbbC]

My acquisition strategy has moved pretty similarly.

[@warren3174]

There are too many delicious brands at affordable prices. Inflation and collection saturation is showing.

[@briancs5884]

When some of the bourbon prices are within proximity of my Mac21…your $200 McDonald happy meal compared to my filet…things have to right-size. Let’s chat at Nth in April and discuss futures.

[@jbbourbon178]

What goes up, must come down.

[@davidg5308]

Good and interesting article. Think that some of the small guys will go under, but hopefully with local support they can hang on? Already saw a small one in the NE announce closing. Different times...support local if you can.

[@msutton01]

I agree with your outlook. It was time for the bubble to burst

[@realdac7899]

Brown Forman didn’t prepare.

[@Dsam04]

Price gouging is the problem

[@kevincameron8437]

I like to try new stuff, but then prices out there stop me from it. I have a decent collection now of good distilleries, but it's built off of bottles $85 and under. I can't afford the special releases.

[@j.b.6855]

I got into bourbon late, in 2023. I love it and will continue to buy it. But as a budget buyer, I wont cry if some things get a little cheaper/

[@christanner3761]

I am a guy on a budget and can't afford those over-priced bottles. I am usually regulated to purchasing WT101. At my local military base liquor shop, I can fetch a liter for only $19. My big splurge is on JD Single Barrel Select (750ml for $50). Both the previous mentioned bottles are delicious and readily available. Thanks for the entertaining video.

[@robertschneider8515]

This reminds me of those collectors plates that were available 50 tears ago, or Beany babies. The worth is subjective. Its being driven by the populus, and encouraged by the makers.

[@CUDA1970Terry]

As a retired individual with limited disposable cash, I find the prices a bit limiting. My primary use is nighttime sipping. I would say a lot of the reason for the prices is the poorly handled economy. Also, I believe that people are entering the craft distilling with the plan to get rich off quick branding. The major players are trying to recoup their investments quickly instead of building a long term following. I will continue to buy as I can and enjoy what I have. Hunting is great if you have lots of extra cash.

[@pal8h]

Legalized marijuana is cutting into alcohol sales as well.

[@darkpatches]

Too many collectors with collections as big or bigger than yours who will die before it's all drunk. Every family's house or budget hits critical mass at some point.

[@AP20009]

I’m sure KZbin’s bourbon content viewership data across all channels could tell us where the market cycle currently stands.

[@JoerWoods]

Young people rarely want to do what the older people are excited about doing. Where I am most of the hype for whiskey comes from an older crowd. Its not a necessary expense so maybe it comes down to who has enough spare money? Its pretty rare for me to see people age under age 40 in the liquor store unless they work there. The "kids" grab the hard seltzer and the hard cider and any spiked energy drink, but whiskey...not so much. The distilleries have to fix that to keep the boom going!

[@RK-ow1zg]

In my city, it’s mostly 20 and 30-somethings who are into bourbon. I think it all has to do with who lives in the area. Most of the older people I know drink wine/vodka.

[@JoerWoods]

@@RK-ow1zg That's actually neat to hear! Big bourbon better figure out what they're getting right where you live, because its definitely not that way everyplace!

[@jamiebrandon8475]

The market has become oversaturated. We don’t need more producers?

[@thomasmichael6509]

Wont be over until I can find BTAC and pappy at retail sitting on shelves

[@Lawyerboyleslie72]

Too many people are into bourbon for that to ever happen. Why would anyone pass up a BTAC bottle at MSRP for it to end up on the shelf?

[@thomasmichael6509]

@ exactly. That’s why this whole talk about the “bourbon boom being over” is silly

[@danieldean2096]

Good discussion. I’m becoming more selective on why I buy. I don’t see the value in spending $200+ for allocated bottles. IMO supply for this will remain limited keeping prices high. So it will cost you if you want it. For me, I’m looking at value. Just bought a Glenlivet 18 year a special occasion bottle. Otherwise I’m searching in the $40 to $75 range.

[@WiseguySTU]

Good lets go back to when we got 10-13 yr MGP for a Hundo

[@jc5066]

Maybe this will drop the price a little.

[@Alithia451]

Definitely less videos on KZbin.