What's happening in Whiskey?! Barrel Craft Spirits and Barrel Market Crash!

[@thomasmichael6509]

I think this represents the fatigue and problem in the current bourbon market. After pappy/btac/allocated/etc. stuff became impossible to find, everyone started looking for “hidden gem” replacements that were readily available, and that meant all these new random labels with low age mediocre whiskey finished in random crap for $80+ started showing up everywhere and people are tired of blowing this much money on disappointments. Anecdotally, friends who used to buy every new release at MSRP are just burned out and are buying less bourbon, and just paying secondary for the rare stuff with all of the money their saving not buying a bunch of random new stuff no one has ever heard of.

[@onggia850]

This is my sentiment exactly. I've stopped buying for about 4-6 months now and forcing myself to drink down my stock, even if I dislike it. When I start buying again it will only be bottles that I know are probably quality.

[@robertwilson9179]

Agree. Tried several of the “highly rated” new or craft bourbon and have decided a lot of people dont kniw shit. Worst one is ben holladay. Not good whiskey and tastes very young. I’m just gonna stick with wild turkey

[@samferruolophoto]

Spot on. Hell I’ve mostly moved on to scotch at this point.

[@dad_churbin8112]

Yep. My cabinet mainstays currently are anything Michters and ben holladay since that’s readily available here in WV

[@boagrius7765]

I usually just pick up a store pick once a week, then a 1.75 1792 Small Batch every other month lol. Rarely get a crap store pick plus that's mainly how I get my allocated bottles because most stores give a raffle ticket with store pic. If I happen to run into something like Weller Full Proof for 20-30% mark up I'll take it but I don't go searching for it.

[@Indiapapa100]

At this point I'mprobably gonna just drink my collection down to 5 or 6 bottles and then just stay at that number and only buy things I know I'll like.

[@gingergeezer3685]

This is where I am. Unless I get an opportunity to acquire a unicorn bottle. I have so many bottles.

[@DaveHeideger]

Same- bought my first bottle in months- it was OF1910 to replace one I’d finished last year. I’m done experimenting. Now exploring Tequilas.

[@michaelphillips3658]

I’m doing the same. I haven’t purchased anything since January

[@natealvarez16]

Literally hit the same wall. Glad honestly, I have enough to last for the next 2-3 years easily.

[@rbwhanson]

Anxiously awaiting the "Spill Survivor Batch" that goes for $1200 on secondary...

[@douglantz6790]

Dammit. Beat me to it 😂

[@jeremywarren5748]

I can picture these bourbon producers driving barrels around to sit outside the next natural disaster. Like the movie Twister but with Taters.

[@testuser55]

I have purchased some $150 bottles over the past couple years and tbh have been under whelmed by them. They were good, but not worth the price to me. I would have been just as happy with Rare Breed , JD SB BP etc. and so I have really shifted over to lower priced quality offerings. Maybe that means I will never have a Four Gate or another 2 XO etc, but I am ok with that. Makes you wonder what will happen to Buffalo Trace? That billion dollar expansion, might have been ill timed, but hopefully not. I am finally seeing BT and Baby Saz on the pretty often sitting on shelves now. Hopefully that happens to some of their other products as well.

[@davidgoldman6575]

Breaking news: Heaven Hill releases Old Fitz power outage edition for $1500. Slated to sell out in minutes.

[@morebeer7673]

$3K on secondary.....

[@nicksanchez6667]

You guys were Spot On with why I never bought anything from Barrel - they had a million different products and I couldn’t tell them apart! If I’m dropping good $$$ on a bottle I want to know what I’m getting.

[@danrudnick5252]

Too many available options. And shady store owners keeping bottles hidden for their friends. Hunting isn't worth it anymore. Not to mention, tequila is making a surge. Last huge store I was in, the tequila and mezcal aisle was just as big as the whiskey.

[@sitori663]

Not just store owners. Some big box and big chain grocery store employees who work in the liquor department get off on being the "gatekeeper" to the allocated whiskeys. They get so full of themselves & their perceived power. They act like bouncers at a popular nightclub deciding who gets in. 🤦 Life is too short to put up with their little games. I'll happily pay $5-10 over state min on an allocated bottle to a privately owned liquor store instead. Plus I'd rather support small businesses. Then you have store managers getting first dibs, and store employees who get in their b4 customers so they can buy & flip them on the secondary market. Now you compete against that, too. Whiskey hunting used to be fun until these store employees and flippers ruined it. I have a large collection amassed and am done hunting. There are too many excellent, readily available bourbons and ryes at fair prices. Great video, as usual. Thanks!

[@jbbourbon178]

@@sitori663with you. Same.

[@craigquesnell7292]

As a newer bourbon fan, I was just kind of getting past the training wheels of 25-50 dollar bottles...now I...well, I won't say I'm not gonna try higher end bottles but this definitely makes me slow my roll.

[@danrudnick5252]

@@craigquesnell7292 after trying a dozen or more 200+ dollar bottles, there's really not a good reason to leave the 25-60 range. Just gotta find the good ones.

[@BOOMGOTTEM]

@@sitori663I went full Karen at Winn Dixie the other day when the kid behind the counter told me he keeps a list for allocated. Lost my shit asking for corporate numbers and what not.

[@MiddletownMike]

Dudes a couple a hundred gallons is maybe only 4-5 barrels of product. It's not a big loss. The probable reason why we know about it is it would have been an EPA "Recordable" spill. Usually anything over 10 gallons is required to be recordable.

[@Brian_D.]

I was probably trying/ buying a new barrel pick or interesting bottle once a month 2 years ago. Now my local shops are so bloated with barrel picks I have no interest in at astronomical prices that I’m just priced out of the market unfortunately.

[@miguelmalave9239]

I 'Paused' buying I ended up with 150-200 bottles of bourbon & whiskey... So outside of daily drinkers WT101 OF100 etc.. I haven't bought a new bottle of anything in about 6 mos.Been enjoying all of the bottles I've bought over the years

[@Tracru]

I'm in a control state, and I'm not willing to stay in line for 5 hours for a bottle of alchohol. But apparently others are, so i buy the shelfers i enjoy and forget about the line. Not really a hunt when its the same dudes every single week going to multiple stores and getting all the rare bottles.

[@FaceIntoKeyboard]

I got lucky a few months back and just happened to be nearby a Virginia ABC store when their limited release text hit. I was one of the first people there and the phone was ringing off the hook with people asking what they had. By the time I left, there was a horde running in. I'm not ever waiting in line for whiskey.

[@pwrbomb1970]

I agree. I will not wait in a line for booze. Zero reason to do this.

[@sitori663]

Some flip for a living. Unless state's crack down on flipping it will ruin the market for most bourbon consumers.

[@ARGONUAT]

For me, Knob Creek 12 freely available at $68 a bottle and/or McKenna 10 for the same price and conditions is irresistible. And that’s the way it is now in north Texas.

[@RollTide137]

im in the FW area, where you finding this juice?

[@ARGONUAT]

@@RollTide137 Total Wine Euless

[@johng5710]

I would have thought TW would have KC12 for cheaper than my little local liquor store here in NW Indiana...$60.

[@ARGONUAT]

@@johng5710 TW still thinks the Maryland way - raise prices. Texas doesn’t like it.

[@jpcampbell]

Total Wine has had a ton of HM 10 recently. $68.

[@billh724]

I have slowed way down. Honestly after collecting for years I've just got a lot of great stuff at home. Still exploring new bottles, but not so eagerly with prices being where they're at. It'll be painful for some companies but as a consumer I'm looking forward to the market normalizing a bit. This is happening in many other industries right now, we are certainly feeling it at my job in a completely unrelated industry. Inventory is more available and prices are coming back down

[@bourbonbill]

Barrel got way too mismanaged they had the stellum line which was supposed to be cheap but then they went too high end with those and got it even more confused with their batch offerings. Hopefully they make it but like you said they need to redo their whole line up

[@StevenScone]

I'm going to continue buying and showcasing what's on the shelf. No chase, no worries.

[@John-hi6kl]

Welcome to the club. Stopped hunting 2ish years ago when bourbon started to get ridiculous and stay with a few I really enjoy that I can always get like rare breed, 1910, 1920, EC barrel proofs. Hopefully the market continues to correct back to some normal levels

[@amytg777]

I appreciate these videos that sort of recap the situation in the whiskey world

[@kyleslusher4642]

The market for high priced bourbon has fallen way off. People now have to decide on what to use their money for and a $200 bottle isn’t in their budget. I’ve even seen secondary markets drop prices because the demand isn’t there anymore.

[@motorcityb8551]

Where's that market? In Michigan, it's alive, and well, prices aren't going down at all

[@davidscialabba6884]

I'm reminded of the tulip bubble in Holland around 1637....lol

[@andrewmeilinger6203]

I'm a huge Barrell fan and what always drew me to them was their ability to be different, to take chances, to blend in a wild manner. Half of the fun sometimes is trying to zero in on exactly where each bit came from. I think the information on their bottles is plenty honestly. There's too many out there hung up on the same old same olds. I have yet to have a poor out of the so many different expressions they've released that have been anything but stellar.

[@EpsteinEpstein]

After acquiring 200 plus bottles of bourbon and rye over the last few years I traveled to Mexico last December. On final day in Guadalajara I tasted 14 yr aged extra anejo which really was a revelation. Just bought one bottle before leaving the country. Now I've gone down the tequila rabbit hole and have sixty plus bottles with no end in sight.

[@Condor987]

I’m honestly here for a correction in the market as a whole. I do not wish ill for any producer, distiller nor NDP… but the $80 “entry” bourbons got old incredibly fast. I’m so ready to go into a store with $50 again and get something good and maybe new to me. Right now, I’m focusing on the $30-$50 range again. I’m sick of burning $70-$120 on a bottle that I go “sure it’s good but… not that good.” Let the market correct. Let the bubble burst. Then let’s get back to regular old slow and steady market growth, no more of this explosive lightning in a bottle type growth that sucks for everyone.

[@jfej111]

I've turned into basically a value buyer where I'll buy good bottles heavily discounted, as well as consistently re-buying my crushed bottles from my favorite distillery regardless of price, Jim Beam. I recently purchased Dickel BiB for 29.99, and a Whistler Irish Whiskey store pick cask strength single barrel for 25.00 flat, and other such high value picks. FYI, Jim Beam Black 7 year is my new daily.

[@nickbaldi5198]

Just bought as well. I wish it had more aroma, but the taste is awesome. Better than small batch Evan Williams, which is also good.

[@ramackay]

After Cam at Drums and Drams broke the story about the Barrell facility being up for sale, I think it was the guys at Pursuit who got a call from the Barrell guys claiming it was a mistake and the listing was taken down. Maybe they took the sale private, but who knows?

[@blind7000]

I am buying old Scotch bottlings on auction sites now, gave up chasing new stuff a few years ago.

[@utoobia]

What auction sites are you using?

[@garybucci7331]

Very relatable with the "been burned" too much comment. Thus, yes, I do try to stay with brands I know I like, but I do venture out to get a bottle or so, especially if a store pick, just not as much as I used to.

[@Rob80132]

I still watch and enjoy the WhiskeyTube community, but now I have over 300 bottles (all open, except bunkers) so I've really gotten quite picky and would basically say I've stopped buying since the great sticker price increase of 2023...

[@sitori663]

Same here. After 2023's hunt, mainly for ECBP C923, I'm all set for a long time. Plus I discovered Irish whiskey. Redbreast 12 Cask Strength in particular. SO delicious and a nice change from bourbon burnout. Been sampling some tasty tequilas, too.

[@jasono.1629]

Yeah me too. I only buy older or discontinued bourbons/ rye bottles now, only if I can find them at decent prices. Plus I’m getting into rum.

[@Jeff-75]

Great video of the event and even better wrap up in the last four minutes. Well done.🥃

[@bmery44]

I stopped buying in total.. I have a vast amount of inventory that takes a poop on most of what’s coming out today (besides highly allocated) so I see no point in continuing to buy more.

[@brienburke4382]

At the Stizel-Weller distillery there were huge oak trees along the main drive. The power poles came in along that drive. The squirrels would sit on the transformers and eat their acorns. Every fall the electric would go out at least once cause a squirrel got fried on one of the transformers.

[@johng6350]

I'm not brand loyal yet, as I'm still in the exploration phase (enthusiastically so). I only got serious about whiskey about 9 months ago. However, I don't just buy random stuff, I look for repeated positive reviews and put those on a list, and I only buy whiskey that's on my list.

[@ericbaldwin9424]

That is where I am at guys, EverNorth, values, and a Unicorn if I can run across it. I'm not going to chase shit I can't find at MSRP, from the ones I have purchased its not heads and tails better than the 50-70 dollar I bought from people I enjoy.

[@vpfire]

I have enjoyed bourbon for 25 years. I am not a collector and the collecting craze was the start of the problem of the pricing rocket ship that launched bourbon into the stratosphere. I have switched to Tequila last year because I can try a bottle and if I like it, I can go back to the store and it is A. Available and B. Not 3x the price I originally paid for the first bottle. I get the bourbon notes and it's more available!

[@jonathansantana6239]

I'm still figuring out my favorite brands. My intention is brand loyalty. My favorite brands right now are Heaven Hill products, Brown Foreman, Jim Beam (KC & Bookers), Buffalo Trace, & Makers Mark. There are too many choices, so brand loyalty is how I narrow things down. Great video, cheers

[@joeyyoshizumi]

I personally have stopped buying… with the little one I find myself just wanting to go to bed once she is asleep

[@RedSoxFanatic4Life]

I’m pretty much done buying new bottles for a while, with the standing exception of certain allocated bottles if I happen to find them for retail. I already have more than I could possibly drink for many years.

[@GarySmythe]

I truly believe that the whiskey craze is on a down hill slide. I going to drink down my small collection and just stock a few bottles I like.

[@powertothesheeple5422]

It's been 2-3 years of $80-120 bottles of medicore blended "specialty" bourbons and most people are realizing they are better off stikcking with a $30-40 bottle of easy to find juice that's well worth the price.

[@Joshyourbourbonbuddy]

I am buying Evernorth and your picks only mostly now. Your guys palates are just about right for me.

[@stanbrown5425]

My strategy of not buying over priced mediocre whiskey is working!!!!!

[@robertshay9235]

Pursuit United do great blending! Big fan of what they are doing. They are a prime example of brand loyalty for me cause I’ll always buy from them. Cheers

[@1AGU573]

Prices were getting out of control, too many options and have mostly stopped buying whiskey. It honestly reminds me of craft beer in its hey-dey

[@onemorevideo3295]

100% Reminds me of the craft beer craze at it's top. Many craft brews went under and while there's been a small resurgence, it's primarily by local craft brewers that market locally in the community and are active in local events. The national craft beer distribution success is a fraction of what it used to be. The 4 problems with the craft brew market 10-20 years ago, was too many choices/confusion, too many tasted bad or the same as each other, overpricing them, and if you found one you liked...it usually didn't have enough sell through/velocity to maintain shelf space and it'd be discontinued.

[@FriarPop]

I mostly buy Newholland nowdays. Its on another level. Cant wait for their single barrel release this weekend.

[@mneiheiserable]

I do really love Barrell Armida though...

[@robertcherry7190]

The Seagrass is great as well.

[@holdorf333]

TL;DR, i can't be bothered so i just stick to OF (credit to you guys for turning me onto them) from a newish bourbon person, it feels like there is WAY too many things to pick from and most of it being average to terrible. often times, the things i like become allocated and i have to go begging like a simp or go jump back into the pool of unknowns. in my state, the "good customers" are always described as "well, there's a guy that spends well over 100K per year so you know....." which translates to "piss off, i sell to my golf buddies first and if you're a good boy i might sell you a bottle of buffalo trace for 60 bucks" now i do OF 86 as a daily and 1910 as a treat and haven't looked back.

[@drwchristensenatgmai]

Not only am I NOT brand loyal, I can't stay brand loyal. I started drinking whiskey about 2.5 years ago so I'm new to the game compared to quite a few others. But my thing is buy what I can, when I can, how I can without dipping too much into secondary. Why? Because now I have Irish, Japanese, Scotch, American, Bourbon, Canadian, Whiskey(broad strokes here likes states or ages), Single Malt, blends, cask strengths, different finishes, single barrels, a variety of ages, etc. My goal is for each brand to have the full line up so I can do blinds, but also SHARE with others! My biggest thing is finding stuff to share. I currently have zero duplicates of any bottle besides my 750ml vs 1.75 of Buffalo trace. So having a variety of jack, Johnnie, maker's mark, etc just means I can find something everyone enjoys or I can appease to. It also allows me to find new flavors. I have minimal bottles you'd see at a hole in the wall bar like WT101 or JB or JD, but I can't compare to anyone that has a good allocated collection either.

[@IrishCarnifex]

I've been very underwhelmed on many bottles I've spent $100+ on, meanwhile, around $60 I've found fantastic options. Spending $120ish on unproven blended Barrel bottles that lack details I refuse to do. As allocated bottles have become impossible to find, everyone is looking for "hidden gems" and that's caused every mediocre bourbon to jack their price up. People are fatigued in buying overpriced and underwhelming bottles. Combine that with inflation and people being stretched on expenses, a lot of these unworthy brands are going to start feeling pain now.

[@red5standingby419]

I haven't been to a liquor store in months, and stopped actually "hunting" bottles closer to a year ago. Too many overpriced sku's on the market nowadays for whiskey that is meh. I get a monthly bottle from Barrel King and that's about it. I might occasionally buy an interesting single barrel here or there. All the price gougers can watch their bottles collect dust.

[@michaelstewart6544]

I, personally, don’t like spending my hard earned (and rapidly depreciating) cash on whiskey that isn’t very good. Even many of the “big guys” have juice that is just not great. So, when I find a bottle that I like, I tend to go back to it. I still try new bottles, but I will not pay a bunch of money for mystery whiskey, and there has been a lot of that out there lately. As far as the blending goes, I understand the art and enjoyment in it, but the chances of ever getting a bottle of such a limited batch are slim at best. I would never tell you guys to stop doing it, but I would really like to see you come up with a signature Evernorth whiskey that we (I) could find on a shelf nearby, and be able to keep buying well into the future. If you produce it, I will buy. Cheers fellas.

[@benjaminrichter3935]

The market is definitely cooling off. Binnys in IL had 15 EC Toasted on regular shelf and about 6 boxes of Heaven Hill BiB sitting on the floor. Stuff that used to sit behind the counter/glass also now in regular aisle, like all the smoke wagon and blue run stuff.

[@TheUMIA]

That could just be better distribution of these items. They started pumping more out. The shelves in WI. have been flooded with HH for some time now and in the last month the EC Toasted has came in hard. Meijer would usually get shipments of EC Toasted regularly prior.

[@dakodasteele123]

Honestly even if I didn't watch the channel before you guys becoming an NDP, if someone gave me a pour of the pear brandy Essence I would be loyal till the fuckin end. One of my favorite whiskeys of all time!

[@mjohnson5475]

I’m being way more selective with my purchasing. I already have way more whiskey than I should. So with the economy going into the shitters, I’m really only purchasing special bottles that I know I will love or bottles from craft distillers. From craft, I’m only purchasing well aged (4+ years) and from large barrels. I’ve had too many youthful “rapid aged” whiskies from small barrels than I can shake a stick at. Lots of great whiskey still out there, but I’m glad the bubble is starting to pop.

[@wudao88]

Please do more of these!

[@Jason_Batman25]

I realized pretty quickly you don’t have to spend $100 to find good whiskey. I’m not usually spending over $50 for much of anything except for EverNorth. I’m finding things like Cask Makers for $35 beating most bottles out there. Shout out to NightStalker though! Currently my favorite bottle I own.

[@tjarr311]

Personally, I have gotten more brand loyal and picky about what I buy because I know what I like now and who distills or releases what I like. During the whiskey boom, I was discovering what I liked. Now that I'm several years into my whiskey journey, I'm not experimenting, hardly at all, with unknown whiskeys. I'm not limiting myself to specific brands, but I look at the mashbill, source, finish, age, and proof to get a very reliable idea of if I would enjoy that whiskey or not. For me, it's not so much over saturation or price, though price definitely limits my purchasing. It's the fact that I know what I like, so I'm not buying anything unknown unless the mashbill and such are in the ballpark of what I might enjoy. Great video guys, keep up the good work!

[@chrisitnyre2863]

Take it for what it’s worth, but I visited Barrell two weeks ago and specifically asked them about the the rickhouse and facility listings. They told me the listings were “mistakes” and there was nothing to worry about.

[@CJP-Bourbon]

The reaction to Cookie must be the same reaction you all heard in the drive-thru at McDonald's on your way to River Roots. Absolutely hilarious reaction Dan and impeccable timing.

[@b1gsteve251]

My home state Driftless Glen SBBP rye/bourbon, Barrell Seagrass and rye batch 4, JD SBBP rye/bourbon, Russell’s reserve sb store picks, and always some OGD 114 and Jack Triple Mash.

[@gstillings5140]

I have severely cut back on the number of bottles I am buying. Tired of chasing whatever the new release is and pricing was getting ridiculous for some pretty mediocre bourbon in a lot of the releases. I'm buying a lot more shelfers these days.

[@shinhyeon]

I buy store picks only at this point of my fav drinks. Just picked up 3 , Crittenden a cut above picks. Don't chase the allocation. Find the stuff u like and chase them store picks.

[@dealbilly420]

I buy cheap and I don't mean bottom shelf either. I wait for sales or clearanced out bottles and so taking a $30 risk is ok with me. Im gonna go see about 2 single barrel store picks that have been marked down to $25 from thair original $60.

[@jfej111]

I've been doing exactly what you've been doing with the caveat that I'll always restock my Jim Beam bottles regardless of price. I recently purchased Dickel BiB for 29.99, and a Whistler Irish Whiskey store pick cask strength single barrel for 25.00 flat, and other such picks. So all in all, I buy good bottles heavily discounted, as well as consistently buying from my favorite distillery, Jim Beam.

[@dealbilly420]

@@jfej111 I find myself buying Beam a lot too cause it's like $25 for most of it. They are onto the BiB Dickel around here and it's already $45 (which still isn't bad for the age)

[@dealbilly420]

@@jfej111 just bought 3 single barrel picks for under $70.

[@EthanSterner]

I completely agree. Give me more cask strength blends and less single barrels!!

[@scottm.5788]

Love your channel, you have both inspired me to buy several new bottles, all good ones. Keep up the great work! Bourbon market is getting overworked, will be interesting to see how things shake out over the coming 6-12 months. With loan rates, margin rates at levels that we have not seen in 35 years, there will be pain ahead for those that did not plan properly.

[@JimbOh64]

I joined Barrel King 4 months ago and have been blown away. Great product, great people, great service. The blending experiences they've managed to put in a bottle are stunning. Even if it's not a complete homerun for me, it's unique and I'm still going to drink it. I'll go out and snag store picks from my favorite shop, of course. If they have any of the unicorns at a close to srp, will I get it? Yes. I'm over the FOMO and being bent over a barrel chasing overpriced/overvalued bottles. By the way, if you love the hunt, I understand, you do you brotha.

[@matthewharris1080]

Exactly. I joined about the same time and its like getting a LE every month. Interesting, not overwhelming, easy, and whiskey is freaking great. Their model is different, but I think it actually saves me money bc I'm rolling the dice less often when I have something "interesting" coming down the pike monthly. It scratches that itch and the rest are just my normal favs.

[@JK13A]

I've definitely stopped buying as much. I feel like you go through trying lots of new stuff and just get burnt out. I see stuff on the shelf all the time that was impossible to find a year ago. BT stuff is still no where but I'm seeing much more hard to find stuff. I'm trying to slim down my collection and only try me stuff occasionally.

[@danieleberly8861]

Only 2 years into my whiskey journey, im still buying and trying everything!

[@BiffStrongo]

Mostly buying what I already know. Things are so expensive right now, it's hard to take a risk on a bottle that I may not like.

[@markcalhoun8219]

I mean I can drink up maybe a 750 a week if I'm having fun, but typically I burn a bottle every 2-3 weeks so that's maybe $1-2k a year depending on how much each bottle runs. Now you can spend more but eventually your total stock is going to get really big and you're going to get picky. What did I really enjoy, what will I keep buying? I'm definitely in the camp of burning down my "meh" bottles and just restocking my choice bottles. Seeking out high end exclusives will probably be something I pick one or two a year tops. That's definitely going to have an effect on the market and maybe 60% of what I've tried I wouldn't bother with again even though it came highly rated. I don't know about brand loyalty but certainly knowing what I like.

[@WestCoastWhiskeyDude]

The Bourbon Market is correcting itself.

[@WombatAnnihilator]

Reports are everywhere of ‘younger adults aren’t drinking anymore’ too.

[@tonylopez6213]

I've definitely become more selective on what I buy, my FOMO is gone which is a good thing. I now tend to buy only if I try it first and the flavor plus aging is worth the asking price.

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

I’m actually getting away from SiB’s. I have one store I trust and will buy their SiB picks, but too many are not good. Distilleries have flooded the market with not great whiskey all in the name of Single Barrel picks. And I get it, that’s what we the consumer said we wanted, but we should have been more specific that we want quality SiB, not a quantity of them. I’m also buying less and the ones I’m buying are not the shelfers. I don’t drink that often, so when I do I’d rather have some higher quality pours. Doesn’t mean I don’t have Rare Breed or 1910 on the shelf, but I have less of the new products, less of all these finished products.

[@charlesshields287]

Currently drinking Penelope Barrel Strength. It has quickly become an all timer for me. Cant wait to try the latest architect.

[@joeymchugh8339]

@kingsroadwrestling 9 year is great for the price

[@charlesshields287]

@kingsroadwrestling I can't seem to find it, but I just had the architect and it's really amazing.

[@Username18981]

Locally, people are swinging from whiskey to aged tequilas to try something similar but different.

[@Sladvan]

I stopped buying Virtue Spirits and only buy EverNorth now.

[@bigal4702]

I’ve stopped buying. I went a bit crazy, have ~55 bottles that have an MSRP of ~ $7,000. None of my friends like whiskey, my wife doesn’t drink, so I’m finding myself looking for opportunities to give it away! I don’t drink to much either now that I am trying to be healthier, so I feel like I have enough whiskey to last me +5 years or more (averaging about 1 oz/week right now) the only bottle I still have on my wishlist is a virtue bottle, and then I’m out for a good long while

[@chrisdanner8080]

Just found and bought a bottle of Barrell single barrel, Meijers super market pick, Indiana distilled 9 year 7 months on sale for $79 bucks. Haven’t cracked it yet but I’m betting it’s good.

[@kyleb2044]

I started drinking whiskey in 2016 when i was trying to drink and brew less beer. So many great bottles you'd see on a normal shelf back then. By 2020-2022 a lot of my craft beer friends also got curious about bourbon. By 2022-2023 i realized most people have a crazy back stock of whiskey and when their curiosity runs dry this market will drop hard. The amount of random never heard of whiskey brands is crazy. Craft beer rose and crashed like that and i realized bourbon certainly will too.

[@58markmc]

Great video! Very informative. I am still buying new bottles but have a few bottles that I always replace. You know, the standards: Rare Breed, OF 1920 that sort of thing. I'm a little leery of craft distillers though. When will your product be available and can you ship to New York state?

[@heatherharrison264]

The shelf where I keep spirits is full, so I have to slow down simply due to lack of space. I like most kinds of spirits, and I'm always looking for something new. Bourbon, especially the classic Kentucky/Tennessee/Indiana style, has a rather narrow stylistic range. At present, I have enough bourbon in my collection, but if I see something interesting from Texas, I might pick it up. I like that Texas funk. My most recent purchases were Scotch, mezcal, tequila, and rum. As for American whisky, I'm more likely to be interested these days if I see a single malt, an unusual grain (I've bought millet and triticale whiskies recently), or an unusual blend or finish. I hope Barrell Craft Spirits keeps going; they get into some crazy blends and finishes, so their stuff appeals to me.

[@smikebacts]

My tastes have narrowed. I know the bottles and brands I love now and who offer me value. Im definitely more interested in picks now and batch releases from those I share tastes with. Definitely slowed down on buying bottles. Legacy/Bigger brands: Cooper's Craft, Old Forester, Maker's mark, Bardstown, Jack Daniel's, ECBP, Larceny BP, Rebel, 1792 BIB and Fullproof. ER, Early Times BIB. EHT. My local favorites KO distilling, Ragged Branch, Virginia Distillery Co, and A Smith Bowman. My craft favorites: Redwood Empire, Chattanooga Whiskey, Uncle Nearest, Sagamore, Lieper's Fork, Southern Star. I have many other bottles but at this point i dont really need to experiment with other priducers

[@jacksmith2315]

Im all over the place. Im brand loyal to a few brands i will buy their juice when i see it, like found north and ry3, also rare character, but i slowed down not buying every rare character, but most. I also love single barrel store picks, im not as big into the limited releases, but i wouldnt turn one down as long as they arent stupid expensive. Basically i just keep buying, just a little more selective.

[@touche22]

Sticking with local club picks and store picks right now. Also, I heard all that stock Barrell was getting rid of was Stellum. Apparently their plan might be to phase out Stellum and add cheaper options to their Barrell line. It makes sense too with Barrell introducing a lower priced item with their recent "Foundation" release.

[@lfslpc]

I love barrel Foundation! Buy it instead of hunting B T ! Same NY retail, resale price on a store shelf for both. Richer and smoother for me.

[@numanuma20]

I’m only buying Scotch, Irish, local, only exception for MGP, and non MGP whiskey. People can just buy barrels and hire a marketing team to create a story that sound like they made it.

[@markmaioli4]

I buy whiskey to drink, not to collect, but I have in the past bought new things to try out. No More with the way pricing has been. I've currently got over 20 different bottles on hand & this uear quit buying new bottles unless it's a replacement for one I really like. I'm not into FOMO for the latest & greatest, I just want something good to drink.

[@paulfix133]

Hundreds of gallons is literally a drop in a bucket for heaven hill. I get why people care but it’s not a big deal at all.

[@DPete27]

Whiskey prices can only outpace national inflation for so long. And national inflation can only outpace 2%-3% annual wage bumps for so long. I think the suppliers noticed a hole to be filled in the premium price range, and that's welcome. But then it just got so overcrowded by all the craft and LE releases that that "premium price" just went out of control. The market can only hold so many NDP's as well. I think we're overextended on that front.

[@danrudnick5252]

When I travel now I like to look at finding budget bangers that aren't available in Nebraska. Stonehammer, ET BiB, JTS Brown, OF 100 Rye, some of the Benchmark series, etc.

[@jeremydrouin9975]

I used to find Old Forester Rye in the Kansas City area all the time, then it disappeared for a few years. But now I'm seeing it again at my local liquor store. I get ET BiB across the state line in Kansas, but it flies off the shelf quickly and is often out of stock. Thankfully, one of my staple value bourbons, OGD114, is readily available.

[@danrudnick5252]

@@jeremydrouin9975 I saw something recently how it was going to start being distributed in Nebraska, but haven't seen it.

[@offcamber]

I have seen whiskey “ON SALE” at 40% off recently. Multiple brands including Barrel Craft Spirits. It’s wild but the market is correcting itself.

[@motorcityb8551]

Where is this market

[@gos1138]

South Carolina coast. Small spirit shops with very limited shelf space are buying only certain brands. They are not buying micro-brands or taking chances anymore. Those smaller brand bottles are now on-sale. $80 bottles are selling for $49.

[@sheridenrichman9454]

I personally have slowed down on buying but do buy some bottles mostly picks that have tried or know of. Out of curiosity, how are you guys getting the information regarding the bourbon news?

[@scottdemaree5852]

In the last 30 days i have bought store pick ECBP it was a cherry bomb half gone. Four Gate Kelvin Colab VI not cracked. 1792 Bib store pick 1/2 gone. and a 1792 single barrel not cracked. All at retail. Oh crap, and Blood Oath Pact 10, not cracked. Good days ahead for bourbon drinkers.

[@timshulepov]

I've definitely been sticking to the bottles I already know, instead of trying new things, because like the guys said, there are way too many new brands in the stores. There is no way to find out which of them (if any) are good. The fact that every now and then there's a barrel of 2-3 year old sourced bourbon going for about $90 a bottle make it even more weird. At least there are things like the Bardstown Origin Series or Knob Creek Single Barrel (especially the store picks) that I can always count on.

[@rodsjohnson5154]

Maybe if everyone stopped buying secondary and paying over msrp, the prices might be where they're supposed to be

[@morebeer7673]

I hover around brand loyalty, but I also hunt for bottom-shelf value bottles. I don't actively hunt LE's or allocateds, but sometimes I just get lucky, so I grab those up to try if my budget allows. I'm not a unicorn snob, and I'm very aware that my palate is pedestrian and doesn't justify paying huge money for whiskey. Pappy or Stagg would probably be wasted on me because I just don't have the sophisticated palate to be able to truly enjoy those for what they are. I'm perfectly happy with a bottle of OF 100, WT 101, The Very Old Barton, or Early Times BiB. What I would love to try is some of your EverNorth releases, but I don't think we'll see that down here in TX.

[@raystone1379]

Whoa, love the new set, first time i've seen it

[@JRDARKO]

Hey great show .. love the cat

[@dmtphone]

Very brand loyal now. If it isn't Carter, 2XO, JMCB, ECBP, Evernorth or Nulu's last remaining mgp stocks I'm not buying it. (The obvious LE bottles being the only exception) I'm sure there's other great stuff out there, but I'm going to allocate my whiskey budget elsewhere if I don't have a connection to the brand.

[@eugenenassif]

Barrell's sku's did have some issues that I believe they could have worked through. Their issue was debt and cost basis. Unfortunately, they were given some really horrible deals on whiskey. Their costs were so high, they couldn't be competitive on the shelf, especially when consumers softened. 99 became the new 60 and now 65 is the new 99. When you pay 3500 for a cask that others now can buy for 2500, you can't retail it at 65 but they can.

[@thakkmatic]

I still consider myself a bourbon/rye/whiskey noob. I've probably tried ~60 different bottles in the last year and a half. Given all the brands and expressions, I feel like I've just scratched the surface so far. The most expensive bottle I've bought went for $115. The bottled-in-bond expressions are the ones I most consistently enjoy. Heaven Hill, Old Forester, Chattanooga, 1792, Frey Ranch, Knob Creek, and Buffalo Trace are brands that I like and will repeat buy - but there is so many that I haven't tried yet. I'm totally excited about the potential for prices to come down, but I am also worried about the long term viability for some of the smaller distillers.