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Let's be honest: did anyone actually think that a brand like Bulleit, which is available by the hundreds of gallons at every Costco and liquor store around, was

by Bud 12y ago

Let's be honest: did anyone actually think that a brand like Bulleit, which is available by the hundreds of gallons at every Costco and liquor store around, was a "craft" brand in the way that's commonly understood? Is this news a shock to anyone who's paying attention? I don't buy Bulleit expecting hand-crafted small-batch stuff; I buy it because it's a good product that's worth the price.

DigitalJack 12y ago
I like Bulleit Rye, but now that I know it's rebranded MGP, I'm now more interested in pricing of any other MGP rye.
tptacek 12y ago
Bulleit rye, like most American rye, is an MGP product. But Bulleit bourbon is Four Roses spirit, and Four Roses is no slouch.
- OrwellianChild 12y ago
  Do you happen to know whether Bulleit Bourbon is the Four Roses basic or Small Batch? Would love to cross-shop on price...
  - tptacek 12y ago
    My understanding was that all of the Bulleit Bourbon is Four Roses juice. But, later: I may be totally wrong about this!
    - OrwellianChild 12y ago
      I think you're right: "Four Roses only recently began bringing their Bourbon back to the US. Aside from the Four Roses label, the distillery makes Bulleit Bourbon for Diageo." [1] Four Roses has a standard Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Single Barrel, and possibly one more. I was just wondering which one it was (Bulleit brags about "small batch" so it may be that one, in which case BevMo sells the Four Roses for more than the Bulleit re-brand). [1] http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#KY http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-americ...
      - dnr 12y ago
        It's almost certainly none of those exactly. There's many many ways for a bottled spirit to taste different even if it came from the same distillery. Four Roses uses two different mash bills (i.e. proportion of grains) and five types of yeast to create ten different new make spirits, which they combine in different proportions for each of their products. Bulleit is probably a distinct combination. It may also be aged in a different warehouse or a different part of the same warehouse (which can have a surprisingly large effect). It may be aged in casks with more or less char than the casks used for the Four Roses products. It may be bottled at a different age. The blender also gets to taste all the mature casks and pick and choose which ones get combined to make the final product, and can create a different flavor profile just with that choice. So rest assured, it's not just a "re-brand", even if it came from the same stills.

by Bud 12y ago

DigitalJack 12y ago

I like Bulleit Rye, but now that I know it's rebranded MGP, I'm now more interested in pricing of any other MGP rye.

tptacek 12y ago

Bulleit rye, like most American rye, is an MGP product. But Bulleit bourbon is Four Roses spirit, and Four Roses is no slouch.

OrwellianChild 12y ago
Do you happen to know whether Bulleit Bourbon is the Four Roses basic or Small Batch? Would love to cross-shop on price...
- tptacek 12y ago
  My understanding was that all of the Bulleit Bourbon is Four Roses juice. But, later: I may be totally wrong about this!
  - OrwellianChild 12y ago
    I think you're right: "Four Roses only recently began bringing their Bourbon back to the US. Aside from the Four Roses label, the distillery makes Bulleit Bourbon for Diageo." [1] Four Roses has a standard Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Single Barrel, and possibly one more. I was just wondering which one it was (Bulleit brags about "small batch" so it may be that one, in which case BevMo sells the Four Roses for more than the Bulleit re-brand). [1] http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#KY http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-americ...
    - dnr 12y ago
      It's almost certainly none of those exactly. There's many many ways for a bottled spirit to taste different even if it came from the same distillery. Four Roses uses two different mash bills (i.e. proportion of grains) and five types of yeast to create ten different new make spirits, which they combine in different proportions for each of their products. Bulleit is probably a distinct combination. It may also be aged in a different warehouse or a different part of the same warehouse (which can have a surprisingly large effect). It may be aged in casks with more or less char than the casks used for the Four Roses products. It may be bottled at a different age. The blender also gets to taste all the mature casks and pick and choose which ones get combined to make the final product, and can create a different flavor profile just with that choice. So rest assured, it's not just a "re-brand", even if it came from the same stills.