Attention Bourbon Fans - Maker's Mark Cutting ABV

[Acanthus]

I will continue to use it for cooking.

It sucks to drink anyway.

 

[KB]

Nice of them to tell people instead of just doing it. It doesn't bother me much as makers was never seen as a premium brand. its good and I do like makers 46, but I would be far more upset if elijah craig was doing that with their 18 year.

 

[dr150]

Classy move, but better PR work I think. If you read between the lines it could just be saying that they are looking to expand distribution and must increase supply by watering down the product. The way it reads sounds like long time Makers Mark drinkers are showing up to the store and seeing the shelf empty, which for me personally has never happened.

Bingo. MM is getting greedy.

The PR machine is spinning this so ardent alcoholic bourbon heads and Consumer Reports don't start blogging about the "silent" change.

I've never really like MM (only acceptable for mixing drinks). I can get much better bourbon for a few dollars more.

 

[K1052]

I haven't had a problem finding it. Any time I've wanted it I've found it in whatever liquor store or supermarket we went to. As much as I like Maker's Mark, I'm calling bullshit shenanigans on the "many of you" not finding it. What location? How much is "many"? How long has it been going on?

Around Xmas and New Years I hardly saw any Makers Mark or Buffalo Trace. The shelves had been picked clean. I was surprised it was so popular but the American whiskey section of the stores I go to was the busiest during this time.

Fortunately my current favorite in this price range hasn't been fully discovered yet. $30 bottles of Eagle Rare 10 year are a tremendous value right now IMO.

 

[grohl]

For those that don't care for MM - what are your favorite bourbons at this price range? I am more of a scotch guy, but always enjoyed the flavor of MM.

 

[lxskllr]

For those that don't care for MM - what are your favorite bourbons at this price range? I am more of a scotch guy, but always enjoyed the flavor of MM.

Knob Creek and Old Forester are two of my favorites in the lower-mid price range. For higher end, I like Blantons. I'm not really a bourbon guy though. I prefer scotch and Irish.

 

[grohl]

Knob Creek and Old Forester are two of my favorites in the lower-mid price range. For higher end, I like Blantons. I'm not really a bourbon guy though. I prefer scotch and Irish.

Knob Creek tasted similar to me. I'll have to check out Forester. Rather save my $$ for the yummy scotches.

Just now checking out Irish. Had plenty of Jameson, have a bottle of Bushmills. What Irish do you recommend?

 

[KlokWyze]

Prefer scotch my self.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

I haven't had a problem finding it. Any time I've wanted it I've found it in whatever liquor store or supermarket we went to. As much as I like Maker's Mark, I'm calling bullshit shenanigans on the "many of you" not finding it. What location? How much is "many"? How long has it been going on?

I was at a restaurant with a significant whisk(e)y selection and did not see MM on the menu, though comparable and lesser variety was available. I didn't really think about it too much until I read this thread - so there you go, a restaurant in Boston didn't have it on the menu at $10/glass.

 

[lxskllr]

Just now checking out Irish. Had plenty of Jameson, have a bottle of Bushmills. What Irish do you recommend?

Black Bush and Red Breast, hands down. They're some of my favorite whiskies of any kind. They're sherried, and similar to some of the sweeter scotches like Macallan, but no smoke, and with pot still goodness.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

For Irish - Tullamore Dew. About $20/bottle and better tasting than Jameson & Bushmills.

Bourbon -
Budget: Evan Williams
Mid - Bulleit Rye & Elijah Craig 12yr
Expensive: Basil Hayden

Other good choice - Jim Beam Black, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace

 

[iamwiz82]

I love Woodford Reserve personally, though I have no issues with Maker's Mark's flavor. There aren't really any awful bourbons coming out off the bourbon trail distilleries.

 

[phucheneh]

I blame Jimmy Fallon for this. Dick.

 

[SP33Demon]

I have to go pick up my bottles from 10 years ago. Interesting that they're changing the formula this late in the game, but as long as it doesn't affect the taste then w/e.

 

[kranky]

Consumerist has a story that points out liquor with an ABV of 42% or less is allowed to be sold in Ohio grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations (otherwise sales are limited to liquor stores). The new MM is 42%.

I wonder if it's possible that having more sales outlets could have been a motivation for this move.

 

[SunnyD]

From their PR:

Nothing about how we handcraft Maker’s Mark has changed,

Except how they make their product (different ABV == different craft production). Way to lie to your customers.

 

[skimple]

LOL!

astros67 gave the ATOT effect to Maker's Mark!

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34595172&postcount=23

 

[Keeper]

I need a MATH guy here.
I drink MM... With Blantons as my TOP LINE choice.
Lets say presently a BATCH at X percent alcohol yields 500 gallons.
And lets presume that PRESENTLY it gets watered down (It does already) with 500 gallons of water. I THINK straight out the barrel its in the 80's. So NOW, for every 500 gallon batch are they "Making" 30 extra gallons? (3% of 1000?)
Thats a BOATLOAD of extree bottles out of a batch.
Equals more $$$$ for MM.

I understand each batch is different ad yields and proof can be different but lets keep things simple here to see if this is Capitalistic Spin at its best.
And for the guy who said BS they are changing it. Read the language they picked and I think you will see their loophole. I have to give them THAT nod.
The process they do to CRAFT it is not changing. The dilution part is.
The CORE process will remain the same. Just adding more H2O

thats my read... trust me, as an Ambassador, I repleied to the E-mail we got last week bitching this is WRONG.
SO I am not defending them.



This is Effin Ice Cream ALL OVER AGAIN.
WHERE OH WHERE ARE MY HALF GALLON CONTAINERS.
Whats this 1.75 Quart crap!!!!

 

[gorcorps]

I was at a restaurant with a significant whisk(e)y selection and did not see MM on the menu, though comparable and lesser variety was available. I didn't really think about it too much until I read this thread - so there you go, a restaurant in Boston didn't have it on the menu at $10/glass.

Odd. If they regularly had it but it was just not in stock then it should still be on the menu, and they'd just tell you they don't have any. If it's not on the menu at all then I'd question whether they bothered carrying it period.

 

[gorcorps]

I need a MATH guy here.
I drink MM... With Blantons as my TOP LINE choice.
Lets say presently a BATCH at X percent alcohol yields 500 gallons.
And lets presume that PRESENTLY it gets watered down (It does already) with 500 gallons of water. I THINK straight out the barrel its in the 80's. So NOW, for every 500 gallon batch are they "Making" 30 extra gallons? (3% of 1000?)
Thats a BOATLOAD of extree bottles out of a batch.
Equals more $$$$ for MM.

I understand each batch is different ad yields and proof can be different but lets keep things simple here to see if this is Capitalistic Spin at its best.
And for the guy who said BS they are changing it. Read the language they picked and I think you will see their loophole. I have to give them THAT nod.
The process they do to CRAFT it is not changing. The dilution part is.
The CORE process will remain the same. Just adding more H2O

thats my read... trust me, as an Ambassador, I repleied to the E-mail we got last week bitching this is WRONG.
SO I am not defending them.



This is Effin Ice Cream ALL OVER AGAIN.
WHERE OH WHERE ARE MY HALF GALLON CONTAINERS.
Whats this 1.75 Quart crap!!!!

Don't overthink it, it's all percentages. Let's make it easy and start with a quantity of 100. This can be 100 gallons, barrels, bottles, any volume you want. Now before they had 45% ABV, which means 45 out of 100 parts of that volume is alcohol, and the remaining 55 was water. You get that via the ABV equation.

That equation is: (parts alc)/(parts alc + parts H2O) = ABV

So now they're changing it to 42 parts per 100, and you want to know how much extra they get now with the same amount of "raw" whiskey before.

Your equation is: (45)/(45 + parts H2O) = 0.42

Solve for parts H2O, then you can get the total volume created with the same amount of base alcohol, which is 107.1429. So with the same amount of alcohol they're now making ~7 extra units with this change. For every 100 barrels they're getting 7 more, or every 100 bottles they're getting 7 more, etc...

 

[spidey07]

Anything less and it would cease to be a bourbon. Bourbon MUST be bottled at at least 80 proof.

 

[gorcorps]

Anything less and it would cease to be a bourbon. Bourbon MUST be bottled at at least 80 proof.

So you're saying they can drop another 2%? 😱

DON'T GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS

 

[Colt45]

Hmm... sort of off topic, but I wonder how they calculate that.

When you mix alcohol and water, it isn't straight. 2 quarts of ethanol and 2 quarts of water make less than a gallon of ... vodka, becuase.. something.. inter-molecular. 'volume contraction'.

So, when they say 50% v/v, are they saying 50% etoh relative to the *total* mixture? or before mixing (i.e. 1:1 ratio). if it's the first, that's slightly less than 50%, because the total volume is less than that of it's members.

if that makes sense.. :awe:

 

[lxskllr]

Hmm... sort of off topic, but I wonder how they calculate that.

When you mix alcohol and water, it isn't straight. 2 quarts of ethanol and 2 quarts of water make less than a gallon of ... vodka, becuase.. something.. inter-molecular. 'volume contraction'.

So, when they say 50% v/v, are they saying 50% etoh relative to the *total* mixture? or before mixing (i.e. 1:1 ratio). if it's the first, that's slightly less than 50%, because the total volume is less than that of it's members.

if that makes sense.. :awe:

Well that should cause the thread to blowup nicely. Nice use of a math/science bomb :^D

 

[KB]

For those that don't care for MM - what are your favorite bourbons at this price range? I am more of a scotch guy, but always enjoyed the flavor of MM.

You can find Elijah Craig 12-year for $20 - 25 which is an amazing value. I also like Knob Creek which is 9 year and a similar price.