tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post7671984105779442003..comments2024-03-09T00:31:10.190-05:00Comments on Seen Through a Glass: Kentucky Bourbon Festival: This is The End...Lew Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-39060453157241377062008-09-22T09:06:00.000-04:002008-09-22T09:06:00.000-04:00Oh, just wanted to note that the 5%growth for the ...Oh, just wanted to note that the 5%growth for the flagships and the bigger growth by premiums (and Maker's Mark continues to straddle that line, getting larger every year) <I>was</I> somewhat offset by continued declines by some other brands -- Early Times, for instance, continues to slip significantly (it's not a bourbon, but neither is Jack D.; they're still both in the 'straight whiskeys' category) -- the category as a whole still grew a solid 1% and out-did Scotch whisky. And the top three brands did grow around 5% each. <BR/><BR/>As Larry Kass put it, "The distinguishing characteristic of the straight whiskey category is that the mid-tier brands are doing well...”, and that's the nub of it.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-19748507861684545322008-09-22T08:57:00.000-04:002008-09-22T08:57:00.000-04:00That is, of course, the other side of the argument...That is, of course, the other side of the argument. But it doesn't explain why sales of blended Scotch whisky continue to languish while single malt sales soar, or why Canadian whisky sales are on the uptick for the first time in years -- decades -- without any significant similar upscale segment (sure, there's CR Cask 16 and 40 Creek, but the Canadian specialty niche is not even a niche yet, more like a hairline fracture). It's a model, sure, but it's an imperfect one. <BR/><BR/>And again...craft beer sales roar ahead without bringing along the rest of the beer market: Bud remains in decline, Bud Light Lime is surely not benefiting from anything that's happening with crafts. Coors Light sales are getting a boost from the direction of their advertising, not sales of Sam Adams putting a glow on "beer" and causing people to think, "Damn, that Sam Adams shit is <I>hot,</I> I'm gonna get a Coors Light suitcase!" I'm goofing a <I>bit</I> there, but really, I don't think the link exists.<BR/><BR/>Your "Sam Adams effect" only works <I>within the niche</I>. The buzz about Sam Adams Octoberfest and Summer Ale (which I heard went nuts this summer) keeps the <I>brand</I> in play, and maybe even benefits craft beer in general, but it does nothing for the whole <I>beer</I> segment. <BR/><BR/>I'd argue that bourbon may well be benefiting more from the still-growing popularity of NASCAR and some similar promotions (Evan Williams' association with the pro bass fishing circuit, for instance) than from the success of small batch. Bourbon flagship sales are kicking ass -- about 5% growth last year -- and looking at what's happening in other whisky segments does not explain that. <BR/><BR/>There's more to this. Which means...more places to sell stories. Oh, yeah.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-53747918373990339182008-09-22T08:10:00.000-04:002008-09-22T08:10:00.000-04:00“The market is not driven by the super-premium whi...<I>“The market is not driven by the super-premium whiskeys. It can’t be driven by super-premiums."</I><BR/><BR/>Depends what you mean by "driven," says I. The big five score the sales, no doubt, but the supers are what have people thinking and talking and writing about bourbon. Call it the Sam Adams effect, where a seemingly endless slew of specialties keep the brand in public focus and stimulate sales of the flagships. It's a proven strategy that works, whether for a single company or an entire segment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com