The Consistency Of Change
I was talking to an industry professional last week about one of my clients, Cyrus Noble Bourbon, extrapolating on the brand’s lengthy 150 year history and the fact that it’s been a staple of the California Bourbon scene since the Gold Rush. After saying my piece, the guy looked at me and said:
“But it’s not the same Bourbon that it was 150 years ago, so why does that matter?”
Hmmmm….is anything the same as it was over a century ago?
To give you some clarity, Cyrus Noble Bourbon was originally made at the now-defunct Freiberg & Workum distillery outside of Cincinnati back in the late 19th century and, over the years, has been contracted from a number of different distillers. Up until recently it was distilled at Heaven Hill in Kentucky and today the whiskey is contracted from Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Many historic American whiskey labels have changed recipes, distillers, and owners over the years. E.H. Taylor is a perfect example. Today it’s one of the most coveted whiskies on the market, but before Sazerac purchased it in 2009 it was a part of the Beam portfolio. Beam acquired it from National Distillers in 1987, and the list goes on from there. While the label has remained active over many decades, both the ownership and the origins have bounced around numerous times. E.H. Taylor today tastes nothing like it did forty years ago.
Cyrus Noble, on the other hand, has been owned by the Haas-Lilienthal family since 1871 and is still made from the original recipe.
Now back to my conversation! I asked my colleague to name a whiskey that has remained the same for over a century because here’s the thing: no whiskey ever remains exactly the same. From year to year, even batch to batch, no matter how consistent it is, no matter how great the master blender’s talent, every batch of whiskey is a one-off. It’s never exactly the same as the one before it.
Ever.
Look at Glenlivet 12, Laphroaig 10, Knob Creek 9, or Wild Turkey 101. All of these whiskies are batched based on the distillery’s current supply. Those distillates are run through equipment that gets replaced over time, aged in warehouses with weather conditions that vary day to day and year to year. The grains used to make those whiskies can come from different farms depending on the season. In the end, all of the elements that create these liquids are constantly in flux. Nothing is ever exactly the same more than once.
Earlier this year, I asked a friend if he had tried the most recent batch of Kirkland 18 Year Old single malt from Costco, bottled by Alexander Murray. He said he had purchased a bottle a few years ago and liked it.
“But what about the most recent shipment?” I asked him in response.
“Well, like I said, I tried it a few years back,” he replied.
“But it’s not the same whisky!” I answered; “It’s a completely different single malt from an entirely different distillery. You need to try this one because it’s so damn good!”
As an independent bottler, Alexander Murray is constantly changing its whiskies based on what the company has available in its warehouse. Like a master chef, its blender uses only the tastiest and most delicious ingredients on hand at any given time. The quality is consistent, the age and label are also consistent, but the whisky itself will change just about every time.
That a stable brand with a fixed label could be different every time can be an unnerving thought for consumers who value uniformity—especially those who view these experiences as a checklist to be completed. Imagine thinking you’ve crossed Pappy Van Winkle or Dom Perignon off your bucket list, only to discover the particular version you tried wasn’t one of the better examples. That would be a difficult pill to swallow for some people, and I can see how it could cause some anxiety.
But unfortunately that’s how life works. Nothing is consistently equal and all of our experiences—even whiskey—are dependent upon fluid conditions beyond our control. Just because you’ve experienced something doesn’t necessarily mean you had the same experience as someone else.
For example, you may have scored front row seats to the Rolling Stones, but happened to attend the night that Jagger had laryngitis. Maybe the setlist was better at the show before. Maybe the sound guy messed up the balance during Gimme Shelter. You never know! Once again, it’s time to go back to my original conversation.
“What’s your favorite restaurant in Los Angeles?” I asked my colleague.
“Musso & Frank,” he answered.
“And what do you like so much about Musso & Frank?” I continued.
“They’ve been making the same great dishes for over 100 years and they still make a damn good martini,” he responded.
“And do you think their butcher has been sourcing the same meats from the same farms for 100 years? That their bar has the same brands it had 100 years ago? That their cook uses the exact same methods as the cook who made the same dish 100 years ago?” I asked.
Even our most beloved historic institutions have changed over time, regardless of our pride in their long-standing heritage. Companies evolve in order to survive and they make subtle changes to their operations in the process. Their ability to shield the consumer from those alterations is part of building trust and assurance in their quality, but make no mistake: our most beloved whiskey brands are constantly shifting.
-David Driscoll