Happy Valentine’s Day from us at Abov! We hope the special someone in your life got you a beautiful bouquet of (four) roses this year! It should be easier to find this year than in years past because the “bourbon boom is over”. At least some of the juice is finding its way to a unique bottler in the UK… More exciting news in the February 2025 edition of Abov the Noise!
Take the wayback machine to 1979 for this Wild Turkey ad which is perfect for today!
Image produced using AI
People have been outside with “the end is nigh” signs for the bourbon industry since the “Bourbon Boom” really got started in the early 2000s, but they might finally be right. Cracks are starting to show in a big way from MGP reducing their production, to Brown Foreman layoffs, to executive orders which are putting the future of bourbon exports in doubt.
It’s not all bad news though! For those of us who like to drink the stuff more than invest in it there should be more to go around for a while.
“The bourbon boom brought a tremendous amount of money into the industry and a lot of that was for the wrong reasons,” said Lewis. “In some ways it’s good riddance.”
These types of market corrections are regular and tend to push out the “speculative” money leaving those who truly shine. More of the good stuff actually on shelves? Yes please!
For The Adventurous Type
The world of Whisk(e)y is amazing as it has essentially no bottom and there’s no way to try everything in a lifetime. Every individual has a unique palate that says “yay” or “nay” to certain flavors. That means that there’s a great chance you still haven’t had your favorite whiskey, even if all your friends love it!
Independent bottlers produce some of the most unique blends out there and if you’re a fan of Scotch, you’ve likely had some of the big ones like: Signatory, Murray McDavid, and/or Gordon & MacPhail. Single Cask Nation has taken rebottling to a whole different level by (gasp) combining Scotch with American whiskies. This creates some super unique blends that are absolutely unavailable anywhere else. If you get your hands on these, make sure to submit them so we can get em in the database!
Let’s Make a Deal
Everyone knows we’re not allowed to pay you for 5-star reviews, that would be unethical! But 5-star reviews are the best way to grow the app and ensure that we can keep building new features for you. So let’s make a deal; if you leave us a 5-star review (with this month (February 2025), we’ll clear your queue of submitted whiskies by the end of March. You get your new whiskies quickly added to the database (without paying!) and we get a life-giving review. Win-win!
For this to work, you need to leave a text review, just a simple rating won’t cut it as we don’t know who you are! Please make sure that the name you’re reviewing under is the same/similar to the one in the app so that we can find you. Other than that, something as simple as “great app!” would work or you can be snarky and say “I’m just here for the whiskey”, anything works as long as it’s attached to a 5-star review.
If you’ve already left us a 5-star review, then just send an email to [email protected] saying “Hey, I liked you before it was cool!” and we’ll clear your queue too :)
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What’s in your glass?
Well, certainly one benefit of more availability of bourbon is that Blantons can go back to being a “very delicious whiskey” rather than being something you have to “know a guy” or “sell your kidney” to get!
User review of the month
MarcHD - Barrell Seagrass - 98/100
“Without a doubt the best bourbon and one of the best whiskies I’ve had. Well balanced. Full bodied. Well rounded and absolutely moreish. It makes me think of the best sherried whiskies combined with the best rums I’ve had a perfectly blended with no harsh or off-putting notes whatsoever”
Most wanted whiskey
Sometimes a big name comes out with a mainline product that’s actually worth drinking. That’s the case with Maker’s 46. Seared French Oak staves add a depth of flavor without taking away from classic bourbon notes.
