Now before anyone gets too upset, we understand that distilleries need to make money. And in order to make money they have to actually sell products, as most places can't afford to let barrels age for 4-8 years before selling anything. That being said, all too often new distilleries are releasing substandard bourbon, and charging ultra premium prices for that bourbon ($100 and over a bottle).  If I purchase a bottle of bourbon for $80 or $100, I expect it to be an outstanding bourbon and something I would gladly share with my friends. If instead it's something that has barely seen the inside of a barrel, and the taste reflects that it's raw and unfinished, don't expect me to be a repeat customer of your distillery. It's my opinion that a distillery like that is simply trying to cash in on the bourbon boom, and doesn't care about it's product. A simple solution would be to taste it before selling, and if it's not up to the quality for the price you want, then the price needs to be reduced or the quality needs to get better. Customers won't continue paying for bad bourbon.

Another option that many reputable distilleries use to survive, and I would say thrive, is to produce other spirits (vodka, gin, etc) that can be sold much faster, while their bourbon ages. Other distilleries have decided to purchase older bourbon and mix it in their distillery and label it as their own, in order to produce something of a higher quality while waiting for their bourbon to age. This gives them time to refine what they want their bourbon to taste like, and gives them experience developing skills in mixing bourbons. All of these are good examples of how distilleries can make money and build a customer base, while having the time to develop quality bourbon. 

We all want to see the bourbon industry thrive, but trying to shortchange your customer base is not a viable long term strategy.


​-Philip

Welcome to Bourbon Famous, and thanks for reading a little bit more about where we're coming from in our written and video reviews

Philosophy- First, we need to establish that both Jarrod and Philip believe that bourbon (and whiskey) should be approachable to everyone, and the taste, price, and abundance of choices, shouldn't be a detracting factor. In this vein we try to present all of our reviews in a very understandable manner, to hopefully let everyone know what the drink tastes like, and what to spend money on. We don't believe that it's necessary to be condescending or make more out of it then there is, I mean we're tasting bourbon here, not building a hyperloop.

Price/Value - Price will depend on where you purchase your liquor, however when we talk about price we are referring to MSRP (unless specifically saying secondary prices). Value is a different factor which will vary between every person, as it will depend on what you  are comfortable spending on bourbon. That being said, we try to be clear and upfront about what is actually worth spending your money on, versus what is priced too high due to marketing. Ideally this site and our reviews besides being entertaining, will help you make decisions on what is worth the price and/or a good value. We'll be the guinea pigs for you.

Grading - In all of our reviews we give each drink a letter grade from A-F, with A being a fantastic bourbon for the price, and F being undrinkable/avoid at all costs. Our grading takes into consideration taste, availability, and value. Therefore in order for a bourbon to be rated a B in the $80 range, it must be significantly better than a B bourbon in the $40 range. This should make sense as you would expect to be getting some increased value out of paying more, but unfortunately that's not always the case (another reason we're here).