Maker's Mark to stop watering down its whiskey.

NBC News Business ^ | 2/17/13 | Brett Barrouquere - AP

[USMCPOP]

Hey, sweetheart, I got this supply problem. I can only give you so many inches.

[Carriage Hill]

My first thought, too.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I would hardly call going from 90 proof to 84 proof “watering it down,” but I know from experience that there’s a definite difference between, say, an 80 proof Scotch and an 86 proof Scotch, particularly if (as is the case with finer potations) you’re drinking it straight up, or with a bit of ice.

[Carriage Hill]

I wonder how much market share they lost from it?

[Carriage Hill]

That marketing or middle management ‘dipweed’ is probably gone, or it’s a brilliant PR stunt.

[Carriage Hill]

That didn’t end well, did it?

[Carriage Hill]

LOL!

[CodeToad]

I don’t know anyone that drinks that crap. Seriously, Jack is overrated and not that popular. As the older generation dies off I don’t see a future for Jack.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I always drank mine ‘neat’, as I did with all Bourbons, Ryes and Single Malt Scotches.

I'm with you. Why complain about liquor being watered down if you're just going to water it down yourself before drinking it? Fine liquors should be enjoyed as God intended, straight up. If you want to get drunk, go for pure grain alcohol.

[BipolarBob]

I think you’re in the minority in this crowd. No water for me but just a single ice cube.

[Carriage Hill]

“neat & sweet”

[Carriage Hill]

The public response was probably overwhelming. They’re recover from it; a landmark brand like MM rarely suffers a minor idiotic marketing error, unless it’s widely-implemented and begins destruction of the valuable brand.

[DemforBush]

Make mine a double on the rocks, if you please.

[Carriage Hill]

Had it once; liked it “neat”, too.

[Carriage Hill]

Amen to that.

[Carriage Hill]

The MM market would have absorbed a price increase rather that drink a watered-down version of their favorite Bourbon. A few market share might have been temporarily lost, but it wouldn’t have damaged the brand as diluting the ‘holy nectar’. JMO.

[Quickgun]

IMHO, Bulliet is smoother whiskey than Makers Mark. I do drink mine “neat” and while I like Makers Mark ok, I prefer Bulliet or Buffalo Trace in that price range. For a bit more money, Woodford Reserve has a good flavor. Of course, if you want to spend the money, there is 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle, but that is way out of my range:)

[Charles Martel]

I’ve read that JD intends to raise the black label back to 86 proof, don’t know if they intend to go back to 90. The reappearance of the green label at 80 proof is a good sign that this isn’t just talk. I hadn’t seen green label on the shelves in 20 years.

[BykrBayb]

You can either raise the price, or find a way to stretch it.

[Iscool]

I'm with you. Why complain about liquor being watered down if you're just going to water it down yourself before drinking it? Fine liquors should be enjoyed as God intended, straight up. If you want to get drunk, go for pure grain alcohol.

Because now you are paying for the tap water in the whiskey that you used to put in for free...I do assume they didn't lower the price when they watered it down...

And now the local pub has to add a little extra of the booze to your glass to make it taste as strong as the competetive mixed drink...Now the price has to go up to cover the loss of available drinks per bottle...