One of the oldest distilleries in the country is warning of what some observers are calling a “whiskey apocalypse.”
“Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years,” says Buffalo Trace, “bourbon demand still outpaces supply.”
The apocalypse is looming, explains Esquire, because whiskey has become trendy overnight. “Ten years ago everybody drank vodka, and Scotch was something you kept around for when your dad visited. Now, whiskey of all kinds has become a fetish object of the young, urban, and image-conscious.”
Manufacturers cannot crank out whiskey fast enough to meet this growing demand. “Bourbon must be matured in new oak barrels and Buffalo Trace ages many of its barrels for eight to ten years, and some over two decades,” says Buffalo Trace. “That’s a long time to wait for a bottle of bourbon.”
Smithsonian Magazine reports that “sales data show that most coveted whiskey of all is now the high-end, decade-plus aged varieties.” In other words, it’s the most limited and dwindling supply of whiskey that is in the highest demand.
People who hope to continue buying affordable aged whiskey in the coming years will have to hope that the ever-shifting tastes of the “the young, urban, and image-conscious” soon turn towards something else.
[about_ian]
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