On top of the limitations of consumer knowledge,
basic economics and the structure of liquor distribution also make it
difficult for the Compass Box model to be applied to other spirits. On a
very basic level, the bigger the blend the more risk a producer is
taking. As noted by David Driscoll in the K&L Spirits Journal,
moving a single cask of 100-500 bottles entails a fairly small amount
of risk because there is a small amount of capital invested and the
bottles can probably be moved sooner or later. In comparison a
multi-cask blend of thousands of bottles involves both a larger capital
investment and a greater risk that the product won't sell.
This
goes double if you are targeting the enthusiast market, where novelty
is often prized above everything else. A single cask generates
excitement and FOMO to help move it out the door. A blend, especially in
higher price brackets, stands primarily on its quality and repeat
buyers. In the other direction, a product aimed at bartenders faces
different constraints. First, it needs to be priced competitively so
that their pour costs are acceptable. Second, supply needs to be
sufficiently stable that they aren't taking a risk of having to
reformulate their menu if it runs out. This creates a relatively
difficult balance between more flavorful, rare, and expensive components
to give the final product a unique profile and the more pedestrian
components needed to keep the price point down. Some producers still
succeed, such as Denizen or Cutty Sark (specifically their Prohibition
release), but it takes skill and good relationships.
As
I've noted before, Compass Box was created in no small part because
John Glaser came from the brand side of Johnnie Walker, which gave him
the relationships to source whiskies and lock in long term contracts.
More recently the stake Bacardi has taken
in the business creates another set of relationships allowing them to
access whiskies that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. Without
those long-term filling contracts, it is difficult to maintain the kind
of stable core lineup that has become another hallmark of Compass Box in
comparison to other outfits.
A new entrant today would
be unlikely to have the same ability to get those kinds of filling
contracts, even if supply is beginning to loosen up in comparison to a
decade ago. Approaching the majors would more likely than not get
someone laughed out of the room. Independent bottlers might be willing
to let go of casks, especially those from second and third tier
distilleries, but supply would likely be inconsistent.
This
task is frequently even more challenging for other spirits. While
bourbon distillers have traditionally sold bulk spirits and casks,
supply has dried up for those without contracts locked in before the
boom picked up. MGP potentially remains a source, but even their
supplies are thinner than they once were. The world of cognac and
armagnac is extremely complex, with an array of small producers,
negociants in the middle, and the big houses pulling in the bulk of what
is made. Some, such as PM Spirits have managed to accomplish this by
building up relationships with those smaller producers, allowing them to
release armagnacs aimed at the cocktail market.
On
the flip side, rum is in the almost unique position of possessing
international bulk buyers who are willing to sell smaller parcels. E&A Scheer (and
their subsidiary the Main Rum Co) is the most prominent example, albeit
one that is still largely unknown outside of rum geek circles. They
have some features in common with larger Scottish independent bottlers
or American non-distiller producers, though they are notably different
in that they don't produce any products for themselves, preferring to
supply other brands. This is the source for the aforementioned Denizen
rums, which have been pretty open
about how they're put together. This opens a real avenue for the kind
of provenance-oriented blending done by Compass Box, but the limitations
laid out in the first post are still going to be an impediment.
This
brings in the last factor, distribution and sales. With hundreds of
spirits currently competing for shelf space in liquor stores, you need
to convince multiple layers of distributors and retailers that your
product will sell. Some of this is short-circuited for in-house blends
such as those produced by Total Wine or K&L, but that means that
all of the risk is on a single sales outlet. When a producer wants to
get their product onto the shelves of a wider range of retailers, scale
creates a number of double binds. A small-scale or one-off release needs
to justify its occupation of space that could otherwise be occupied by
products that might have more consistent sales, while a larger scale
product needs fairly rapid, concentrated sales in a small number of
outlets or a large number of outlets with a smaller number of sales to
be successful. This is especially tricky in the United States, where
interstate shipping is becoming increasingly difficult, constraining the reach of each retailer.
To
conclude, while we're starting to see some glimmers in other spirits
such as rum and armagnac, there remain series problems both on the
consumer and the producer side of the equation that make it difficult
for new producers to make spirits in the mold of Compass Box. My hope is
that changes on the consumer side will eventually drive changes on the
producer side, but we will have to wait and see how that goes.
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