After trudging through the whiskey glut of the late 20th century, the global whiskey industry bounced back tremendously over the past 20 years. With that boom came innovation; we’ve seen new styles of whiskey emerge, Scotch brands release expressions with 50-plus-year age statements, and bourbon distillers embrace experimental cask finishes. But even the mightiest of trends are cyclical.
Since whiskey often undergoes long aging periods, distillers often plan releases years in advance. As such, when sales slow down, they’re often left sitting on excess stock, which is exactly what we’re seeing play out in real time right now. While brands have been able to navigate such gluts in the past, each one comes with its own unique set of hurdles.
With more and more producers of Scotch, bourbon, and other whiskeys discussing the global and growing glut of product, Adam and Zach take this episode of the “VinePair Podcast” to discuss how exactly we got to this point, whether it will be like previous whiskey crashes, and why the current instability of the global economic system will have additional (and particular) challenges for bourbon. Tune in for more.
Zach is drinking: Tommy’s Margarita, made by Julio Bermejo
Adam is drinking: Reeve Wines Chardonnay
