Sydney Frank Dept: Caribou Crossing 'Single Barrel'

[Capn Jimbo]

Don't you love marketing? Don't answer that!


Sydney Frank started it all with his Grey Goose "premium" vodka. All of you are surely aware of his unique bottles and super premium line. But before Sydney came along, vodka was just a lower shelf utilitarian, get a buzz product. Most sold for $10 to $14. Frank decided a good marketing story, good promotion and a fancy bottle and origin would allow him to bottle and sell the same spirit at double or triple the price. At the time, $30 was unthinkable for vodka. As Sydney put it (paraphrased)...

"It's only alcohol and water, if I can sell it for $20 more a bottle, it's all profit". Or ask Andy Granatelli, who in response to the question "What part does marketing play in your STP additive?", Andy smiled and replied "STP IS marketing".


So how about Caribou Crossing's new premium "Single Barrel"?

First it is well to keep in mind that for all practical purposes, most Canadian whisky is a mixture of vodka with enough "flavouring whiskys" to taste good. Most Canadian whiskys start out with a base spirit that is distilled to 94 to 94.8% alcohol. Another 0.5%, at 95% and you'd have to call it either vodka or grain neutral spirits.

Not much flavor.

The Canadians then add a bit of "flavouring whisky", which are distilled to much lower proof, and thus actually have some whisky flavor. Their regulations also allow all manner of artificial and natural flavorings, even wine, up to 9% by volume! That's why I call Canadian whisky a "mixed drink in a bottle", and why in general, this "whisky" sells for such low, low prices.


But back to Caribou's "Single Barrel"

Sazarac, who sources the product from unnamed distilleries has designated this concoction as "premium", based on the marketing story of "...the first single barrel Canadian whisky". They speak of barrels "...selected from our finest whisky available from our inventory of more than 200,000 barrels". Wow! Double wow!! Actually...

Bow wow!

It implies a dedicated master distiller working day and night, tasting and examining those 200,000 barrels one by one, to select only the finest whisky". Are you buying that image? The marketing boyz 'n girlz sure hope so, and that you'll part with premium level dollars. But you have to wonder though...

1. One has to assume that the 200,000 barrels contain the aforesaid blend of near neutral spirits and flavoring whiskys, and that they are just picking the "finest" ones. Or are they selecting from just the real, flavoring whiskys?

2. For some reason, the website will only state that this alleged premium product is "aged for many years", but won't give an age. The implication: it's really old whisky. The fact: they aren't saying. Mind you, distillers carefully label and/or barcode each and every barrel - they know exactly how old it is.

Why aren't they saying? Is this really a premium, long aged and unadulterated product? Or is it a marketing ploy? You decide...


Stay tuned...

[Capn Jimbo]

Caribou bellows back...


First, my email to Caribou...

Moi: "Couple of questions:

1. Was this whiskey a combination of base whiskey (like Canadian whisky spirit), then also adding flavouring whiskies?

2. Your site states only “aged for many years”. Although I assume the product meets minimum standards for aging, why is an age not listed for the product?

Surprising I got an answer, albeit from a very junior staffer. Unsurprisingly both questions were neatly avoided...

Nan of Caribou: "Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding our Caribou Crossing. I asked our staff person that developed this product and his response is as follows:

1. Caribou Crossing is a single barrel (completely avoiding whether it is a blend of base and flavouring whiskies).

2. We don’t declare an age since we’re trying to match a specific taste profile. Many whiskies do the same. Yes, it does meet all Canadian regulations for Canadian Whisky. All you need to do is taste the product to know that it’s aged for a considerable amount of time. (In other words, we ain't tellin...).

Thank you for your interest in our product.
Sincerely,
Nan"

In sum, no real justification for this alleged "premium" product of indeterminate age.