Bourbon Selections on Three Cruises in 2022

[mfs2k]

Dear Shoreside Concierge:

Please stock 'Beyond' in October with Bulleit bourbon and Basil Hayden's bourbon please.

kthxbye

[Whinenowine]

12 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Around here, Maker's and Woodford are pretty similar in price, and I like a wheated bourbon...

 

(Although I normally buy Maker's 46 not the standard Maker's.)

 

I don't know how RCG keeps their supply chain so screwed up on whisk(e)y. I gave them the benefit of the doubt initially, and I still suspect some of the big boys went elsewhere for market when the cruise lines shut down. I honestly don't remember bourbon ever being a big part of Celebrity's inventory. I'm trying to remember what they had in July on Equinox. The first day they had Buffalo Trace, Maker's, Woodford, and something else. But never a great selection. Scotch whisky was better, but still nowhere near as good as pre-pandemic. Same on wine. I'm not a big fan of most Wagner Family wines, but many if not most of those were out of stock as well.

 

Of course they had all the freaking vodka you could ever dream of!

 

End booze rant.

My April cruise on the Edge was the epitome of “out of stock”. Literally my top 2-3 by the glass wine orders off the menu were unavailable at each meal.  Bourbon was in short supply too. Remedied the wine problem last month on Millie by BYO’Ing, but I’m happy to say that the ship was well stocked for liquor.  At least for my tastes. 
 

As for bourbons, I also like a good wheater (loved the original Stitzel Weller Pappy material, not so much the releases of the past decade).  I find Makers fine, but their newer 101proof bottle kicks it up several notches.  To me it’s much better than most things at that $40 price point. 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Whinenowine

[padgman1]

It seems by reading the entire thread here that bourbon selections have been mostly miss or nonexistent.

 

Are other liquors ( scotch, gin, vodka, rum, etc.) been just as miss or nonexistent?

 

And if not, why bourbons and not other liquors? I would think more vodka and rum is being consumed on cruises then bourbon.

[markeb]

21 minutes ago, padgman1 said:

It seems by reading the entire thread here that bourbon selections have been mostly miss or nonexistent.

 

Are other liquors ( scotch, gin, vodka, rum, etc.) been just as miss or nonexistent?

 

And if not, why bourbons and not other liquors? I would think more vodka and rum is being consumed on cruises then bourbon.

 

No hard facts, but...

 

Bourbon has become highly allocated over the last several years, and I've found them somewhat hit and miss ashore. Others haven't had those issues. Most cruise ships I've been on have had much better selections of Scotch whisky than bourbon. RCG appears to have a strong contractual relationship with Diageo, so that's pretty much Bulleit (which they did have in July/August on Equinox). It's really hard to explain Woodford Reserve since they have no apparent issues with Maker's Mark, but I have seen Woodford shortages in Virginia and at the military exchanges in the area, so that's not unique to RCG. They had plenty of Tennessee Whiskey (Jack Daniels).

 

For Scotch, they seem to do OK with Macallan and Johnny Walker (the latter also a Diageo brand). Others single malts were somewhat scarce this trip, but it's been a month and I don't remember. Previous cruises they had Oban and Lagavulin (World Class Bar), but they didn't have either on Equinox that I saw.

 

No obvious issues with rum, even the aged Zacapa, which is also distributed by Diageo.

 

Appeared to be plenty of gin and vodka, but those aren't aged spirits.

 

So it's kind of hard to figure out what might be going on. Bourbon grew significantly in popularity when Scotch prices went up dramatically a few years ago. But a number of us have noticed limited bourbon availability on Celebrity.

[mfs2k]

17 hours ago, padgman1 said:

And if not, why bourbons and not other liquors? I would think more vodka and rum is being consumed on cruises then bourbon.

 

If I want to taste mixers I drink vodka.  If I want the taste of Whiskey I drink bourbon.  (I don't like the smoky taste of Scotch)

[bnurick]

Not to beat a dead horse, but at this point I just want what is advertised on the packages I purchase.  Or perhaps a refund. 

[Snate]

I am on the Reflection in December so guessing I just won’t drink much bourbon if the choices are that bad.  It’s the Caribbean so I guess i can go for the fruity/frozen drinks for a week.  I was on Princess this summer up in Alaska and had their basic drink package, not the premium package.  I found one bar where the steakhouse was located that had Blanton’s and it was on the regular package so I was drinking that every night until they ran out with 2 nights left.  I then switched to Eagle Rare which was also on the regular drink package I had purchased.  Other readily available choices on that Princess ship which I didn’t drink were Woodford, Makers Mark, Basil Haydens, Knob Creek, etc… You would think Celebrity could outdo Princess when it comes to Bourbon but I guess not.  

[Whinenowine]

50 minutes ago, Snate said:

I found one bar where the steakhouse was located that had Blanton’s and it was on the regular package so I was drinking that every night until they ran out with 2 nights left.  I then switched to Eagle Rare which was also on the regular drink package I had purchased.  Other readily available choices on that Princess ship which I didn’t drink were Woodford, Makers Mark, Basil Haydens, Knob Creek, etc… You would think Celebrity could outdo Princess when it comes to Bourbon but I guess not.  

I’m so jealous!  Blanton was my go to bourbon for most of the last 15yrs…. But starting around 5yrs ago it started to jump price and to become allocated.  Why? I dunno….just like I dunno why Princess clearly had a better selection than X.   On the latter I’m Beginning to think it’s more about corporate decision making rather than supply chain issues. 

[mfs2k]

4 hours ago, bnurick said:

Not to beat a dead horse, but at this point I just want what is advertised on the packages I purchase.  Or perhaps a refund. 

somewhere, in the fine print, it likely says "specific brands are subject to availability." 

[capecodmercury]

On 7/27/2022 at 3:04 PM, r2h2 said:

Eagle Rare is one of my favorites.  Another one to try is Weller. It is a wheat based Bourbon from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort,KY. Both are difficult to find.

Definitely agree with Eagle Rare, unfortunately it's getting real hard in New England  to find unless you have a good in with a store clerk.  I've been told that a lot of stores have stopped leaving space on the shelves for it because it goes so quick.  You need to know what day it gets delivered and ask a clerk.

 

The NH liquor stores used to do barrel picks back before it became so hard to find.  Those were extra yum.

[capecodmercury]

On 9/4/2022 at 3:49 PM, bnurick said:

@markeb the bartender said 1oz = $400.  Maybe I see about a Captain’s Club discount. 😂 

And don't forget the obligatory 18% tip, so $472.00.

[capecodmercury]

I haven't sailed post covid yet (cruising on the Summit in October), but my take is that the more popular bourbons (at least the ones being referred to as being out of stock on Celebrity)  are also ones I have trouble finding at home at a market price. 

 

Remember,  bourbon consumption has dramatically increased over the past 10 years and ramping up production for an aged bourbon can be an 8-10 year process.  Heck, I stopped at the A.H. Bowman distillery in VA this summer and they had absolutely zero bourbon in stock of any type.  Not because of lack of juice, but because they had been unable to get any bottles!  Point I am trying to make is that there still are bottlenecks in acquiring spirits.

 

This would also explain why there is no real lack of clear spirits:  minimal aging allows for faster response to market pressure.  As for Scotch, at least in U.S., Single Malt does not have the popularity of bourbon. Maybe its because of the price point?  Also, I can easily drink 2 or 3 neat bourbons over the course of an evening,  but I'm usually satisfied with a single dram of a good Single Malt.

[bnurick]

On the Disney Fantasy. Here is a picture of the bourbon lineup at the Bon Voyage Bar on night one. They said they restock tomorrow as Thanksgiving week was a very busy cruise.

[miched]

I recently sailed on the Equinox.   All they had was MM, Buffalo Trace, Bulliet, Beam, and rot gut Ten High.   I checked every bar and there was nothing other than that for bourbon.  Unless you consider Jack.  We were in a suite and the BT in the lounge said they would check.   Nothing.  
 

They said it was a supply issue.   We drive to FL from MI and stop at many Costcos and Total Wines.   They all had plenty of Woodford, and other higher end bourbons that X use to carry and were included in the premium package.
 

My local liquor store also has a ton of the same.

 

The supply issue for Celebrity is they don’t want to supply it.   The same for the wine selection.   They don’t want to supply it.   
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

[bnurick]

@miched I agree they don’t want to supply it. They, like some others, are in a mountain of debt and will likely need to go through a structured bankruptcy to get back to having the cash flow to offer what they used to. I’ll be on The Edge in January and will report what they have then…. Happy cruising. 🛳️ 

[vacruizer]

14 hours ago, miched said:

I recently sailed on the Equinox.   All they had was MM, Buffalo Trace, Bulliet, Beam, and rot gut Ten High.   I checked every bar and there was nothing other than that for bourbon.  Unless you consider Jack.  We were in a suite and the BT in the lounge said they would check.   Nothing.  
 

They said it was a supply issue.   We drive to FL from MI and stop at many Costcos and Total Wines.   They all had plenty of Woodford, and other higher end bourbons that X use to carry and were included in the premium package.
 

My local liquor store also has a ton of the same.

 

The supply issue for Celebrity is they don’t want to supply it.   The same for the wine selection.   They don’t want to supply it.   
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

I’m on the Apex next week for my first Celebrity cruise and that selection makes me sad. I’ll report back what I find there.  I actually cancelled my beverage package upgrade and will wait until I’m onboard to see if they have any decent bourbon. 
 

Makers and BT are drinkable and ok for mixing, but would have expected some better selections for sipping.  Even a short Carnival cruise I took in May had Blanton’s and NCL often has Bookers at their whiskey bars. I’d even settle for some Knob Creek. 

 

[RichYak]

14 hours ago, miched said:

The supply issue for Celebrity is they don’t want to supply it.   The same for the wine selection.   They don’t want to supply it.   

Yet they continue to sell the upgraded beverage plan while carrying few upgraded beverages on board.

[DaKahuna]

On 9/6/2022 at 11:53 PM, markeb said:

No obvious issues with rum, even the aged Zacapa, which is also distributed by Diageo.

 

 

 There was no Zacapa to be found, even at the World Class Bar, on Silhouette in March / April.   I am hoping that the situation gets rectified for our Millennium cruise in April. 

 

 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 There was no Zacapa to be found, even at the World Class Bar, on Silhouette in March / April.   I am hoping that the situation gets rectified for our Millennium cruise in April. 

 

 

I'll be on Millie the last week of March. I will do some advance scouting for you and report back.

[39august]

No lack of Zacapa Rum at WCB on Equinox in Sept/Oct.  I had one every night. 

[markeb]

7 hours ago, 39august said:

No lack of Zacapa Rum at WCB on Equinox in Sept/Oct.  I had one every night. 

 

Same in August on Equinox.

[neminem]

Our Alaska cruise last June on the Millenium, had zero Zacapa rum as well, I was disappointed (also very little decent American whiskey). Really hope our cruise on the Solstice next week does better in that regard, at least in terms of Zacapa! Kinda given up on bourbon at this point. Really hope they at least have some Buffalo Trace somewhere, sometimes, though (unlike the Millenium) - one of my favorite whiskeys, really punches way above its price range.

Edited November 28, 2022 by neminem

[bnurick]

The bourbon stand lineup from the Skyline Bar on Disney Fantasy. Blantons, Wistle Pig 10, Woodford, etc…

   

Edited November 28, 2022 by bnurick

[markeb]

1 minute ago, bnurick said:

The bourbon stand lineup from the Skyline Bar on Disney Fantasy. Blantons, Wistle Pig 10, Woodford, etc…

   

 

Price for a neat pour? 😃

 

It's kind of weird. In theory, unless there's something unique in Florida, land-based Disney would get its whisk(e)y from a Florida distributor and Disney Cruises would be able to buy from the distiller as an exporter. If Disney also buys export for its offshore properties, that would give them a leg up.

 

X didn't have those even without supply chain issues. THAT I absolutely agree is on X (and probably RCG). Not switching to Disney just for the booze selection, but that's a nice selection...

[bnurick]

31 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Price for a neat pour? 😃

 

It's kind of weird. In theory, unless there's something unique in Florida, land-based Disney would get its whisk(e)y from a Florida distributor and Disney Cruises would be able to buy from the distiller as an exporter. If Disney also buys export for its offshore properties, that would give them a leg up.

 

X didn't have those even without supply chain issues. THAT I absolutely agree is on X (and probably RCG). Not switching to Disney just for the booze selection, but that's a nice selection...

I asked an Blanton’s is $13 and Whistlepig is $15.  We cruise Disney and X and it’s not bourbon based decision making. 😂 

 

Just passing along so we all can press X as appropriate.