Imperial Eclipse Compared to Other Barrel Aged Stouts

Wait, are we talking about beer or stock market investments lol!??

 

Depends on what your "stocks" are Mine is my beer cellar.

As for the futures, wineries have been doing it for years, and some breweries now do it as well. It made a lot of sense when Eclipse wasn't distributed years back, or when it flew off shelves when it first was, since it secured you bottles. Now, it's only benefit is in the price savings, and in some of the variant options, since obviously Eclipse sits on shevles due to retail prices, and other cheaper priced options these days.

 

A couple thoughts:

1. I suspect the bourbon distilleries are operating at a bit larger scale. Economies of scale in production and distribution?

Those warehouses at Heaven Hill look pretty big ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heaven_Hill.jpg

2. I suspect the ingredients might be cheaper for bourbon? Hops and such are pricey. I bet the bourbon distilleries buy their new barrels for less than FiftyFifty buys their used barrels.

3. I suspect the land, cost of living, wages fo employees is higher in Tahoe than in Kentucky.

This isn't to say that the markup isn't higher on the beer - I don't know. I don't have that much insight. But I think there is some reason that many places charge the prices they do beyond "it's what the market will accept."

The few places that seem able to charge lower prices are larger and usually have a solid foundation financially in higher production beers like IPAs, APAs, etc (e.g. Goose Island, Deschutes, Firestone).