Comments on: Whisky distillers: listen up!

By: Thank You, John: That Goes for Beer, Too! « Blogging at World of Beer

Thank You, John: That Goes for Beer, Too! « Blogging at World of Beer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:14:03 +0000

[...] publisher and prolific blogging voice has to say, for it oft times applies equally to beer. As in this recent post, read by me only today on account of my having ignored the blogs I follow during my recent travels. [...]

By: M.R.McGuire

M.R.McGuire — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:13:23 +0000

A part of the reason that MM 46 is close to the same price as standard MM may be that there was an ‘offloading’/'sale’ of MM for @$35.00 per 1.75L here in Oklahoma City about a month ago.

By: Chef!

Chef! — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:27:46 +0000

I understand everyones frustration on the matter but this is why I have John review the whiskies before I buy them. As said before here, his palate is pretty in-tune to what I like. When I first started into whisky years ago I bought-up a ton of different expressions and still have about 30 bottles left from that original inventory I built-up years ago. That being said I know exactly what I like and will buy again. And while I will try something new or out of my comfort zone, if it doesn’t come across as something I would be willing to spend good money on (via review) then I won’t bother.

I do agree with the need for new distillers to evaluate what they’re putting into the bottle and crawling before learning to walk. As mentioned in the last issue of Malt Advocate: If distillers simply tell us it’s experimental then I’m okay with that.

By: John Hansell

John Hansell — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:28:44 +0000

Me too. Thanks Stuart!

By: two-bit cowboy

two-bit cowboy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:21:36 +0000

Thanks for wading into the pool, Stuart.

I look forward to your whisky arriving in the USA.

By: two-bit cowboy

two-bit cowboy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:06:13 +0000

Send me an email with your thoughts, DavidG.

By: H.Diaz

H.Diaz — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:36:22 +0000

You’re right. The price was a little higher than regular Maker’s, about $5 – a very modest increase for such a new kind of bourbon – with French oak staves added-in and everything. The bottle made no mention of the word French, only oak staves. I paid $30. It was the only, or maybe the last, bottle on the shelf.

Other brands of whisky, starting with Scotch, would have likely doubled the price from their standard bottling for such a newbie.

By: Mr Claw

Mr Claw — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:48:26 +0000

Rah! rah!

I would almost recommend a boycott, but I wouldn’t be able to maintain it…

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:22:31 +0000

We have it even worse in Ontario, Canada Have you tried LCBO lately? I am not buying whisky in Ontario at all (there are ways to import whisky even to a tightly controlled Ontario with its absolute monopoly of LCBO).

By: B.J. Reed

B.J. Reed — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:40:58 +0000

I think the family casks are true to the core of what Glenfarclas does – These are single casks of the Glenfarclas that in combination makes up their core expressions. When they decide to “explore” in most cases its doing things like their 105 40 YO, again consistent with their cask strength 105. Also, even if they do something experimental I know that the family is making the calls and that marketing and sales folks are operating within that context.

By: Stuart Nickerson

Stuart Nickerson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:48:35 +0000

John,
I agree and yet I have some fairly highly priced whisky on the market, although they have not quite made it to the USA yet. (They are coming though as our labels have now been approved (eventually))
Quality for us is number one and once we sort out some younger whiskies ( a 22 year gap in production gives us certain challenges) and can sell in higher volumes then we will be able to provide less expensive products.
We also have a range of younger products, 12months maturation or less, which are less expensive and again we would not release these unless we felt that the quality was good enough.
Personally I think that there will always be a place in the market for the extra special packaging of products, aimed at the gift market, because there are consumers who want this. However the majority of whisky drinkers are not in that category and as you say want good quality whisky at an affordable price.
All the best, and keep up the good work
Stuart Nickerson
Glenglassaugh Distillery

By: Thomas W

Thomas W — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:09:46 +0000

I fully agree with you.

By: smellmyskunk

smellmyskunk — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:22:06 +0000

I agree completely. Taste and price are the two things that are most important to me when considering whether to buy a bottle. I think it is also important for the new distillers to send samples to Malt Advocate for review. I am far more likely to buy a bottle that gets a good MA review.

By: Kutter

Kutter — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:13:42 +0000

You think whisky is expensive in USA. Try to live in Quebec. For Example, Ardberg Ugueidail is 145$ in Montreal and half this price in New York. We have not access to independent bottlings or very few and not the best ones. Only the state-owned society (SAQ) is allowed to sell spirits in Quebec. They decide what they want to sell and there is a lot of taxes since it is owned by the government. In addition, it is impossible to buy whisky online and make it shipped in Montreal because it needs to go through the SAQ. I envy you guys in USA because you have a lot of choices at still fairly prices.

With that said, great post John! I don’t want a war of peat between Supernova and Octomore until they both suck. They should try to leave the right amount of peat so it tastes good and still satisfies all of the peat lovers out there.

By: Texas

Texas — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:32:15 +0000

The fact we have you folks that are actually selling their product here is huge. Your testimony right there hits them in the pocketbook..maybe that will wake some of them up,