Have you noticed the shift in the whisky world recently? How some distilleries think the product they are selling is no longer a drink for the masses but a real luxury that the average man or woman should feel privileged to be in the presence off ..
A product that the average person should no longer be in the same room as.. Maybe we should grow wings and learn to fly.. O wait, isn’t this what the Macallan is telling us ? Jump off a mountain in order to fall, but don’t worry you will grow some wings and fly off into the distance, don’t forget to pick up a bottle as you fly over telly tubby land and collect £200 as you pass go!! Well I for one am not stupid enough to jump, I know all I’m gonna do is go splat on the floor ! Someone please tell me just what the hell has flying got to do with whisky ? Do they think they are God and only angels can drink their whisky..
Who the hell comes up with these ideas to sell the product ? Someone out there must be laughing all the way to the bank when they see these companies coming with the large briefcase full of money and saying “ make us a special advertisement that totally says you are so much better than the average person if you drink Macallan..
This is just turning into Snobbery..
Snobbery..
: the behavior or attitude of people who think they are better than other people :
The prices are becoming ridiculous and the whisky is certainly not getting any better and in some cases it’s probably not as good as it used to be never mind at a level that would indeed command such price tags !!
Now we all know there has to be a little snobbery in all aspects of life but in some instances it becomes ridiculous to say the least and unfortunately some of the whisky world seems to be going down this route !!
Prices for a standard whisky are just becoming utterly insane, it is scary how the elitist as they like to be known are starting to price their whiskies, first releases commanding hundreds of pounds and what about those that send the first release straight to auction instead of looking after those who actually stood by them while they started up !! Shouldn’t they be seeing if the product is any good first and where they actually sit within the market ? It really is turning into a “ I’m ok jack” type of situation and the common man / woman is no longer someone they want to aim the products at, in fact it’s almost like they don’t want the typical whisky buyer to be associated with their products. Do they really want to alienate the people who will long term be buying the product ? it’s almost as if they are trying to turn the clock back to the draconian times of whisky being for the true gentleman retiring to the library or drawing room with the large cigar in hand and closing the door behind them in order to keep the unwanted out !
Ive said it before and I will say it again, some distilleries out there are managing to keep their feet on the ground and produce whisky at prices that actually show the typical buyer that good quality whisky can be made and bought without actually having to win the lottery..
Distilleries like Glen Moray who insist on producing a product at a very reasonable price, it just shows how overhyped and up their own arses some of the big boys are becoming..
Now I know we all have different budgets and that for some a £50 bottle still feels like they have to really justify the cost and to others a £100 -£200 budget will offer us a more realistic slice of the pie but it is still about what we conceive as value for money.. Are those who pay thousands for a standard whisky ( I am not talking about ultra rare 50yo whiskies here) actually understanding what they are drinking or are they really so oblivious to the real world that just a name on a bottle makes them think it is worth the price tag.. It’s time to wake up and smell the roses, it’s time for some producers to take their heads from up their arses and come back down to earth, it might be with a bump but as they say don’t bite the hand that feeds you !!
We all know it will get worse before it gets better if ever it can get better that is.. I wonder if they might just regret it one day if or when the bubble bursts..
I would be extremely interested in hearing any thoughts you have on the matter..
ocdwhisky.com 
Well said! Well written and makes you think!
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Completely agree and those on a more modest budget than even the £50 one mentioned in the original post, Malt whisky has inflated in price, even in the super markets by around £10-£15 per bottle. Blends seem to have remained the same, but for £20 you can get a very decent bottle of Glen Moray, or an anonymous regional named whisky. Or of course a decent blend. All good talking points, I guess it comes down to what you have to spend. However agree that the big players are pricing themselves out the market for the average humble whisky drinker
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Totally agree with you. It’s more about brand today. I started my journey about 5 years ago. Tasting whiskey from all over the world. Some cheap and some crazy expensive. For me it’s about what I like to drink. MacAllan 12 years is really nice.
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Absolutely true, Whisky is being promoted less as something you can sit down and enjoy depending on your own tastes, but something more you can aspire to. A lot of distilleries are being led too much by the export market and rather creating a simple message it is being for those who think spending a significant amount will buy you a quality dram on special bottlings. I am also fed up of seeing limited special releases from some distilleries, what are these, is it acutually a quality whisky 🥃 or just a mythical name on an designer bottle in a wooden box? The likes Club Haig has a lot to answer for….
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Hi Kenny..
Well Said 👍
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Hi..
Thanks for the comments.. Personally I don’t buy Macallan or Dalmore any more, anything that I consider over priced and not value for money will not have me parting with my hard earned money.. I am more than happy to buy products that are expensive as long as the liquid inside meets the standard..
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True. So true. Buy Glenfarclas instead of Macallan. Buy Glenfarclas instead of Macallan. That is my comment in tele tubby style ! Buy a copy of Scottish whisky from Japan and get screwed in between. Ben Nevis no longer available because of it being the main part of Japanese whisky at a much higher price. Just add a splash of Japanese shite and call it Hibjikushogunnyshittyshamelesscopied drivel. So, There you are
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I am not so sure about the whole “drama”. Yes – I am the first one, who would criticize brands, of focusing on Marketing – however most of us are complaining yet still buying the expensive product.
Are we really do something about it? I have been inspired by this post and respond in my blog-post:
http://www.opinionatedalchemist.com/2018/11/whisky-or-other-distillate-snobbery.html
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100% behind everything mentioned in this well thought out article.
Whisky is made by (extra) ordinary hard working men and women with the goal of sharing the love, not alienating the average person and building the already inflated ego of those who already believe themselves to be far more important than they actually are.
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Thank you George for the comments and for visiting the site.. Totally agree with the comments..
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From my own neck of woods – Canada, I can say the same thing. But history likes to repeat itself… There is so many distilleries, that were put on ice when the previous bubble burst. There will be more this time. Every bubble sooner or later bursts. This one will to. We, the average Joe can always find someone who makes excellent whisky and prices is according to value of it and not what they think they can squeeze out of customer. It isn’t collectors who keeps distilleries going but average drinkers. Volume is what creates their wealth. Myself? I just look the other way. We have true value and quality here in Canada that I can afford to enjoy. And so I do. Cheers Sorren, great piece.
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Glen Moray is a superb value for money whisky.. And thank you for the comments 👍
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Hi Ash..
Firstly thanks for your comments.
I am lucky enough to be in a position to afford bottles that I desire, I will not pay over the odds for mediocre whisky just so I can show off my lack of knowledge in buying good affordable whisky !!
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Read this article while nodding in agreement to everything you said mate, the greed and arrogance these companies show to the customer is astonishing. Like you said they will send us back into the dark ages.
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I’m with you too Sorren. It’s getting too Must Have and completely away from Let’s Share, although there is some of the latter going on but that can also be exclusive. Whisky, like anything good in the world of food and drink, is at its best when shared. Price has to play an enormous part for the majority of drinkers and, let’s face it, they are the majority of the whisky drinking market. I’m using Glen Moray in a tasting tomorrow evening and bet it will go down extremely well. Cheers – and see you in TwitterLand very soon.
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Hi. Very well put Sorren.
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If the market dictates the price then the companies will take advantage of said prices, it is all s matter of making a profit ! Just because you might not be able to afford more than a basic bottle of whisky does not mean the prices are as you say ‘ridiculous ‘ !
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Don’t think I could have put it any better myself!
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Hope you’re sitting comfortably for this?
I utterly and completely agree with this!! It is actually a topic I was thinking about very recently (this morning in fact.)
I have always had an issue with Macallan and the image it is portraying of itself.
And now? Well now I can hire a jet and a yacht to experience this?
Hell no.
I note that for the $46,000 price tag that ” The Macallan will also be on hand, “subject to availability”, to take guests through a customised tasting of the whisky range.” So they cannot even guarantee a representative to be there to guide you through this “experience”.
I know money and the ability/affordability to spend is different from person to person, but. And there is a but, some distilleries are becoming elitist. To me this is sending out the wrong image, they’ll be running credit checks before tours if this carries on. Of course I am joking (or am I?)
Some people have to save bloody hard to afford one bottle of whisky, maybe even just once a year, others are in the position to be able to buy more often and this is an extremely fortunate position to be in. I think those that do this are more than aware that this is a bloody nice position to be in!! I would rather buy a bottle of something for what’s inside the bottle, and not jumping on the band wagon because it’s the “in thing” to do and I can boast about what ridiculous sum of money I have been suckered in to paying for a whisky no bugger has even tried because of it’s “pedigree”.
Glen Moray as you say, produce some bloody good whisky and it is affordable, and this is what it should be about in my humble opinion.
I think the bubble will burst. There is a lot of snobbery out there, I am a roll your sleeves up and muck in type of person, snobbery does nothing for me.
It’s all about keeping it real.
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