Priced Out of The Market?

@OCeallaigh Yeah, this exactly. I'll pay for bottles I know are worth it, but getting even more leery of shelling out big bux on spec.

This is why I so love Kensington Wine Market in Calgary--where you can try before you buy! (They have tasters of most bottles on the shelf...a most excellent way to shop, and I'm very glad iI found it. Really helps a newbie like me avoid disappointment. I've asked locally, but I'm told BC has different laws. Sure wish Canadian liquor laws were updated from the 19th century to the 21st.)

I still see and buy plenty of stuff that's good value:

•Springbank 12 CS for $85

•Laphroaig 10 CS for $60

•Talisker 10 for $50

•Ardbeg standard releases, $45-70

•Young Caol Ila CS IBs, usually around $65

•Clearance stuff from Binny's

•Knappogue Castle 12 YO for $30

Those bottles make up the bulk of my usual rotations. I'll stretch occasionally to the $100 territory for a more unusual Springbank, Longrow, Kilchoman, or whatever. I feel OK about those splurges too.

This is all in Wisconsin or from online retailers (especially Binny's and K&L).

@OlJas

I'm of 2 minds about what you've written. Primarily I am happy that a whisky Connosr has access to a good variety of reasonably priced quality whisky.

However, looking at your list:

• Springbank 12 CS for $85 - Can't get it in Ontario. And In other parts of Canada it's around $120.

• Laphroaig 10 CS for $60 - Can't get it in Canada, at all!

• Talisker 10 for $50 - it's $100 at KGBO

• Ardbeg standard releases, $45-70 - In Ontario the 10 is ~$100, Uigeadail is about $170. Corry even more.

• Young Caol Ila CS IBs, usually around $65 - we can only dream of this at any price.

I've been purchasing less single malt scotch, but more quality bourbons.

@Nozinan Yeah, I realized right away that OIJas wasn't in Canada.

@FMichael I'm also buying more quality bourbon and less scotch, party because of the price but largely because I'm developing a taste for good bourbon.

Like so many threads on so many topics on so many forums, this has devolved into a series of complaints about Canadian whisky prices. In some sense, I wonder if that even counts as a "market" as a opposed to a state-run monopoly.

In actual market conditions that I'm aware of (my local retailers' shelves on big online sellers), I see prices that are increasing but still reasonable for what you get. That's a broad judgment; I gave some of the most favorable examples above and there are plenty on the opposite end of the spectrum too, but most are in the reasonable in-between. Reasonable.

I'm always the first to say that prices are based on the market rather than production costs, but at the same time I'm a little awed that ~$50 will buy a long-lasting bottle of tasty spirit produced a world away, matured for a decade in one of the most beautiful countries on earth, and shipped right to my local retailer's shelf if not my door. (Yes, I'm thinking scotch here. Irish too.) I am not priced out of the market.

@OlJas, grow up dip shit

Laphroaig 10 CS at $60 I nearly choked on my tea, only place I can find in stock in Uk wants £100/bottle. There are regular bargain single malts to be had probably due to fact they don't have to pay for long distance transport. Talisker 10, Aberlour 10 and 12, Glenlivet 12 and others regularly available in the £25 and £30 bracket. The Springbank 12 CS would run me £70 only one bottle available shipped from Germany and to top it all trying to get decent bourbon in UK means stupid prices or ordering from Europe. UK stockists want £30 for WT101, Jim Beam black can not be found off the shelf online only, Bookers is £60 and WT Rare Breed runs around £55, Four Roses and Blantons like the rest, Stagg Jnr around £75, think I might retire to Wisconsin at those prices.

@OlJas Yes, we in Canada might complain about prices--largely because we're right next door to the US, where--as you've pointed out--prices are so much lower. There are reasons for this, among them the low Canadian dollar, for one thing.

Regulations are different, too. In the US, there is a flourishing craft spirit community; here in Canada, it's barely noticeable. The rules around selling and shipping alcohol are antique and convoluted, and vary from province to province. In most cases, we cannot purchase online, and we can't just take a trip to the US to stock up, either--importation is severely limited.

So yeah, we might complain a bit about price (especially in a thread about being pricing). That said, there is more to life than the price of whisky, and I've always been happy and proud to be Canadian.

@paddockjudge , I have respectfully downvoted your post, good sir.

@Spitfire , yeah, I dig what you're saying. Trying to buy whisky up there must be frustrating. I was just thinking that a rehash of the well-worn problems of the Canadian whisky "market" is a little off-topic from Victor's original question here, which was whether prices over the past six years have bumped any of us out of the market.

@OlJas

I think none of us have really been bumped out of the market, though we've probably changes what and how much we buy in some cases....

@Nozinan , no pun intended? :)

("cases")

@OlJas, yawn

@OlJas, and I have upvoted your downvote post...because it was short and actually made a good point, unlike your blather about complaints aimed at Canadian whisky prices...on a thread about price.

@paddockjudge You may want to wait until you have tried this one before you post your list.

lcbo.com/lcbo/product/…

@Astroke My understanding is that this will be served in the Livermore Master Class at Spirit of Toronto. It remains to be seen if it is as spectacular as is being said, or whether one will even be able to get it when it goes on sale.

@Nozinan Yes, maybe it's just a $15 more bottle of Legacy. Of course I will purchase 1 or more bottles no matter where they sell it especially if it is a better version of Legacy.

Do you know if this will be a one-off release?

@Astroke

I'm sure that Dr. Liver(no)more will be happy to hear you'll be buying this on spec, just like 10s of thousands of Northern Harvest Rye flew off the shelves. I have heard great expectations myself, and will gladly assist in purchasing for people if I can get it and they cannot, but I'll wait until I taste it before deciding if I want one (or more) big bottles of the stuff.

I know very little about this expression, though I expect an earful next week. It is likely a one-off given its name, because if there is a second release then they really were not the "last barrels"...

@Nozinan don't lump me in with the rush on CRNHR :) I purchased my only bottle of this before JM ever made mention of it. I would have purchased any high rye content at 90 proof for that price. I will not be replacing it when I ever get around to finishing the bottle.

I thought this (Last Barrels) was a derivative of Legacy?

Interestingly, out here in BC I have yet to ever even see a bottle of CR NHR for sale, nor Wiser's Legacy (never mind Last Barrels, which I'd never heard of prior to reading Astroke's post). Hmmm.

@Astroke

I didn't intend to lump anyone into anything. I own a bottle of CRNHR (recent release) but only because it was a gift. I have not opened it but when I do I will do a H2H with the sample that @paddockjudge gave me.

@Spitfire You're missing nothing with the NHR. I can take or leave Legacy because I much prefer @paddockjudge's version.

As to the make-up of the last barrels, I don't know what they are based on and I'm hoping that the Connosr who does will break his silence at some point...

@Astroke , thanks for the heads-up. I 'm looking forward to trying this new release at Spirit of Toronto next week. There is some excellent long-aged whisky in the Wiser's warehouse and I suspect some of it went into this batch.

@Spitfire You do however have plenty of this:

www.bcliquorstores.com/product/897520#

@Astroke, Wiser's Last barrels is Windsor-Sour Mash. I don't know if it was aged exclusively in new oak, but if it was then you could possibly expect a 14 YO bourbon style whisky....had this been the case, and if it was produced just a few hundred yards north of the Walkerville Distillery, it might then be called Bourbon, but alas, it was produced south of Detroit, in Canada, and is named differently.

It might not resemble Legacy because Legacy is a blend of at least five different whiskies, some malted and some aged in new oak with an age profile near 10 years. The method of distillation for this new release is currently unknown to me. I'm guessing it might resemble a rye forward bourbon, perhaps something like Jefferson's Special Reserve. How's that for crystal ball gazing?!

@paddockjudge I wonder if Dr. Livermore will take questions... from anyone else?

@Astroke, @Spitfire, save $20, buy Highwood Ninety 20 YO in lieu of Rocky Mountain 21 YO.

@Astroke Yes, the RM21 is available--in a store 4 hours away (and I've detailed elsewhere how BCLDB is not always willing to bring special orders to my local stores). However, I will be doing that drive in a few weeks.

@paddockjudge And I already have a bottle of Ninety 20 on hold for when I do get there. I see they also have Gibsons's Finest Venerable 18 in stock, too--gotta pick up some of that as well, I guess (better call and put one on hold).

@paddockjudge I have asked the question many times to the reviewers who have scored RM21 higher the H90 when it appears that you are getting 1 more year and 1% ABV and for $20 more. I did not lose any sleep when the LCBO failed to bring this in, but I won't lie to myself, I would have picked it up.

The same will happen with the Last Barrels, hopefully I will hear some tasting notes/reviews from non shills, but inevitably I will purchase at least 1.

@paddockjudge Pretty good speculation on the Wiser's. I want a bottle right now :)