What's the most outrageous retail markup?

@Astroke What's happening with the guy who took a bunch of beer and liquor from NS to Quebec and got charged with illegally transporting liquor from one province to another? I think he is in court on a Constitutional rights challenge. What a complete waste of court time.

@BlueNote he won, but it’s being challenged. In an ideal world we’ll be able to buy whisky from and province and have it shipped.

@nooch The ruling would only apply to Canadian made spirits though, so don't get your hopes up of ordering cheap and plentiful scotch from Calgary online.

@Nozinan It's just too ridiculous that small BC wineries can ship to the US, where nobody gives a shit about BC wine, but they can't ship to Ontario and vice versa for small Niagara producers.

As a sign of true greed, Sullivan's Cove French Oak now retails for $350 AUD, it was approx $150 prior to the World Whisky award it got a few years back.

It's a great whisky, however, the price increase is just a cash grab.

@Frost That's a big grab, but not unusual for an industry whose motto is "Cash Grabs R Us."

Springbank 18 year old now going for $270.00. I guess it is only for collectors now and not to be drunk and appreciated. The mean side of me hopes that it is a loose cork and and the neck fill drops rapidly.

@fiddich1980, well, you just have to buy your Springbank 18 in UK, then, if you want to get it for 45% less than the LCBO price. Or in the US for 25% less than the LCBO price. Make friends with business travelers.

@Victor I do not know any business traveler's but, I have some friends who are long haul truckers.

@fiddich1980 If your friends find themselves in Halifax, Nova Scotia have them go to Bishop's Landing on the waterfront. BL is one of the very few independent stores there that can sell spirits in NS. Their prices are in line with the NSLC (LCBO of NS) but they do usually have Springbank and the 18 is $195 cdn tax in there. Total Wine in the US sells it for $180 plus tax US $. They have the 15 for $108 cdn as well. You can sign up and even pay for it online and have a friend pick it up.

bishopscellar.com/store/…

@Astroke thanks for the advice. I've gone through a couple bottles of the 10 which were each from different years and a 12. They were very enjoyable and fairly price. The most recent 10 seemed to improve from previous 10. I'm tempted to give the 18 a try but, that LCBO price is off putting. It is like Balvenie. They start at a rational price then suddenly doubled in price overnight. Once again thanks for the advice.

@fiddich1980 , I don't know anything about Springbank's pricing in Canada, but in the US the consensus is that their importer is to blame for the crazy prices you often see.

Not that this really makes a difference when you're deciding whether to shell out—but if you feel like complaining a bit, maybe someone can help us identify who's to blame.

@MadSingleMalt "Let me tell you how it will be,

There's one for you, nineteen for me

"Cause I'm the Taxman"

@fiddich1980 Don't forget the price of Ardbeg at the KGBO

I have had Auchentoshan Three Wood on my watch list at the LCBO....until today. It is now $95 CAD for a 43% NAS bottle. I could have sworn it was close to $80 a few weeks ago.

Just before Xmas I gifted myself 2 bottles of Old Pulteney 17 from my local BC Liquor store. I decided to pay the $207 each because rumour has it it's being discontinued. I discovered too late that I could have got them from Alberta for just over $140 each tax in.

Elijah Craig Small Batch fot 79$ in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. JW Black close to fifty.

A chain store in Sydney is selling Chivas Regal 12 YO for $62

edit: typo

@Jonathan Still sold out in 2-3 days.

lcbo.com/lcbo/product/…

@Jonathan - JW Black, is that's US $ right? Ouch!

I've seen it as high as £30 over here. One to get in the sales nowadays!

I don't know if it's outrageous, but JP Wiser's 18 Year Old is now $80 instead of $70 at the KGBO

@OdysseusUnbound An 18 yo whisky in Ontario under 100$! That is not Outrageous. I saw the Octomore 6.3 at 300$ at SAQ. THAT is outrageous.

@Robert99 The price went up by ten bucks! I reserve my right to be outraged !

@OdysseusUnbound Here is a cure for Wiser's 18 price hike:

lcbo.com/lcbo/product/…

@Astroke, Good call on the Highwood 90/20. I had the chance to try that for the first time recently and I was pleasantly surprised.

@Astroke I’ve been meaning to get one of those. Why oh why must my money be a finite resource?

@Astroke The burgundy label was better. Also, it used to cost less than $50....

@Astroke @OdysseusUnbound I would also throw CC20yo out there (which was $50 for the month of December, back up to $60 now). I recently tried it as one of the bottles in my whisky advent calendar and was quite impressed.

@Nozinan I know there are some Burgandy label bottles out there and I have looked around in my area with no luck. Never understood the label change to white and wonder if it's just our imagination if there is a quality difference. Maybe @paddockjudge would give his opinion on the label change and quality change if any.

@Astroke We did a H2H in December at an epic tasting in Toronto. Both are good, but there was some agreement that the Burgundy label was better.