Macallan traffic jam

It’s only whisky. I’m as enthusiastic as the next guy or gal, but come on! And let’s be honest, most of the recent Macallan releases have been incredibly uninteresting. Full disclosure: I haven’t had any of the Macallan Editions, but a good friend who is a Macallan enthusiast admitted (albeit privately) that none of them warranted the sticker price he paid in Ontario, and that the Edition No.3 was particularly disappointing.

Although judging by what I see on Facebook groups, people are buying Macallan whiskies as an investment. Whatever. I feel like there are better ways to invest your money, but what do I know?

@OdysseusUnbound I think this kind of thing is not as uncommon as one would think. There’s a bourbon producer who releases a one off edition, Stranahan’s Snowflake, every year. People literally campout for days in the parking lot to get it. Whiskey cast did a feature on it this year. Could you imagine if pappy was available by lining up at the distillery? In the case of Macallan you have a one off run of 360 bottles with a specific story that are immediately worth 4x what you paid for them when you walk off the property. Most people probably saw the bottle as an investment opportunity.

@OdysseusUnbound I have edition no 1. It’s quite good, although I kind of wish I hadn’t opened it. I paid $100 usd and it auctions now for $800-1000.

Where's the pleasure in investing in a bottle for profit? If you want to profit go ahead, pay the twenty percent fee and the catalog fee to an auction house in the hopes, of making a profit - somewhere else. I like this site for the fact that we are actually experiencing, opening and trying whiskies. I'm not a reviewer but, I do enjoy reading reviews posted here. Yes, some of US are also, willing to swap samples and sometimes trade a bottle with each other (often opened and not full) Let's keep this site for those who want to SHARE their experience with drinking, good and bad whisky (ey), "Flipping" is not a new activity (CC 40 and Pappy) nor is lining up for a "special release", it's just something which does not belong on this site.

Insightful commentary here:

whiskysponge.com/2018/08/…

@fiddich1980 I'm with you on the flipping vs sharing thing.

I have no problem with people buying bottles to invest (and I have some friends on Connosr who do), but I would not want this site to become an investment discussion board. I think our community has been quite good about this.

Trading, selling, giving and swapping are very different from investing. I've done all of these.

When I trade I make sure that both of us are receiving good value because no one should feel taken advantage of.

swapping samples or bottles so others can try or enjoy what I would rather not have anymore (and vice versa) is a great way to unburden your cabinet, AS LONG AS both people feel they are getting something worthwhile.

If I really don't want a bottle I have I will give it to someone who does, and I won't trade because to me it has little to no value.

If I sell a bottle I have bought, up until now it is for the price I paid for it. The question is what I would do with a bottle that is now valued at 5-10 times what I paid for it. Up until now, I haven't had a bottle like that that I would want to part with. Maybe the answer there is to invite the person who wants it over, open it, enjoy it, and send them home with a large sample bottle full of it.

I agree with @fiddich1980, I think we have a good thing going here and wouldn't want it ruined by what seems to be an increasingly common activity in this line of passion. That being said, it is something we can't pretend isn't going on especially compared to before.

@MadSingleMalt that's hilarious.

@MadSingleMalt Thanks for the link. That’s damned hilarious. I have no issue with flipping per se, what someone does with their own money is none of my business, but these types of things are driving up prices on all whiskies.

Scotch whisky has become gentrified, as has bourbon. Hell, even the better Canadian whiskies are starting to skyrocket in price ( afternoon delight ) making them unlikely to find their way into the hands of “average” whisky sippers. In fact, many of my friends just don’t get what I find so appealing about whisky. One of my co-workers tried Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve and Macallan Gold and then “gave up” on single malt scotch because he prefers cognac if he’s going to spend that much money on alcohol. I have no idea what good quality cognac costs, but Glenlivet FR sells for $50-$60 depending on the day/week and THE Macallan Gold sells for $60-$75 depending on what the top-knots at the KGBO are smoking that particular week.

I know I've said it before, but it's applicable here: Everyone who's ever bought a bottle at auction (or similar) owes a thank-you to someoen who invested, flipped, forgot about, or otherwise decided to store a bottle and later sell it, instead of drinking it down themselves.

@MadSingleMalt Don't forget that there are people who buy bottles at auction, and then share them with their friends who would otherwise never taste some of these (and some are real gems).

And for that, I, personally, am grateful.

(yes @talexander, I am referring to you. Thanks for the opportunities)

@MadSingleMalt fair enough, but there are just as many people who owe someone a big “f..k you” when they can’t get a bottle of something (like Wiser’s 35 or Lot 40 CS) because it’s snatched up en masse right away by flippers. God forbid you aren’t up to date on release dates or near pop-up stores etc. Anyhoo, in this case, I’m just glad I don’t give a single fuck about Macallan. But to be honest, with all the shell games, tomfoolery, and general bullshit going on, I’m often tempted to quit drinking and blogging altogether.

@OdysseusUnbound

See here is the problem... it is only on rare occasions that I can make whisky an "afternoon delight". Usually it is an evening thing.

I feel sometimes I'm reaching for more and more premium whiskies that are getting beyond my grasp. My taste of Bruichladdich 10 (46%) last night, which was pricy but not prohibitive back in the day, reminded me there are (were?)some excellent "punter's" whiskies out there.

@OdysseusUnbound That would be a big loss to the rest of us.

While I feel I get my share of hard to get releases (though not the BTACs), I try my best to ensure my friends benefit from the bounty as well. One of the reasons I'll buy multiple bottles (for sharing and on specific request to help out people who live in Midland...).

But I also recognize not everyone has such a network, so I wish there were a more fair distribution method.

Selling 250 cc bottles (1 per customer for rare ones) would be a good start.

When it comes to whisky, I'm very democratic - I sip, drink on ice, have in cocktails, mix, collect and invest. Oh, and also share and trade freely. And write about it on this site from time to time. I've been yelled at publicly for being an investor, but hey it is one of the many things I enjoy doing when it comes to whisky. I buy fairly frequently at auction, both for investing and for drinking. Having said all that, yeah the Macallan traffic jam seemed a bit too wacky....

@MadSingleMalt Yes, It does take place. It is just a subject that would attract and take over what this site/forum is all about. I've run across posts which say "I've got this X bottle or I found this Y bottle, or my late uncle left me this bottle of Z", "does anyone know the value?". Moreover, in Ontario, Canada, last year the Northern Border's collection went on sale at an LCBO pop up store. People were lined up, and the majority weren't there because they were drinkers. They were flippers - for someone like me - it was depressing - totally lacking in collective enthusiasm. Let's not attract that kind of activity to this site. In Canada, there's Waddingtons auction house. If someone wanted to sell or buy a bottle there, that's there choice. Now, If they were to buy and post a review(@talexander review connosr.com/bells-royal-reserve-20-year-ol…) on the a site. That something I can get into. and appreciate.

@Nozinan, what about my comments here could possibly preclude the generous sharing you're describing?

@fiddich1980, I don't think anybody here is hoping or expecting to attract that kind of site traffic.

@MadSingleMalt Nothing. My comment was just an add-on and a thank you to one connosr who has been very generous in the past.

Just adding to the thank yous.

@MadSingleMalt Unintended consequences.. A post I've seen on this site in another thread @Nozinan general reply, "bring it over, we'll open it try it and let you know how valuable it is", or along those lines.

@Nozinan I don’t mean to sound cranky or ungrateful. I’ve learned more about whisky and have had the chance to try more whisky since coming here than I would have otherwise. It’s just disheartening to see the prices going up across the board while the quality seems to be going down.

Greater Fool Theory might posit that no matter what the price, the scarcity of Macallan Genesis would find individuals willing to ante up the scratch. Evidently The Macallan Genesis was offered at much too low a price, given the profound screw-ups which ensued. At 2,000 GBP, rather than 495 GBP, the lines might have been shorter, but there would still have been lines. It doesn't even matter to those purchasers that no one has tasted the goods yet.

@fiddich1980 re-lax. Hahaha. I didn’t realize you were a site administrator or the site’s moral conscience. I was simply pointing out the motivation that some might have for creating a frenzy around a Macallan release. My comment re: Macallan ed. No 1 was related less to turning a profit or investing and more towards what other whiskies I could ‘experience’ with the kind of scratch my bottle of decent Macallan whisky could have generated. In other words, I would gladly trade a bottle of Macallan edition no. 1 for bottle of highland park 25yo, for example.

@nooch as per @Nozinan quote "I would not want this site to become an investment discussion board." I was pointing out what I value about this site. My post was not directed at you but, as a general observation on the state of the whisky market. I didn't realize, that I was the "site's moral conscience". Is it a job that pays?

@fiddich1980 Yes, it pays...in whisky samples...

@fiddich1980 like all jobs with similar titles - it doesn’t pay well. Trust me when I say that I very much enjoy this site and the tone and approach it takes to towards the enjoyment of whisky. I responded in the way that I did because your comment closely followed mine. I was simply indicating that the hysteria surrounding the release wasn’t necessarily unique - I wasn’t advocating that the site devolve into a whisky investment strategy chat. I’ve never viewed whisky as an investment and have never tried to flip a bottle. I suppose I found it odd that the topic was really even broached (that the site could skew that way) because I’ve never really even seen it discussed by people on the site.

Great banter on this thread! No black eyes, yet, and a few pats on the back....as for the bottle flipping, I don't flip, wouldn't know where to begin. Trades are where I find a nice bottle or two ...hmmmm, Macallan Edition 1 for HP 25.

@paddockjudge I rarely flip bottles. I have a hard time finishing a bottle (my online cabinet is OPEN bottles). So it is a rare occasion that I can flip one into the recycle bin.

I had read an news article about the brouhaha due to the cars/people in line for Macallan Genesis, then saw a short video clip of the ridiculous queue on the road. I've rolled my eyes plenty, and now one more eye roll for the $2025 GBP starting bid on Whisky Hammer auction website. Now for $2025 (or even the $495 original price), I could buy...

Oh and indeed, please no investment strategy talks, bottle values, and such on Connosr - though I've only been on a short while, what I so love about this site is the ongoing banter, sharing of love/loss over whiskey/whisky, and the reviews.

@paddockjudge I'm pleased to hear you're not into bottle flipping. As a teacher, that was one of the more annoying crazes that obsessed young people for a time - yes, I'm picturing you flipping a bottle right now.