Nozinan started a discussion
6 years ago
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Special releases - Are we lemmings?
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Victor replied
Well, @Nozinan, my very good friend, they will likely not lower the prices if they can get those prices, and it looks like they will be able to get those prices.
As to the question, 'Why can't they make more?', you are buying the best barrels of whisky which the distillery has. As with the BTAC whiskeys, the Four Roses or Heaven Hill special releases, Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, or Ardbeg Supernova, the top 1% of the company's barrels will continue to be limited to the top 1% of the company's barrels. If the distillery doubled production I expect that they could double the size of their top tier products. Until then there will be very few barrels available which will show the quality required to charge the big bucks.
I think that your best bet for lowering premium whisky prices remains hoping that the public and the well-heeled types have a radical shift of taste away from the whole whisky category. Can that happen? Sure it can. It has happened before. But we might have to wait 10, 20, or 30 years for it to happen again.
In the meantime your current collection should last you for the next 20 years, if you do not give it away.
I am mostly letting these new releases sit on the shelves.
6 years ago 0
I tasted some really good whiskies at the Wiser's masterclass on Saturday. I got to chat with Dr. Don (without @Paddockjudge to muzzle me...but I was polite - we didn't talk about caramel). It was really nice.
As someone who had avoided but is now starting to appreciate the style, I find that Wiser's has now taken over the mantle (from Forty Creek) of innovator in Canadian Whisky. This year's class showcased 6 special releases, and with an unlimited budget I would probably want to own (and keep in reserve) at least 5 of them.
The company is smart. Only 4 of the 6 are being released in the fall. One is to be available for Father's day (and only in Ontario), and the other for Canada day, allowing budgets to be renewed.
The most noteworthy change this year is that all but one release has been premium priced. The Canada 2018 will be $50. All the others (except the 35 YO) will be $100, between $20-30 more than less than a year ago. And the 35 YO is going up to $200.
These are huge price increases, and the rationale I understand is the scarcity.
I don't buy it. Well, I WANT to buy the whisky. But I don't buy the rationale. Small supply? Whatever. I live in a moderate home. On Friday we had 10 extra people for dinner because of blackouts, and we still had leftovers.
The NBC is about 325 cases per expression, for ALL OF CANADA. if you look at that in litres, is it even 1% of Wiser's annual output? Tell me they couldn't have made more.
What I don't understand is what the business model is. People will once again be frustrated and disappointed, and the profit they make on such a small release can't be worth it.
So my question. Are we going to let FOMO turn us into a bunch of lemmings, or are we going to let these gems sit on the shelf until they lower prices?