Tiers of Quality
Thoughts on Tiers of Quality in manufacturing, and how the same concept can be applied to the whisky industry, and how it affects a consumer’s ability to effectively spend his or her money on quality products.
Tag: Budget
Trader Joe’s Speyside Single Malt 18 Year (1993)
Despite its faults this could easily serve as a “third round” scotch or sacrificial bottle for undiscerning visitors. I would say this particular bottle is worth exactly $26. Right on, Mr. Trader Joe.
Supply and Demand
I like to think that the cause of the historically established whisky bubble/bust cycle is twofold. One, the law of supply and demand coupled with the lengthy aging process of whisky. Two, the capriciousness of public opinion and global taste trends.
The Whisky Gift Guide
Around this time of year I get a lot of emails from people asking for gift suggestions. So, I’ve worked up a handy little chart for anyone who wants to gift something “slightly better” than last year’s gift.
Picking Your First Single-Malt Scotch
Before you can taste it, though, you’ve got to know how to pick a whisky to try! This post will focus on single-malt scotch, which I think is the best possible place to get your bearings in the wider world of whisky.
Whisky Prices Trend Upwards
Right now, like it or not, we are experiencing a boom. Distilleries are opening or ramping up production, prices are ratcheting higher, and limited-edition bottles are making headlines with record prices at auction. Many distilleries are riding the boom by releasing special bottlings and limited-editions at inflated prices because they know there’s consumer demand for them. So what’s to be done?
When To Drink It
…it got me thinking. How does an individual’s drinking habits affect his or her purchase and consumption of good whisky? As I have descended into the murky depths of whisky mania, I (like many) have begun to think about specific bottles of whisky based on their own individual merit, rather than from the perspective of what fits into my own personal enjoyment of the spirit.
Independent Bottlers
…whisky has not always been sold by the distillery which created it. In the hazy, distant past… or really, any time before the last few decades, whisky was distilled by a distillery, barreled, and sold. Today, true independent bottlers remain in the market by providing customers a way to taste obscure, experimental, or now-defunct distilleries, as well as expertly aged and bottled single-cask expressions from familiar distilleries.
This Is What Is Wrong With The Whisky Industry
The future is a lot more bleak for Mr. Casual Drinker. I weep to think of the 90% of market share enjoyed by inexpensive blended whiskies, and the large number of those customers who might be so much happier drinking some of the artisanal bourbons, single-malt Scotches, and other fine whiskies of the world. – if only someone would give them a taste.
6 Ways to Find a Better Whisky Shop
With a little research, a little organization, and a little dedication, you can avoid paying ridiculous prices for good whisky.