The price of whisky...
Posted by John Shearlock on
It’s been an interesting old year of whisky tastings thus far at Regional Wines. With supply issues here, there and everywhere and a palpable decrease in whiskies to choose from, we've been forced to be inventive with, what might be called, a slightly more commercial slew of brands and bottlings. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed revisiting some classics, comparing official bottlings at a variety of ages and price points and then seeing how they go next to the odd peculiarity or indy bottling that we have managed to rustle up. In the same breath however… boy, am I looking forward to the Signatory tasting (fingers crossed it goes ahead at some stage!).
One thing that has stood out over the course of the last six months, as it does every year to be fair, is the notion of price versus perceived quality in whisky. We’ve seen this time and time again at Regional… the giant whiskies with their gargantuan price tags falling by the wayside as cheaper whiskies brush them aside. Our old faithful A’Bunadh being the perennial overachiever, and commonly joined by NAS cask strength releases from the likes of Tamdhu etc.
This year the study of price versus quality seems as poignant as ever. A Macallan vertical offered an exorbitantly priced 18 year old that struggled, and our oldest whisky, a Benriach port cask batch release priced well over $500 fell somewhere mid-league. Maybe these subtler, older numbers just don’t do well in blind lineup tastings. It’s obvious where the cost comes from… holding a whisky in cask for an extra 10 years comes at a cost for the distillery for sure… but maybe it just doesn’t mean an improvement in quality?
I’ve ranked the whiskies we’ve tasted this year by price and by score in the two tables below. This is a fairly small study group, it has to be said, but taking them at face value - you’d certainly be a bit concerned about spending over $300 on a bottle of malt, unless it were the Bunnahabhain 18 YO. But even with this spectacular dram - you’d have to wonder about spending a whopping $200 less on the 12 year old - which mustered a score only a fraction lower.
There’s some other interesting comparisons and standouts. The Macallan Rare Cask 2020, a non age statement at 40% and priced over $700 (that must be one rare cask, maybe it got lost when they switched distilleries recently). The GlenAllachie 15 YO versus the Macallan 15 YO Double Cask - two crackers, but a massive difference in price. And finally the Longrow Red which won its tasting and will be joining us at Best of the Best. This is a genuinely rare release and sought after by collectors around the world - but what a great price which seemingly bucks the laws of supply and demand and positions itself based on absolutes of age and provenance. Just goes to show that competitive pricing which doesn’t take advantage of brand or name is totally achievable. It just takes a distillery with a conscience and a determination to do the right thing by its customers.
|
Whisky ranked by price |
Score |
Price |
|
Macallan Rare Cask 2020 Release 43% |
8 |
759.99 |
|
Macallan 18yo Triple Cask 43% |
7.3 |
607.99 |
|
Benriach 1992 25 YO Port Cask #979 Batch 15 53.9% |
8.08 |
528.99 |
|
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique 54.8% |
7.99 |
334.99 |
|
Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2017 56.5% |
7.32 |
304.99 |
|
Bunnahabhain 18 - 46.3% |
8.97 |
303.99 |
|
Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2019 56.5% |
8.45 |
274.99 |
|
Mystery - Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2020 56.4% |
8.23 |
274.99 |
|
Macallan 15yo Double Cask 43% |
8.15 |
257.99 |
|
Caol Ila 15YO 61.5% |
8.37 |
249.99 |
|
Mystery - Springbank 18 - 46% |
7.78 |
210.99 |
|
An Cnoc 18 - 46% |
7.27 |
197.99 |
|
Bowmore 18 - 43% |
7.47 |
189.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 18 YO 46% ABV – 08/06/2018 |
8.02 |
182.99 |
|
Highland Park Valfather 47% |
7.69 |
158.99 |
|
Macallan 12yo Double Cask 40% |
6.83 |
145.99 |
|
Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 47.3% |
8.71 |
144.99 |
|
Macallan 12yo Sherry Cask 40% |
7.41 |
142.99 |
|
Macallan Gold 40% |
6.64 |
137.99 |
|
Longrow Red 10 YO 52.5% |
8.72 |
135.99 |
|
Mystery - Glenallachie 'Dramfest 2020' 2010 / 9 YO 55.9% 10/2019 |
8.31 |
133.99 |
|
Gordon & Macphail Ledaig Hermitage Wood Finish 46% |
7.82 |
132.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 12 YO PX Sherry Wood Finish 48% ABV – 24/06/2019 |
7.95 |
125.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #4 02/09/2020 |
8.88 |
125.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #3– 09/05/2019 |
8.4 |
125.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #2 – 29/09/2018 |
8.28 |
125.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #1 – 08/06/2018 |
8.47 |
125.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 15 YO 46% ABV – 02/06/2020 |
8.54 |
124.99 |
|
Glenallachie 11 YO Moscatel Wood Finish 48.0% |
8.13 |
118.99 |
|
Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength Peated 56.2% |
7.58 |
114.99 |
|
Auchentoshan Bartenders Malt No.2 50% |
6.87 |
109.99 |
|
Arran Sauternes Cask Finish 50% |
7.75 |
109.99 |
|
Talisker Port Ruighe 45.8% |
7.83 |
106.99 |
|
Bunnahabhain 12 - 46.3% |
8.73 |
105.99 |
|
Mystery - Glendronach 12 |
7.35 |
99.99 |
|
Mystery - Ardnamurchan BATCH AD 01.21:01 46.8% |
6.44 |
93.99 |
|
An Cnoc 12 - 40% |
7.16 |
89.99 |
|
Bowmore 12 - 40% |
6.87 |
79.99 |
|
Whisky ranked by score |
Score |
Price |
|
Bunnahabhain 18 - 46.3% |
8.97 |
303.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #4 02/09/2020 |
8.88 |
125.99 |
|
Bunnahabhain 12 - 46.3% |
8.73 |
105.99 |
|
Longrow Red 10 YO 52.5% |
8.72 |
135.99 |
|
Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 47.3% |
8.71 |
144.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 15 YO 46% ABV – 02/06/2020 |
8.54 |
124.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #1 – 08/06/2018 |
8.47 |
125.99 |
|
Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2019 56.5% |
8.45 |
274.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #3– 09/05/2019 |
8.4 |
125.99 |
|
Caol Ila 15YO 61.5% |
8.37 |
249.99 |
|
Mystery - Glenallachie 'Dramfest 2020' 2010 / 9 YO 55.9% 10/2019 |
8.31 |
133.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch #2 – 29/09/2018 |
8.28 |
125.99 |
|
Mystery - Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2020 56.4% |
8.23 |
274.99 |
|
Macallan 15yo Double Cask 43% |
8.15 |
257.99 |
|
Glenallachie 11 YO Moscatel Wood Finish 48.0% |
8.13 |
118.99 |
|
Benriach 1992 25 YO Port Cask #979 Batch 15 53.9% |
8.08 |
528.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 18 YO 46% ABV – 08/06/2018 |
8.02 |
182.99 |
|
Macallan Rare Cask 2020 Release 43% |
8 |
759.99 |
|
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique 54.8% |
7.99 |
334.99 |
|
GlenAllachie 12 YO PX Sherry Wood Finish 48% ABV – 24/06/2019 |
7.95 |
125.99 |
|
Talisker Port Ruighe 45.8% |
7.83 |
106.99 |
|
Gordon & Macphail Ledaig Hermitage Wood Finish 46% |
7.82 |
132.99 |
|
Mystery - Springbank 18 - 46% |
7.78 |
210.99 |
|
Arran Sauternes Cask Finish 50% |
7.75 |
109.99 |
|
Highland Park Valfather 47% |
7.69 |
158.99 |
|
Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength Peated 56.2% |
7.58 |
114.99 |
|
Bowmore 18 - 43% |
7.47 |
189.99 |
|
Macallan 12yo Sherry Cask 40% |
7.41 |
142.99 |
|
Mystery - Glendronach 12 |
7.35 |
99.99 |
|
Lagavulin 12YO Cask Strength 2017 56.5% |
7.32 |
304.99 |
|
Macallan 18yo Triple Cask 43% |
7.3 |
607.99 |
|
An Cnoc 18 - 46% |
7.27 |
197.99 |
|
An Cnoc 12 - 40% |
7.16 |
89.99 |
|
Auchentoshan Bartenders Malt No.2 50% |
6.87 |
109.99 |
|
Bowmore 12 - 40% |
6.87 |
79.99 |
|
Macallan 12yo Double Cask 40% |
6.83 |
145.99 |
|
Macallan Gold 40% |
6.64 |
137.99 |
|
Mystery - Ardnamurchan BATCH AD 01.21:01 46.8% |
6.44 |
93.99 |