Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Is this whisky worth it?” Drinkers today have many tools and resources at their disposal to both share and advance their knowledge of whisky. Social media has its many pros and cons, but one of the pros is that, courtesy of Twitter or Facebook, you can ask a question about a whisky and, within minutes, you’ll have people from around the globe giving answers and opinions.
Many such questions and forums are productive. For example, for those needing to confirm a piece of trivia, you can ask “How many distilleries still use traditional wormtubs?” and the whisky community will come to your rescue with the necessary answer. Or you can ask, “What are the dates for next year’s Feis Ile?” and your diary will quickly know the score. However, not all questions and discussions advance the cause….
A discussion that frequently pops up in whisky circles is the relative cost and “worth” of a particular bottling. A new release might appear on the market, or a whisky will be offered “on special” at some outlet, and some members of the whisky community instantly jump online and ask, “Is it worth it?” It’s something that’s a regular feature on several whisky Facebook groups and, to be honest, it’s a tired and increasingly frustrating thing to observe.
To put this in context for you: Assume a distillery, let’s call it Glen Bagpipe, puts out a new whisky called Ruanishla, which is gaelic for “cunning marketing ploy”. It doesn’t have an age statement, and it’s being retailed at $119. You’ll instantly see a pic of it on the Facebook whisky group with the inevitable question from some punter asking, “Should I buy this?” or “Is it worth it?”. The replies that then get posted will follow an inevitable and familiar pattern: (i) Relative price comparisons will be made to Glen Bagpipe’s 10yo expression which is cheaper at $99; (ii) Someone will point out that Ruanishla is only £45 in the UK, bitch about our local taxes, and then ask what charges they’ll be hit with by Customs if they import it themselves from overseas; (iii) Someone else will chime in with a lament that Glen Bagpipe used to cost only $55 back in 2002 when the barley used to be hand-massaged daily and the warehousemen used to read Robert Burns’ poems aloud to the casks as they matured in the warehouse. And, finally, (iv) some Helpful Henry will state that they’ve never actually tried Glen Bagpipe, but they reckon Glen Sporran “tastes really smooth” and feel they’ve advanced the conversation. And, sadly, everyone will miss the point.
It should go without saying, but worth is a subjective principle. The whisky may cost $119, but it will be worth more than that to an avid collector of Glen Bagpipe. And it will be worth less than that to someone who’s never enjoyed Glen Bagpipe’s other releases and thus has a negative opinion of the brand. Similarly, $119 may be a large amount of money and an expensive purchase to one person, yet it might be loose change to another. Discussing the worth of a whisky is a meaningless exercise, and the original poster will be left with a minefield of ultimately unhelpful responses to try and navigate through.
So let’s bring it back to flavour and start asking the right questions. For example, is it a good example of Glen Bagpipe and does it reflect the house style? Does Ruanishla taste similar to the 10yo or is it a completely different taste experience? Have they used different casks or a different finishing regime? Has it been bottled at a different ABV and thus has a different texture and mouthfeel? Is it a limited edition release or has it now joined the core-range in the portfolio? These are the questions that define the whisky and give the consumer meaningful information to assist in deciding whether or not to buy it. There is so much drivel and nonsense said about whisky these days, it seems many people have forgotten to simply drink it and enjoy it.
Now, some readers will have got to this point and will be indignantly thinking, “But surely one’s enjoyment or assessment of a whisky is a function of how much they paid for it?” If you thought the whisky was good value, is that not an assessment of its worth? You’ll see this issue play out with comments made along the lines of, “I thought this whisky was good for $100 but I wouldn’t pay $200 for it.” Suddenly, the whisky’s flavour is being pinned to its price tag. Which, if you think about it, is an odd concept. Your tastebuds either enjoyed the whisky or they didn’t. How can a whisky be good and taste nice at one price point, but suddenly no longer taste nice at a different price point? Again, the argument has resolved back to the matter of worth which, as we’ve already discussed, will be different for everyone.
Equating a whisky’s quality to its price tag is a slippery slope, and we’ll save that rant for another day. For now, suffice it to say that people should understand and appreciate that an $800 whisky isn’t necessarily going to taste ten times better than an $80 whisky. The law of diminishing returns kicks in pretty quickly with whisky.
So if you can’t make decisions for yourself and feel the need to jump online and ask the whisky community whether or not you should buy a particular bottle of whisky, do yourself a favour and ask the right question(s) to begin with. You’ll find it’s worth it.
Cheers,
AD
Glen Bagpipe always made a big noise in my house!
Was that before, during or after drinking it?
I agree with your general comments but to imagine cost is not part of the equation for most buyers is fanciful.
My view is that the Tasmanian whisky offering is a case in point. The only ones in any way “worth” their dollar cost are Nant, Lark and Sullivan’s Cove and some of the Heartwood expressions.
My budget is such that I will willingly accept gifts of the above labels but would never buy them at what is being asked.
Other labels that I have tried I would not accept as gifts let alone buy.
I think our Australian industry is to be congratulated on its commercial success, but it reflects marketing success rather than across the board good whisky making!
Of course it is part of the equation for most (if not all) buyers, yet that’s not the point of this article. The point is: no one can decide for you if a whisky is ‘worth it’, so why even ask the question on social media? Ask other questions, like the examples given in the article, which’ll hopefully give you a better understanding of said whisky. Then you – and only you – can make a better informed decision whether a whisky is worth your money.
When running tastings we are highly attuned to watching the body language and facial expressions of participants, and listening the the tone, the burble in the room. We get a kick out of seeing people having ‘wow’ and ‘aha’ moments, when they discover a flavour, nose and mouthfeel that sets off sensory delights.
We also see people checking the order form, sometimes tilting their head or pursing lips as they appraise the cost and make their own assessments of value, enjoyment factor versus cost. I agree Andrew, that value or worth is a very personal judgement.
Sometimes when mingling around the room we deliberately talk in terms of memories triggered by aroma and flavour, the enjoyment factor, the mouthfeel and length of aftertaste. Having peers and friends chime in with their own sensory language often helps participants refine their enjoyment judgements.
We often hear people asking the wrong questions. The Australian favourite is the Closed Question [CQ] that drives a Yes/No answer and not much more. CQ: “Do you think Glen Bagpipe is better than Glen Sporran?” A: “No.” “But they are different.”
Far more information comes from Open Questions [OQ], beginning with what, which, when, where, who, why and how? OQ: “How are they different?” A: Glen Sporran is richer and more complex, with less woodiness, much longer finish and more silky texture.” OQ: “What do you like about Glen Bagpipe?” A: “Bright and malty flavour with a hint of smoke, sweet cereal aftertaste.” OQ: “Why do you prefer the Glen Gargle to the Glen Bagpipe?” A: “Well, the Glen Gargle has a bit more smoke and complexity, which really comes out in the aftertaste, which is definitely longer than the Glen Bagpipe.”
Reflective Questions [RQ] are great for confirming understanding, by paraphrasing or quoting the other’s words. RQ: “So are you saying that Glen Sporran’s long aftertaste and silky smoky sweetness are close to Glen Gargle for enjoyment?” A: ‘Yes. I’d drink either with a good friend.”
Anyway, asking the right questions helps folks make better judgements of quality and enjoyment, better references to their past experience with other whiskies. Let’s have a Glen Gargle! Slainte!
I think the real issue is age versus price almost all start out whisky distilleries over the last decade are charging substantially more for 3 and 4 years old whisky than well established brands charge for 12 and 15 Years old whiskies the prolific onslaught of NAS whiskies at premium price is what is driving people to ask the question of is it worth it. Previously wrongly or rightly people adorned price to age as a measurable unit.
Personally price is determined by what I am prepared to pay for something or what you are prepared to sell it for is it worth it ? Yes to those that agreed on the price the buyer and seller!
I’m glad you’ve included the kinds of questions that can help someone understand where a new release fits into the picture, and decide if they want to spend their money.
Maybe part of the issue is as you have mentioned – is the whisky nothing more than a ‘cunning marketing ploy’? Nobody likes to feel that they’ve been fleeced..
Perhaps more widespread (or independent / critically balanced) tasting opportunities and opinions would help people feel more confident in their choice rather than relying on what the crowd thinks to make up their own mind!
Well said.