Some flak for whisky flipping

Whisky flipping.  It’s the ultimate physical response to that vexatious question, “How much is this whisky worth?”  Nevertheless, the answer to the question is pretty simple: A whisky is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it.

One of the most contentious and ire-inducing phenomena to appear in whisky circles in the last 15 years has been the rise of the whisky flipper.   Not familiar with the term? It’s applied to someone who obtains a whisky at retail price (typically when the product is first launched or made available) and then, within a short timeframe, re-sells it on the secondary market at a significantly higher price. More often than not, the re-selling occurs once the original retailer’s or supplier’s stock is sold out, thus cashing in on a product that is no longer available through the original channels.

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A rant: Is this whisky worth it?

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….

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