THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: "THE €100.00 BOTTLE"

[Luke Gough]

CALLING ALL DISTILLERS/BOTTLERS!

What is the best quality bottle possible for €100.00, including VAT and Excise?

The criteria are:

i) ABV of 48% or Cask Strength
ii) No colouring
iii) Non-Chill Filtered
iv) MUST BE VATTING OF TWO OR MORE FULL CASKS - CASK VOLUMES IRRELEVANT
v) Minimal/No Packaging
vi) May be either a Blend, Blended Malt, Single Malt or Single Pot Still
vii) Retailer makes decent margin
viii) Producer makes decent margin

COMMENTS/REMARKS/INSULTS WELCOMED!!!

[JohnM]

Is this something we make ourselves?

If not, the Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a lovely whisky...

[Distiller]

But how will you know if its any good without the extra packaging?

[Luke Gough]

Is this something we make ourselves?

If not, the Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a lovely whisky...

Corryvreckan leaves me cold, alas...

[Luke Gough]

But how will you know if its any good without the extra packaging?

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

There are whiskeys out there that would fit your criteria but the choose to charge more. Remember the Society Pot Still. That was quality. If they had a reasonable markup on something similar I'd buy all year around. A younger one could be made for less.

Bushmills had great releases years ago too that were good value at the time.

I have got a few Booker Noes small batch over the last few years and love them. I have paid up to €80 for one. I'm sure the packaging cost a bit too.

The Kilbeggan 15 was nice stuff. If they had upped the AVB and changed the packaging it would have been great value. I hope they do something like it again.

I hate the way premium whiskey prices have gone so expensive. How could Redbreast 12 go up by 50% in the last few years. This isn't because of shortage in stock it's pure greed.

[JohnM]

I think it's gone up by 100% now. I see it for sale for between 65 and 80 euros. Not something I'd buy anymore.

[Luke Gough]

There are whiskeys out there that would fit your criteria but the choose to charge more. Remember the Society Pot Still. That was quality. If they had a reasonable markup on something similar I'd buy all year around. A younger one could be made for less.

Bushmills had great releases years ago too that were good value at the time.

I have got a few Booker Noes small batch over the last few years and love them. I have paid up to €80 for one. I'm sure the packaging cost a bit too.

The Kilbeggan 15 was nice stuff. If they had upped the AVB and changed the packaging it would have been great value. I hope they do something like it again.

I hate the way premium whiskey prices have gone so expensive. How could Redbreast 12 go up by 50% in the last few years. This isn't because of shortage in stock it's pure greed.

PLEASE NOTE - THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT EXISTING, ON-THE SHELF WHISKEYS/WHISKIES

The question is, what is the Best that could be bottled for €100.00 including VAT?

[Distiller]

Without thinking about it too much... I would hope someone could find a good 18 year old single malt around that price.

[Fionnán]

can i quote you on that, Distiller? Any chance of something along those lines? No packaging required. For all i care, you can label it "Teeling Congealing: The Whiskey we Threw Down the Shitter!" So long as there's that kind of stock inside...

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

A distillery could easily put out a 21yo in that price bracket and still make a reasonable profit.

Point in being the 21yo Cadenheads from Cooley which was released last year for circa 67 sterling.

I'd imagine max wholesale prices on a bottle of 21year whiskey should be no more than 50Euro which would include excise, production, storage, basic bottling, staffing costs etc.

Even fancy bottles should not up the price than much unless radically customised.

Packaging and Marketing and worst of all the dreaded premiumisation is where the prices rocket.


There is a massive gap in the market where a Distillery with an excellent product are willing to go the long haul and build a reputation base on a reasonable priced range and grow from there.

In my eyes many of the multitude of new start ups hoping to cash in on the Premium market the majority will struggle. Luckily the Teeling Whiskey Co has a bit of prior knowledge and are in the here and now so can take advantage of the current market but what the market will be like in 4-5 years time will not have changed very much in the preception of Irish Whiskey.

I could be very wrong but I fear at least half will go out of business with in 10 years if premiumisation is their sole business model.

[Luke Gough]

Point in being the 21yo Cadenheads from Cooley which was released last year for circa 67 sterling.

Gorgeous stuff (I bought a bottle in Edinburgh for STG£60.00!) but, alas, the exception... http://www.whiskyfun.com/archiveseptember13-1.html#120913

I could be very wrong but I fear at least half will go out of business with in 10 years if premiumisation is their sole business model.

In my opinion, more than half will fail from what we've seen so far.

[Raven]

Irish Whiskey Chaser wrote

There is a massive gap in the market where a Distillery with an excellent product are willing to go the long haul and build a reputation base on a reasonable priced range and grow from there.

In my eyes many of the multitude of new start ups hoping to cash in on the Premium market the majority will struggle. Luckily the Teeling Whiskey Co has a bit of prior knowledge and are in the here and now so can take advantage of the current market but what the market will be like in 4-5 years time will not have changed very much in the perception of Irish Whiskey.

I could be very wrong but I fear at least half will go out of business with in 10 years if premiumisation is their sole business model.

Entirely in agreement. Some of the start ups seem to be a situation of Celtic Tiger 2 -- Whiskey/Beer is the next big thing
and I need to get in quick !! It does seem to be a case of get rich quick . My Latin teacher's favourite quote was ' Festina Lente'
-- 'Make haste slowly. Forget about this premium and super premium -- Just make a good whiskey & get the Whiskey writers
talking ---- the rest will follow

[JohnM]

What about, say, a cask strength, single bourbon cask Tyrconnell. Maybe about 17.5 years old?

[Distiller]

What about, say, a cask strength, single bourbon cask Tyrconnell. Maybe about 17.5 years old?

Who would bottle something as crazy as that?

[Luke Gough]

What about, say, a cask strength, single bourbon cask Tyrconnell. Maybe about 17.5 years old?

Who would bottle something as crazy as that?

ZF & SL, that's who! and Well Done to both of them!