Im just a regular guy who enjoys bourbon and likes to share his thoughts on stuff I know very little about. This is my opportunity to explore new and exciting things with you, good folks. Thank you all for supporting myself and this channel as we grow together.
As I was joining the group, I missclicked before accepting the rules.. my answer to the bottle question was red line- double oak, white oak finish - store pick I just didn’t want to get denied!
You’re forgetting all the bullshit these stores have to buy to even get the allocations. You need to buy cases and cases of Fireball and shit like Wheatley Vodka and shit that doesn’t sell like Sazerac Rye first. Should you be paying full secondary? No, but they’re entitled to some on top of MSRP. Also… you keep saying “stop overpaying” like you can find these bottles for these prices. So basically what you’re saying is don’t drink good bourbon.
I've Been in the bourbon scene since around 2011-2012. You're correct, things have definitely changed for the worse. I enjoy sipping and sharing bottles and good conversations with friends. Unfortunately I see alot of loud mouth A-holes spewing hate. The amount of hate in this new generation of enthusiasts is disturbing. Between the self proclaimed bourbon experts, the constant price increases, and horrible store owners who throw their loyal customers under the bus to make an extra dollar, bourbon has lost much of its appeal to me. I was heavily invested and enjoyed hunting but stopped buying and hunting altogether about 8 months ago. I have plenty of bottles to last me many many years, but the appeal to hunt or buy any new bottles is just not there for me anymore. I rarely participate in discussions anymore either. When you try to help a fellow bourbon drinker, it just ends with loud mouths taking digs at them or making unnecessary and unsolicited comments degrading a certain product or distillery.
yes it sucks, but hopefully the regular folk will be able to find and get their hands on different items like BTAC's, Russells single rickhouse, and others without having to pay the huge mark up in the future.
A bottle is worth what the consumer is willing to pay. Simple Economics 101. I won't pay big money for allocated bourbon but if the rarity adds enough value for someone who is willing to pay, then that's the market equilibrium price. I can't really blame the retailer for being unwilling to sell a BTAC for $150 when they know that customer can walk out the door and flip it for $$$$.
It’s not the stores fault it’s the consumers and influencers! RU-vidrs making videos saying $300 is a good secondary price is the problem. If we stop supporting these stores and start calling them out maybe things will start to change. But we will never know because it won’t happen!
Other than demanding you take the video down, I don't see anything the liquor store owner said that was wrong. Unless they are in a controlled state, they can charge whatever they want, it is up to the consumer to decide if they want to pay that or not.
Right there with ya, I try to look for MSRP but never find it, they charge way more than that, I then dont recomend those stores to anybody, the reason is most likely their shelf selections will be overpriced as well . Somebody needs to get a governing type thing like the requirements needed for a bourbon to be called a bourbon on this, this is price gouging on the gullible .
As someone who is a former distributor who's sold directly to total wine. can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that the discount that they receive is solely based on volume. They keep their prices low,sell high volume, and receive a larger discount. Most of the discounts they receive are between $5 and $10 off per case..... if you sell products at secondary prices in your retail store, your volume will be low, and you will never receive a good discount. Don't price gouge your customers!!!!
If you are interested in showcasing your store on my channel. I would love to have you on a live stream or if we are close to each,possibly an in person interview. You can show the viewers the store and your prices. Email me at charles@thatbourbondude.com and we can set something up.
I live in Michigan and have that price list on my phone I never pay more than state minimum and have scored some great bottles but I stop at a lot of stores
Keep up the good work. I'm pretty much done hunting except for the excitement and learning to put your advice to work to get hard to find bottles at MSRP. I agree with the comment about standardizing the industry nationwide. Pro and cons to Amazon model, but mostly cons for the small shops and pros for the consumer. About the only unicorn I want at this point is WLW and even then I don't want to pay more than 2X MSRP and don't care if that never happens. I've got more bourbon on my shelf than I can share and drink in my life (I'm 70) and have only focuses on bourbon in the last few months. Already have my favorite Tequila and Rum, so it's bourbon time now. I like that you're drinking Green River FP while doing this video. Great bourbon at a great price. Sure I'd love a GTS, but will exercise patience. Hit a local Walmart in September during a BT allocation drop and purchases several BT, ER10, EHT, and Blanton's at MSRP. Don't need any more. Glad it happened and it taught me that secondary pricing is BS and fools with more money than brains play that game. I'll keep enjoying so many good bottles at a fraction of those prices and wait as the market finally gives the middle finger to the greedy bastards. The stores and folks selling out the back door that are greedy deserve what they have coming to them.
Minimum shelf price is not MSRP. Minimum shelf price or Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) is the lowest a dealer can list a product for. The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) would be a suggestion from the vendor and is not shown on your listing.
I love getting comments from people like you. This must be the first video of mine you've ever seen. Otherwise, you would know that i'm a former national account manager for a distributor. With 15 plus years in the spirit industry. (MAP) and (MSRP) are interchangeable. The only difference between the two is MAP is an enforceable policy to keep retailers from lowering the price below a certain threshold But doesn't prohibit retail stores from offering discounts such as BOGO, to achieve a lower price without consequence.
I'm in a control state and everything allocated is either lottery or blind luck (officially). So, I travel, and if I want something and its there, I make choice. It also seems like product velocity is slowing down. I'm seeing things on shelves in my control state that I have not seen sitting on the shelf since Covid first hit. Perhaps the hype train might just be running out of hype? Anyway, I enjoy your content!
Good info, I appreciate you doing this. It is important for whiskey buyers to be informed, and Breaking Bourbon and Boozeapp are also great sources for finding MSRP data. All that being said, many people don't have the time or energy to drive around chasing MSRP. People aren't like you and have hook ups all over the place. Generally, people with four-figure monthly whiskey budgets are also quite successful in their lives and careers and have little spare time. If I can only get to a liquor store twice a month, and I see Antique 107 for 100$, I'm grabbing it without question. Sorry bud. Time IS money for many people. The scarcity of these bottles versus the amount of people looking for them is the problem, which I don't think anyone has an answer for. Lately, I have stopped driving around like a crazy person and done most of my shopping over the web. Many distilleries have some type of lottery system or bottle shop with prices pretty close to MSRP (Old Forester SBBS Rye has been on their website for two weeks now, $89.99. Secured two bottles of MWND yesterday from the High West website, $150 ea). However, shipping gets expensive, but still, I don't have to get off my couch and go kiss store owners asses and rack up miles on my car. I'll pay the lazy tax, no problem.
My last comment on your channel has been proven true. These liquor stores are the ones who need to be shamed and put on blast. I’m tired of people blaming the distributors/manufacturers. Yes, some manufacturers create “artificial” scarcity. But most of the time, this “scarcity” is coming from these liquor stores marking stuff up 4x MSRP, and also the secondary market. You know it’s an issue when someone goes on a secondary site minutes after they buy something for $75 trying to sell for $225 while the hype is still at its very peak. I saw people on secondary trying to sell a WT 70th for $200 😂
I'm on board. I'm early in my bourbon journey, and I'm clearly focused on bottles that are 1) regularly available in my nearby liquor store 2) between $20 and $40 That means Bulleit, WT 101, 1792, Maker's Mark Four Roses, Woodford Reserve -- starting with the standard version, and considering premium items as I figure out what I like. I specifically will not get Buffalo Trace, since so many of their products require hunting.
I live in PA, and our stores are state run. So many people come in and complain that we can't get BT products regularly blah blah, but they are at SRP. I always try to remind people that if this was private, that ER would be 90 and that Blantons would be 150. Can't please anyone, especially the BT junkies.
I’m ok with some smaller mom and pop stores charging a few dollars over state minimum. Usually there overall cost of doing business is more than bigger places. What pisses me off is these places the have bottles price double or even triple what suggested retail is. F those people, a state licensed liquor store shouldn’t be allowed to price gauge. Also shame on the consumers who are either uninformed or have more money than brains for supporting those type of stores and making it profitable for them to do business that way.
100% Agree with you! It’s shameful what some of these stores are selling some bottles for. That store owner was hilarious, “it’s no one’s business what we pay for a product” , actually it’s everyone’s business. You used the State Of Michigan Liquor Price book which is public knowledge, and easily accessible to anyone on the The State of Michigan website, it’s not like you showed some private business document. I keep the price guide bookmarked on my phone so I can always look up what a bottle is supposed to cost, and I will even call out store owners to there face when I find them price gauging
