The Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and Willett portfolio all contain some of the most sought-after bourbons on the market. Unfortunately, the bourbon nerds — a.k.a. Taters — usually snatch up all the bottles before any casual consumer even has the chance to consider purchasing them.
The situation has only gotten worse over the years. Given these taters know what some are willing to pay for these prized releases, they’re quick to resell them at wildly inflated prices to make a quick buck. Through it all, most of the brands that make these bourbons haven’t raised their retail prices at all, allowing all that secondary-market profit to go right to the taters. And if there’s money to be made, why haven’t bourbon producers budged on their pricing? Is it all in the interest of maintaining good relationships with distributors? Do they want to keep the “thrill of the bottle hunt” alive?
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder this phenomenon and offer their thoughts on why the bourbon industry hasn’t started a crusade to combat the egregious resell market. What benefits do these brands derive from this practice? And what would raising prices do? Tune in for more.
Joanna is reading: With Voodoo Ranger ‘Mini Rippers,’ New Belgium Takes a New Shot at an Old Idea
Zach is reading: How Willett’s Egg Salad Sandwich Became as Beloved as Its Cult Whiskey
Adam is reading: The 10 Best Booze Books to Buy This
