Whisky Forum - Macallan price increase mystery

STUDOGG37 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:44 am Post subject: Macallan price increase mystery

Hello, my favourite dram is the Macallan 18 yr sherry, I try and visit the distillery around 6 times a year and always buy a couple of the 18yr bottles(one to drink and one to keep) when I am up in the area.

I was up 3 weeks ago and bought the 93 & 94, last night I was on the Macallan website and the price has now shot up to a Â£100 a bottle, this is a price increase of nearly 30%.....! I was shocked Rolling Eyes

I am guessing here but the Ruby will be released next year at Â£125 rrp, with no age statement is it younger than 18yr....? Has some one looked at the 18yr and thought this is too cheap...?

I will be passing in two weeks time for the whisky festival and having a word with them about this.

I am also doing the tour at Aberlour and plan on tasting their 18yr at Â£50, is this just as good as the Mac...?

Cheers
$

minesascotch · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:09 am Post subject:

STUDOGG37

I will be doing the same I will be at Aberlour on the Saturday morning for a tour and hoping to try the 18 amoungst others !

Cheers

Genuine Risk · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:30 am Post subject:

Is this the last 18 with an year statemaent on it? I have got a feeling it is, so probably trying to take advantage of this. If not they are just robbing bar stewards.
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STUDOGG37 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:07 am Post subject:

Genuine Risk · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:12 am Post subject:

Aye but the vintage year thing stopping it will still be an 18 but with no 95, 96 etc.
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Putting the func in dysfunctional.

STUDOGG37 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:31 am Post subject:

minesascotch · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:38 am Post subject:

STUDOGG37

I will see what I can do, I'm hoping to get a bottle or two for myself and try and get a tasting first ! have you tried their two shop only casks by any chance ?

STUDOGG37 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:02 am Post subject:

Quaich1 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:26 am Post subject:

I just noticed as a segue from Macallan to Highland Park, that the Highland park 18 increased $10.00 Can a bottle here in Ontario with the LCBO. No explanation given for the sudden increase. In 2009, Highland Park 18 went from $119.95 to $139.95 at the LCBO. No advance notice for any of these increases and no rationale provided. Other brands have been relatively stable price wise for some time here though Lagavulin is creeping up. Macallan 18 is currently at $259.95 Can. at the LCBO.
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"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
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Keith · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:16 pm Post subject:

The Edrington group done the same thing to their travel retail range of both Highland Park and Macallan. They done away with age statements and increased the prices and apparently sales have increased so profits are way up in travel retail. Personally i am not convinced it was their marketing that is responsible for the increase but more the increase in popularity of whisky in the last few years.

They now seem to be trying to do the same in the domestic market with the Macallan. Personally i think age matters, not to taste but it matters to the price they ask me to pay especially for standard core range bottlings.

I have 3 bottles of the Macallan 18 (1989, 1992, 1993) unopened but i wont be buying any more if this is the way there prices are going.

Crane · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:57 pm Post subject:

Quaich1 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:10 pm Post subject:

bifter · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject:

At a recent tasting we discussed this trend and touched on Macallan specifically. Our host suggested that they are having to dip into younger reserves simply to meet demand and this makes sense to me. Why else, given the general obsession among whisky drinkers with provenance, would they change their entire range in this way? It seems a very risky marketing ploy to me and one which may alienate their core fans. They must either be confident in the product or that they can make more money through new markets.
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"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

chrisg · Double Malt Member Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 197

Brummie · Master Of Malts Joined: 08 Feb 2010 Posts: 658

No mystery price increase just good old fashioned cashing in on the popularity of whisky. The price increases of many brands especially the 18 year old plus in the last couple of years has been outrageous.

Wasnt it Glenlivet who launched an age matters campaign last year, i wasnt really behind it as it does always matter to taste but i am now totally behind it as far as age matters to price