[Whiskey Decision] Chasing the MSRP Phantom 👻

Keeping our newsletter on the lighter side, with the help of 38,000 balloons. In Hong Kong, Wilson Pang just took balloon art to new heights! He's created a massive dragon setting a Guinness World Record. The 42-metres-long dragon and made to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. He didn't do it alone, though. With help from 60 friends he was able bring this giant dragon to life.

In today's dispatch, we're diving headfirst into:

• Chasing the MSRP Phantom 👻

• Worthy Reads: Sampling some of the best from around the web

• Cocktail: can’t make the Super Bowl? We got you covered…

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️Chasing the MSRP Phantom 👻 

In the twisty realm of whiskey pricing, the "just right" price tag is a bit of a phantom. It's elusive, and if you are like us keeps whispering in our ear “don’t pay secondary”.

In our research across 368 bottles points to $30 to $90 as the “Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price” (MSRP) sweet spot. The average MSRP came in just shy of $80 (including bottles not on the chart). But here's the rub: snagging a bottle at MSRP is like finding a four-leaf clover. Buffalo Trace, is a different story. But more on them in a bit.

So, the MSRP graph? It's a bit of a fantasy map, charting out 234 bottles from 10 of the biggest US whiskey makers. The lowest Benchmark No. 8 at $11 (Buffalo Trace) is somehow comically countered with Double Eagle Very Rare. It's way up there at $2,000.

Our biggest surprise, Michter’s, has 8 of their 14 (57%) bottles listed at an MSRP outside of the “ideal range”. The next closest? BT coming in at 30% (14 of 47).

🥃Suggestions are for everyone not named BT 🐃

MSRP is a suggestion, sure, but one often ignored by the whims of the retail market. There's an art to pricing bottles, one that often seems to take its cues from the casinos of Las Vegas.

Our MSRP markup graph covers the MSRP (horizontal axis) and the average multiple being paid (vertical axis) Take E.H. Taylor Four Grain, for instance. An $80 MSRP is merely a suggestion before it’s reshuffled by the house and dealt to consumers at a staggering $2,085. A 26.06 multiplier.

Pappy Van Winkle sits at the high rollers' table, with its 15-year expression commanding a 25.59 multiplier on its $120 MSRP, pushing the price to $3,071. The 20-year and 23-year expressions follow suit, turning their $200 and $300 MSRPs into $4,745 and $6,676 payouts, respectively.

Then there's the Double Eagle Very Rare. Its $2,000 MSRP ascends to the lofty peak of $15,440, a 7.72 multiplier. And this is somehow a bargain.

While the graph shows Buffalo Trace dominion over this game (19 of the top 20 spots), it's not without its more grounded players. The truth is most distilleries aren’t able to command such lofty multiples.

The whiskey market at times feels like a casino where all games are marked against you. The house sets the stakes, fueled by an alchemy of rarity, desirability, and perhaps, the gambler's own thrill in the pursuit. It's a place where the retail store, like the seasoned card shark, knows just when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, often opting to price up bottles just because they can—a strategy as profitable as it is provocative.

For those lucky few able to nab near MSRP bottles through lotteries, sweepstakes, or other nefarious means our hats off to you. But our gripe isn’t with those who purchase the bottles. Instead it is with the insane manufactures of the products - just change the MSRP already.

You might ask, but 368 bottles is just a small sample of US Whiskies - where’s the rest? Well, we’ll be sharing more of the individual graphs on Instagram over the next few days. And we’ll be looking to add to our data set. So let us know what bottles we should include.

📰 Worthy Whiskey News (a.k.a. our favorite reads)

• Closing time (sorta)…. $1.1 Billion and three years after acquiring Drizly, Uber decides to shutdown the direct to order liquor app. The move? Redirect attention to Uber Eats for everything

• Peeking into one of the most exclusive bourbon clubs. With a waiting list of 3,000, Dallas Bourbon Club is something else. And their impact, on your whiskey buying is likely guided by their tastings notes and reviews.

• Next stop: Flavortown, Bitch? Thunder Bitch, flavored whiskey hits Vegas with Guy Fieri, not Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame- a flavorful misfire?

📸Rewind: A selection of our most popular IG Posts

• 9, 12, & 15 year Knob Creek, one of these is not like the others

• Our most impressive data analysis: MSRP & Markup Multipliers

• Falling into place, Elijah Craig & Larceny BP slide to 3 year lows.

• A teaser of things to come, our Chart Leaders is coming back

Share the Decision (About Whiskey of Course)

In the vast arena of Super Bowl Sunday, a new challenge emerges for whiskey aficionados. Amidst the clash of titans on the field, you stand at the precipice of a different kind of glory. With the simple act of sharing this newsletter, you step into the fray, not just as a spectator, but as a champion in your own right.

Embark on a quest that promises treasures untold. Venture deep into the heart of whiskey wisdom, unlocking ancient secrets of seasonal brews, mastering the art of cocktail alchemy, and discovering gift cards that lead you to the rarest of bottles. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rally your fellowship, guiding them through your unique link to join our ranks. With each new ally, your claim to the spoils of victory grows stronger.

Let us raise a glass to the spirit of competition and camaraderie on this Super Bowl Sunday. 🎉🥃

💋🥃Sin City Sour🥃💋

Don’t have $8,000 for tickets to the big game? Don’t worry we got you covered with this Stadium Signature recipe that will be served up at Allegiant Stadium.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounces of Bulleit Bourbon

• ¾ oz Apricot liqueur (Marie Brizard Apry or Rothman & Winter)

• 1 ¼ oz Lemon Sour Mix (RIPE)

• 2 dashes of Chicory Pecan Bitters (TAG)

• 2 oz of ginger beer (Goslings or Q)

Instructions:
Combine bourbon, apricot liqueur, bitters, and lemon sour mix in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously (more or less so based upon if the score). Pour into a rocks glass with ice. Top off with ginger beer.

P.S. if you want to go insanely over the top garnish with these candied pecans. Don’t blame us if they never make it to the cocktail.

Ok we’re going to open up to you a bit here. The writer (Justin @whiskeydecision) is a die hard 49ers fan. And is likely to either be ecstatic or a wreck come Monday morning. So be kind and help this newsletter grow by sharing.

Don’t get the connection? Sharing this newsletter with friends and whisky lovers alike helps make our merry band of spirited enthusiasts a little bit bigger. And being a data geek, we like when numbers grow.

Thanks again for being here. Let's raise a glass to the week ahead.