Questions, Questions, Questions....

While John Hansell is using this week to sound off on all his grievances with the whisk(e)y world, I'm thinking that I'm going to use today to ask some questions (many of which are rhetorical).  These are issues that I find interesting, amusing, baffling, or confusing and I'm interested to see if anyone else feels the same.  When I am sitting at my desk these are the questions running through my head as I conduct my business with the industry:

-Is it really that much more costly for Bruichladdich to use local barley and, if it is, is it worth paying $80 for their young whiskies made from it?  Are customers going to support an independent distillery's attempt to source materials locally if it costs them that much more?

-Do people understand that Ron Zacapa tastes absolutely nothing like rum? 

-Is always having the lowest price necessary for customer satisfaction?  If so, where does one draw the line?

-Is liking heavily oaked whiskey the same as liking heavily oaked chardonnay?  If so, does that mean that Pappy Van Winkle is the same as Rombauer Chardonnay? 

-Who is still interested in Cognac and Armagnac and how do I get a hold of them?

-Why does everyone throw a hissy fit when a whisky comes in at 43% instead of 46%?  I really don't see that much of a difference and I taste every single day.  Maybe I'm the idiot.

-How is it possible to like Scotch whisky and not like bourbon?  Or vise versa?  Really, come on guys.

-Do people want innovation and new ideas with their whisk(e)y, or would they rather drink Maker's Mark over and over and over and over and over and over again for the rest of their lives?

-After tasting how freakin' awesome our St. George apple brandy barrel-aged single malt was last Saturday, could Calvados or eau-de-vie barrel influence be the next big thing?

-Are people going to buy Kilchoman this winter based solely on the fact that it's a new Islay distillery, and if so, how much do I need to buy to satisfy demand?

-When did trendy people everywhere decide that Oban and Aperol were the new "it" products? 

-How long could I keep doing this before ending this blog post?

-David Driscoll