Striking parallels with Naim there methinks. Ralfy however, as much as I agree with every word, is shouting at the moon. The CEO and directors of LVMH will not a feck give about older connoisseur’s concerns of declining quality as long as the cash registers are ringing. Naomi Klein identified this trend in No Logo (1999), in which she describes how the ‘brand’ becomes more important than the product.
Ardbeg now sits alongside Johnnie Walker Blue Label as a status symbol more than an actual whisky. Aspiring executives who know sweet FA about whisky will simply Google ‘whisky’ and pick up on the fact that Ardbeg is prestigious and desirable, and splash out ridiculous sums on a gift to impress their chairpersons and enhance their promotion prospects. The emergence of a global, vulgar, super-rich (typified by Rishi Sunak) will ensure that these products are snapped up.
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