From the Aberlour desk · Thread · what-youre-paying-for · 2026-10-22

What you're paying for: Aberlour 14

mergedmay_publish truequality passsite_publish falseprices: 2 price claim(s) verified live

1/What are you paying for in an Aberlour 14? Price its age, strength, name and style the way Dan Murphy's prices the rest of its whisky, and you land near $132. This week it's $160, about 21% over that going rate. So where does the extra sit?

2/That $132 breaks down by feature. Age does most of the work at 49%. Then sherry and dried fruit at 24%, being a single malt at 12%, and strength at 8%. The same features priced across the whole range, here weighted towards age.

3/Its own drinker splits things a little differently. Age again, but 46%. Sherry and dried fruit higher, at 29%. Being a single malt higher too, 22%. Same features, more weight on the fruit and the name, less on bare age.

4/More isn't always more. Glenfiddich 18 is $180 this week and gives an Aberlour 14 drinker about 87% of what the Aberlour does. That's $8.14 a pour at home against $7.24. So: content with the Aberlour at $160, or stretching for the 18? Your call.

Sources

Prices at Dan Murphy's as of 2026-10-22 (22 October 2026); vintage 2026-10-22.1; bottles: Aberlour 14 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700mL, Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL.
going rate for Aberlour 14's features: $132 (hedonic.hedonic_price)
Aberlour 14's price against its going rate (over): 21% (hedonic.ticket_vs_hedonic_pct)
Aberlour 14 price this week: $160 (price.ticket)
share of the going rate: age: 49% (hedonic.drivers)
share of the going rate: sherry and dried fruit: 24% (hedonic.drivers)
share of the going rate: being a single malt: 12% (hedonic.drivers)
share of the going rate: strength: 8% (hedonic.drivers)
what an Aberlour 14 drinker values: age: 46% (self_ledger)
what an Aberlour 14 drinker values: sherry and dried fruit: 29% (self_ledger)
what an Aberlour 14 drinker values: being a single malt: 22% (self_ledger)
Glenfiddich 18 for an Aberlour 14 drinker: 87% (stand_ins.alternatives.share_of_ref)
Glenfiddich 18 price this week: $180 (price.ticket)
Aberlour 14 per standard drink: $7.24 (price.ticket / standard drinks)
Glenfiddich 18 per standard drink: $8.14 (price.ticket / standard drinks)
THE POINT (fixed: keep its figures): Aberlour 14 is $160 this week: about 21% over the going rate for its features, $132.
Aberlour 14: standard drinks in the bottle: about 22
Glenfiddich 18: standard drinks in the bottle: about 22

Omissions

None recorded.

Notes for reviewer

None recorded.

Frontmatter as merged

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premium over CE 360° · shared scale 0% to +70% across the eleven

Aberlour 14 Year Old Scotch Whisky

$159.99list 11-05

CE 360° $144.72 · 9.5% over · #47 of 79 in Speyside

per standard drink $6.34 · #50 of 75 in Speyside

58 pieces · observed

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$174.90list 11-05

CE 360° $150.52 · 13.9% over · #18 of 38 in Highlands

per standard drink $7.92 · #28 of 36 in Highlands

78 pieces · observed

source file: drafts/2026-10-22-n239-what-youre-paying-for-what-you-re-paying-for-aberlour-14.md