Originally Posted by
thelark
went to fairgrounds today to browse the selection and grab something for the shelf. asked about the waiting list for the fall releases and Paul was a douche about it - stated that MD's allocation was cut by ~70% and their allocation would be little to none...fair enough. I mentioned that I'd been lucky for the past few years to grab a few bottles there and asked if he would take my name just in case.
"Have you been on our list in the past?"
"Yes, so are you just carrying it over?"
"I guess, maybe" and he walked away.
I've had good experiences with them in the past with bourbons and wine special orders so I've continued to go out of my way to purchase there. My wife noted a similarly poor experience a few months back and I chalked it up to her being overly sensitive. Now I don't think I'll be back.
Any recent increase in competition? We had a great little local shop but the grocery chains got into liquor in a big way - no selection, just better prices. The guy couldn't make a go of it selling top shelf to a small customer list. You need the hordes buying 1.75L Jack to make a profit. So he got crabby the last 3-4 months before he decided to go out of business. I hope that's not the case here.