Why the low ABV hate?

[sailor22]

That's Orstray-ya to you Yankee

And all this time I thought it was Oz.

[gblick]

Yup it is. In the US 80 proof is the legal minimum. If a whiskey is lower than that it has to be labeled as "diluted". Some states don't allow liquor over a certain proof to be sold in grocery stores, so the diluted versions are produced for sale there.

And some states don't allow liquor sales at all in grocery stores.

[macdeffe]

I prefer full strength whisk(e)ys because I find it enviromental irresponsible to transport water around the globe

Steffen

[Flyfish]

As to why many of us prefer higher strength, everyone's palate is different and everyone has different sensitivities to alcohol. When something is cask strength, each person can drink it to their taste, whether that's neat or lower proof with added water. But while you can lower the proof of a cask strength whiskey, you of course, can't raise it in a low proof whiskey.


And, of course, we have all heard of the lady who returned her bottle of WT 101 because she had intended to buy WT 80.