“I don’t have any hard data for this assertion, but in my experience whiskey is one of the most emotionally charged spirits categories out there. Perhaps it has to do with Bourbon’s connection to the United States’ mythic past, Scotch’s projection of rugged masculinity or Japanese whisky’s elegant aesthetic that is so captivating, that it inspires legions of devoted collectors. Or maybe there is a simpler reason: it’s delicious.
It’s not unexpected, then, for people to have feelings about non-alcoholic whiskey. There are plenty of detractors out there, from beverage professionals to bloggers (to Amazon reviewers) decrying the category for being too expensive or quite simply not as delicious as alcoholic whiskeys. But the non-alcoholic spirits category is still emerging, and, when compared to whiskey’s centuries of refinement, downright embryonic. That said, non-alcoholic spirits, particularly whiskeys, have come a long way in the past few years and still have a long way to go.”