Yeah, I sorta see both sides. I really like Crown Royal, but really dislike Canadian Club. Most self-proclaimed connoisseurs say all blends are poope. But I have to say the nastiest "whiskey" I ever tasted was something Irish (which makes ~30% of my ancient heritage) and it was just horrible and still was priced at over $150USD back in ~2004.

To be clear this is not nationalist.

Jack Daniels is (arguably) the most overrated and overpriced drink available, there are other candidates, but yeah. Whiskey (In the US since 2015) is highly corporatized. Many of our craft beers/wines/liquors compete well at international competitions, but what sells at the stores is generally about things other than quality or "craft".

That said, this is my favorite local craft beverage https://www.altstadtbeer.com/