Missing a Huge Opportunity

With most provincial liquor boards either not selling American whisky at all or having a very limited assortment (Alberta excepted) it strikes me that this is a huge opportunity being missed by the Canadian whisky industry to stake out new markets. I am in Nova Scotia - admittedly one of the provinces with one of the worst provincial liquor boards in terms of product assortment - and I checked this morning to see what our Canadian whisky selection looked like. Assuming their new (and unbelievably awful) new website is correct, it is absolutely atrocious. Nothing but bottom-shelfers with a few exceptions. Even borderline decent stuff like Collingwood Double-Barrel is missing, and forget about the premium Alberta, Lot 40 and Pike Creek variations. There is just nothing particularly good.

Alberta aside, is this typical in other provinces? The distillers should be rushing in to fill the hole created, and liquor boards should be asking them to do so as well. But it seems neither side cares. If the Canadian whisky industry has any aspirations to move upmarket from the commodity level they mostly are at presently, this is the time.