The distillery doesn’t want to set market clearing prices for PR reasons. They also forbid authorized retailers from charging market clearing prices. So liquor stores either break the rules or “allocate” the bottles to their best customers.
that's like blaming RPi for how expensive they are even though RPi has not changed prices. it's also like blaming the band because the scalpers are charging so much for their ticket prices. it's not the band's fault nor the maker's fault someone buys them all up in bulk and then resells them.