This has been said before, but their reputation and past conduct makes it strange that people would still trust them; they still do auctions and sell high-priced wine and other liquor.
Todd has already commented on the reasons in this merged thread, and you can be sure nobody is doing this to protect Acker. Your post is about bourbon, that’s all.
One of the things that I REALLY do not understand is that people in the industry who are selling wines at auction, like Martine Saunier and many Bordeaux and Burgundy producers, have dealt with Acker and pretended as though they don’t know any better.
Mr. Kapon is obviously offering a big chunk of the buyer’s premium as an incentive to deal with Acker, and the industry people who clearly know what they are dealing with are pretending that they don’t and taking the money.