Aspiring alcoholic. Can you really tell the difference between top of the line vs bottom shelf?

For example, Louis xiii, dom perignon,, etc. I’m a noob when it comes to alcohol. Yes I buy some names I hear that are better, but I can’t really compare since I don’t drink enough to be able to tell the difference if those bigger names are better than cheaper ones. I like vodka-i will say I can’t stand Smirnoff or absolut, but I have had Chopin, belvedere, and some other ones that I like better than the other two and are considerably more expensive. But after a certain price point, does it really make a difference? What makes a liquor name too of the line vs something much less expensive? Yea I know this is a loaded question since each one has its own criteria.