williemaykit

Found Hibiki 12 year old at Takishimaya in Shinjuku for 6450 if anyone is interested.

Hunting around for 17 or 21 year old. The wine shop opposite the university at Yoyogi also has Hibiki 12

Jigen666

When I was in Takashimaya a couple of weeks ago, it was nothing but nothing, except for the Mars Cosmo and their exclusive Sunny 20 year old, which is an off brand made in Toyama, by a distillery known more for Sake than Whisky (read the reviews, didn't sound appealing). It was selling for 5,000 yen for the 300ml and 12,000 yen for the 700ml. The Mars Cosmo was about 4,500 yen and seemed to be selling everywhere in Japan.

Sad thing is, last November, I was in Tokyo right after Yamazaki Sherry 2013 won the Whisky of the Year, and Takashimaya Shinjuku had a Yamazaki 25 for sale for 99,000 yen (about $800 at that time). I could have got it tax free and an extra 5% off with the Hello Kitty Takashimaya discount card (BTW did you pick up one at the tax counter before you purchased yours - they still give them out). I decided to pass, thinking there may be another opportunity. Stupid me. Now that bottle sells between $2,500 and $3,000.

Aventine

I've been there. That's why I always buy it first and think about the cost later. A lesson for next time!

abraxis

Has anyone seen this at Japan/Singapore/HK DFS?

This is the brand that won the World Whiskies Award for best single malt. And it's from the ROC!

exerda

I haven't seen any Kavalan products at NRT's duty free shops. I did pick up a bottle of that exact whisky from Ace Spirits online (I think they're in Denver?), for about $150, which given the hype for it I figured was a good deal. After all, finding 2013 Suntory 12 Sherry Cask for under $2k is tough!

No, I haven't opened it... it's on my whisky shelves next to a Karuizawa 15 and an Ichiro's On the Way which likewise haven't been opened yet.

Speaking of Kavalan, I've a bottle of their Concertmaster Port Finish which is very comparable IMHO to a Karuizawa Asama. I think I paid around $70 for it, from some online shop in the US when I was ordering several other whiskys.

mkjr

Not at any of them. Lots at TPE though. I picked up the sherry cask one instead as I preferred it. Smoking cheap though. Did get two free 50mls of the one that won though as a bonus.

mapleg

I saw on NHK a news item today saying that Asahi announced they are going to increase the price of their whisky 10-40% across the board. I assume the cheap ones go up 10% and the premium ones go up more.

This was followed by a short story about the booming prices and demand for Japanese whisky in Asia. They talked about a fad for Japanese whisky bars in Hong Kong and the fact that so-called investors are bidding up prices on J whisky....basically in lieu of investing in the Chinese stock market they have decided whisky is where it's at. Classic bubble on prices. One bottle (The Cockerel, 52 years old sold) for US$97,000. A full set of Ichiro whisky (the playing card set of 52 bottles) went for $US400,000

Sound like the days of relatively low prices for top quality J whisky are now a thing of the past.

Also found this article claiming demand in Japan is also rising, partially due to some TV show

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.VeWfjCVVhHw

cyborg

deleted

SQ50

Singapore DFS has the Kalavan Solist ex Bourbon and Sherry cask for about US$70-80 each. Unfortunately no Vinho Barrique.

Best place to get them all is TPE Taoyuan.

mkjr

when i was at TPE, the bottle i bought of Kalavan Solist Sherry cask was closer to 100 although if you take advantage of the 15% on BR, you could get it to the SIN Price. perhaps the SIN price is a promo with the recent opening of the new whiskey shop this past may?

either way, sorry, this is OT....but that is CHEAP for KV at SIN.

alexr_ft

I just came back through NRT and wish I'd read this thread earlier. I had plans to buy several bottles of Hibiki 21 as I usually do, but at ¥50000 for a B.S. painted bottle, I had to pass.

Duke787

How'd the Harmony turn out exerda? They are selling it for ~$65 pre-tax at the ABC stores in the RDU area. Haven't decided if it is worth it.

Master of Malt is selling Hibiki 17 for $125 USD and Yoichi 10 for $88 (both pre-shipping with a 1 bottle limit on the 17) which is about the lowest I've seen either online (and for the Hibiki 17 not a huge mark-up over the reported cost at Mitsukoshi).

Moral of the story is I need to just find a way to get back to Tokyo (and not just NRT/HND on a layover) and pick up a couple bottles of things to put in a checked bag.

exerda

I need to put together a vertical and try the three side-by-side. I think I actually like the 12 the best, but it's been a while since I dared pour my 17 (although to be fair, I do have a bottle in reserve, too, so I shouldn't be so stingy with myself). I'll post a follow-up in the not-distant future.


Those are good prices, IMHO. I paid a bit more for each of those last time I picked them up (probably around $135 and $90), and the online shop I got the Yoichi 10 at that price from no longer stocks it.

I got spoiled at a tasting recently of Ichiro's Malts and want to expand my selection (I have only a lone Chichibu "On the Way" at the moment; I tried several others and enjoyed all of them). Tough to find for any moderate price online, and tough to find in the Tokyo area IME as well.

exerda

So I put together the vertical last night, with a dram each of the Harmony, 12 year, and 17 year.

IMHO the Harmony was the least-complex and also the sweetest. It's not bad, mind you, but definitely lacks some of the character of the older Hibikis. It has plenty of body to it, but that body is dominated by honey-like sweetness.

The 17 was the most Scotch-like, with a good degree of smokiness to its finish. As with all the Hibikis, plenty of body. Definite resinous notes, and plenty of oak.

My favorite remains the 12, which seems a good balance between the two.

kyee

My local Costco in So. SF off of El Camino has the Hibiki Harmony in stock. I picked up 1 bottle to compare it to the 12. It's priced the same as the 12, when they had it in stock.