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Originally Posted by zitsky
(Post 29805890)
Is Blue still blended scotch? I drink black never had blue.
JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY Johnnie Walker Blue Label is an unrivaled masterpiece. It is an exquisite blend made from some of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional Scotch Whiskies. Only one in every ten thousand casks has the elusive quality, character and flavor to deliver the’ remarkable signature taste of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. An extraordinary Scotch Whisky for extraordinary occasions. |
Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
(Post 29808259)
I was at the Caresse Resort in Bodrum, Turkey yesterday and a 40ml serve Johnny Walker Black was about $18US. A serve of JW Gold was the same... as was a serve of JW Blue.
I do it enjoy it when people running a bar don't know how to calculate GP's properly and leave fun little sweet spots on the spirits menu. A Well known Oxford Hotel (popular with overseas tourists) a few years ago when I stayed there had a bar with an excellent large selection of whisky at extremely high prices. Included in the list were some supposedly "super deluxe" whisky (I was unfamiliar with) at really really high prices - a quick check with google revealed that these "special" whiskies could be brought retail for just a few quid more than other better known decent brands yet were 3x the price on the menu - c£50 a shot |
It's been a Japanese whisky kind of week.
For starters -- it was sad to see the Hibiki 17 era come to a close for a while. Thankfully still have 3 bottles left from various Tokyo trips to slowly drink down over the next couple of years but will still need to find a suitable (and likely much cheaper at current prices) replacement from some corner of the earth (perhaps time to explore Kavalan in more depth). On a similar note, last night finished my last bottle of Taketsuru 17 which is another great Japanese whisky that seems to be going the way of the dodo. Snagged this bottle for a whopping $28 (~3000 JPY at the time) at the NRT duty free back in 2016 which is unreal thinking back. And tonight it's my last bottle of Hibiki 12 that's getting closed out (good but definitely not worth it at current secondary market prices). The other interesting scotch I had recently was the Johnnie Walker Bourbon Rye Cask at the CDG duty free in April. It was quite good -- I figured I could get it somewhere back in the US but haven't found it anywhere so hopefully they'll still have a bottle when I pass through in a couple weeks. #s3gt_translate_tooltip_mini { display: none !important; } |
I'm a huge fan of the peats, unlike many here including [MENTION=759220]Adam Smith[/MENTION], and also enjoy the sherry cask ones.
I pretty much enjoy any peat 10 years or older, any regular/sherry oak single malt or blended malt 12 years or older... with a handful of exceptions. I really don't like any non-Scotch whiskies, except for Japanese. They also happen to share a history of whisky making, which is why I think Japanese Whisky is very similar to Scotch. |
Originally Posted by Duke787
(Post 29811331)
It's been a Japanese whisky kind of week.
For starters -- it was sad to see the Hibiki 17 era come to a close for a while. Thankfully still have 3 bottles left from various Tokyo trips to slowly drink down over the next couple of years but will still need to find a suitable (and likely much cheaper at current prices) replacement from some corner of the earth (perhaps time to explore Kavalan in more depth). On a similar note, last night finished my last bottle of Taketsuru 17 which is another great Japanese whisky that seems to be going the way of the dodo. Snagged this bottle for a whopping $28 (~3000 JPY at the time) at the NRT duty free back in 2016 which is unreal thinking back. And tonight it's my last bottle of Hibiki 12 that's getting closed out (good but definitely not worth it at current secondary market prices). I couldn't even find the NAS Hibiki recently at any airport duty free shops, in Germany, Ireland, the UK, the US (IAD and SFO), or Taiwan. Makes me triply-annoyed I didn't get the bottle last year at HKG (knew, like TPE, I couldn't board with it headed to the US due to their silly "TSA says you can't rule); it was the neat artwork one, vs. the "Master's Select" ones I've gotten from NRT (my 17s and 21 are all special artwork bottles, which though they did cost more, were at least at the time I got them easier to find than regular retail). I read that Suntory has discontinued even the NAS Hibiki to be able to blend what they have into other NAS whisky. I also regret not spending the $90 on 12-year Hakushu in Tokyo when I was there 18 months ago... at the time, it seemed a little high and something easy to continue to find. LOL. |
Originally Posted by TWA884
(Post 29809344)
As far as I know, all Johnny Walker whiskies are blends:
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Need to get a bottle of scotch for a couple of gifts. Looking for something in the $75-100 range that's fairly easy to get (NC ABC store is fairly limited so anything hard to get is going to require me ordering online and adding shipping to that cost). I'm guessing at that cost I'm looking squarely at the 15yo range with a couple in the 18yo range that might slip into that at the high end.
The recipients certainly aren't scotch aficionados but they aren't newbies -- have had my fair of scotch with them over the years. Any thoughts? I would love to get something like a Glendronach 15 but can't find that anywhere / it's not in the $75-100 price range anymore sadly. As an aside Glenfiddich 18 is on sale for $100 at the NC ABC until the end of the month but I've never had so don't know if that's a legit option. EDIT: Just to add read a few different reddit and other threads tonight, Glenmorangie 18 Year keeps popping up. Somehow I've never even had Glenmorangie period so don't know about the 18yo. Looks like I could get it online for ~$100 including shipping (paired with another liquor order for Buffalo Trace I have to make anyway) |
Paging CMK10...
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Originally Posted by Duke787
(Post 30023216)
Need to get a bottle of scotch for a couple of gifts. Looking for something in the $75-100 range that's fairly easy to get (NC ABC store is fairly limited so anything hard to get is going to require me ordering online and adding shipping to that cost). I'm guessing at that cost I'm looking squarely at the 15yo range with a couple in the 18yo range that might slip into that at the high end.
The recipients certainly aren't scotch aficionados but they aren't newbies -- have had my fair of scotch with them over the years. Any thoughts? I would love to get something like a Glendronach 15 but can't find that anywhere / it's not in the $75-100 price range anymore sadly. As an aside Glenfiddich 18 is on sale for $100 at the NC ABC until the end of the month but I've never had so don't know if that's a legit option. |
Originally Posted by yyznomad
(Post 29811732)
I'm a huge fan of the peats, unlike many here including [MENTION=759220]Adam Smith[/MENTION], and also enjoy the sherry cask ones.
I pretty much enjoy any peat 10 years or older, any regular/sherry oak single malt or blended malt 12 years or older... with a handful of exceptions. I really don't like any non-Scotch whiskies, except for Japanese. They also happen to share a history of whisky making, which is why I think Japanese Whisky is very similar to Scotch. |
Originally Posted by Duke787
(Post 30023216)
Need to get a bottle of scotch for a couple of gifts. Looking for something in the $75-100 range that's fairly easy to get (NC ABC store is fairly limited so anything hard to get is going to require me ordering online and adding shipping to that cost). I'm guessing at that cost I'm looking squarely at the 15yo range with a couple in the 18yo range that might slip into that at the high end.<br /><br />The recipients certainly aren't scotch aficionados but they aren't newbies -- have had my fair of scotch with them over the years.<br /><br />Any thoughts?<br /><br />I would love to get something like a Glendronach 15 but can't find that anywhere / it's not in the $75-100 price range anymore sadly.<br /><br />As an aside Glenfiddich 18 is on sale for $100 at the NC ABC until the end of the month but I've never had so don't know if that's a legit option.<br /><br />EDIT: Just to add read a few different reddit and other threads tonight, Glenmorangie 18 Year keeps popping up. Somehow I've never even had Glenmorangie period so don't know about the 18yo. Looks like I could get it online for ~$100 including shipping (paired with another liquor order for Buffalo Trace I have to make anyway)
Wow! Worse than some Canadian provinces. I looked up their Scotch and one that jumped out at me was Glenfarclas 105. Glenfarclas 105 at ABC This is a "cask strength" whisky, about 60% alcohol, but not firewater - in fact very good depth of taste. I usually have a bottle of this on the go. It keeps this when cut back with water so might be a good introduction for your friends. I don't really understand the pricing, but if $142.50 is for a case of 3, then that's a good price for USA. About £35-45/litre in UK duty free when discounted, £70 ltr on Amazon UK. |
Originally Posted by Duke787
(Post 30023216)
Need to get a bottle of scotch for a couple of gifts. Looking for something in the $75-100 range that's fairly easy to get (NC ABC store is fairly limited so anything hard to get is going to require me ordering online and adding shipping to that cost). I'm guessing at that cost I'm looking squarely at the 15yo range with a couple in the 18yo range that might slip into that at the high end.
The recipients certainly aren't scotch aficionados but they aren't newbies -- have had my fair of scotch with them over the years. Any thoughts? I would love to get something like a Glendronach 15 but can't find that anywhere / it's not in the $75-100 price range anymore sadly. As an aside Glenfiddich 18 is on sale for $100 at the NC ABC until the end of the month but I've never had so don't know if that's a legit option. EDIT: Just to add read a few different reddit and other threads tonight, Glenmorangie 18 Year keeps popping up. Somehow I've never even had Glenmorangie period so don't know about the 18yo. Looks like I could get it online for ~$100 including shipping (paired with another liquor order for Buffalo Trace I have to make anyway) |
Originally Posted by mandolino
(Post 30024094)
I don't really understand the pricing, but if $142.50 is for a case of 3, then that's a good price for USA.
You need to look at the retail price, ~$90 per bottle, which is uniform throughout the state of North Carolina. Take a look at this explanation: Spirituous Liquor Pricing Breakdown |
Yes hard liquor is expensive here in NC. :(
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Thanks all.
I guess if I lived in NC, I would do my whisky-buying (and "spiritous liquor" buying) on interstate or foreign trips at duty free then! These days it's easy to check prices and compare by volume. My most frequent trip outside the EU is ABZ-SVG and although Norwegian DF prices are often more expensive than UK duty-paid prices, one can spot the odd bargain when returning - or take a bottle from UK DF on the way to Norway, then pack it in checked luggage for the return. Often I snap a few photos while passing though the inward duty free then check prices online at my leisure later Glenfarclas 105 was one of those rare bargains at SVG duty-free , which is how I acquired a taste for it. |
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