Oct 18, 2019, 5:22 pm
Last edit by: armagebedar
This thread is about where to find whiskey in Japan. Extended discussion about where to find Japanese whiskey elsewhere is off topic and will be removed.
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Consolidated "Buy Whiskey in Japan" thread (was: Haneda/Narita Duty Free Whiskey)
Mar 31, 2020, 9:40 pm
#2206
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 166
Ha! Hats off to your efforts. You know, one thing that has always puzzled me about this fine forum is how people want to buy a premium product at a discount or recommended price. Usually a premium product attracts people who boast about the price paid - Rolexes Daytonas, Porsche GT3 or whatever. Here if one pays over the MSRP you get jumped at. And now in an external dangerous environment this that has to be questioned frankly. Glad you brought up the point! I'm going to pay the premium and have it delivered to my door thank you. Nothing personal, but I've been jumped at here before, and it seems more of a place to show off frankly. The truth is its quite difficult to buy at MSRP, and so what - if you can afford to buy a ticket to Japan, surely you can buy whisky at a premium? Why should someone jump at me if I pay the premium!?
Mar 31, 2020, 10:00 pm
#2207
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
To be fair it required spending the entirety of the two weeks, every day, doing almost nothing but going to random stores and all. Most owners get really pissed when you even ask. Even mention "suntory" and it's "nai!" They have terrible experiences with all the Chinese tourists flooding their shops to buy them. I would not recommend going this route to people unless they had two weeks to burn and didn't care about exploring at all. The two standard Yama and hak 18 were from a single source so if I didn't chance upon it I'd be coming home with very little for an insane amount of effort. End of the day I wonder if it was worth it.
Also worth mentioning Bic does have the small bottles of Yama 12 in stock in only a couple (2/25 bic shops I visited) but you must register for a Bic card which is an annoying process done online, and only then can you get one bottle per day. Spend the extra few bucks and get them elsewhere.
Also worth mentioning Bic does have the small bottles of Yama 12 in stock in only a couple (2/25 bic shops I visited) but you must register for a Bic card which is an annoying process done online, and only then can you get one bottle per day. Spend the extra few bucks and get them elsewhere.
Care to share any of the locations you had success at in the Osaka/Kyoto area besides BIC?
Mar 31, 2020, 10:53 pm
#2208
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NorCal
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold, SPG Platinum
Posts: 47
The Yama 12 was sourced from nakaya liquor store Osaka. it was their last one but if you are visiting your able to taste whiskey's by the 50 ml.
The Nas Yama from sugitani liquor store in Osaka which also had a jama 12 for about 12,500 and a hibiki 21 for 46 thousand. Credit to drdrdr56 for the Osaka recommendations.
Niikura liquor shop in Osaka had the hak Nas.
The limited editions at hnd international terminal towards gate 146. Also hats off to drdrdr56 on that.
the 18s were at one of the ginza department stores. Since I've visited literally every department store on the street I really do not recall which but it was in the basement. Much much kudos to drdrdr56 for his helping to coordinate and permission to share this.
Last edited by hgeek23; Mar 31, 2020 at 11:13 pm
Mar 31, 2020, 11:00 pm
#2209
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
Absolutely. The mini bottles were sourced at Hyatt regency Tokyo. They were Eleven hundred yen each. That is basically like buying a full bottle at about $150. Disadvantages no matter how many you buy you will not get tax free. They Levy tax on it.
The Yama 12 was sourced from nakaya liquor store Osaka. it was their last one but if you are visiting your able to taste whiskey's by the 50 ml.
The Nas Yama from sugitani liquor store in Osaka which also had a jama 12 for about 12,500 and a hibiki 21 for 46 thousand. Credit to drdrdr56 for the Osaka recommendations.
Niikura liquor shop in Osaka had the hak Nas.
The limited editions at hnd international terminal towards gate 146. Also hats off to drdrdr56 on that.
the 18s were at one of the ginza department stores. Since I've visited literally every department store on the street I really do not recall which but it was in the basement. Much much kudos to drdrdr56 for his helping to coordinate and permission to share this. I know he scored a Yama 12 but decided to get a LE at the airport for a sick relative I guess. Can't blame him, as a display piece it's really a looker.
The Yama 12 was sourced from nakaya liquor store Osaka. it was their last one but if you are visiting your able to taste whiskey's by the 50 ml.
The Nas Yama from sugitani liquor store in Osaka which also had a jama 12 for about 12,500 and a hibiki 21 for 46 thousand. Credit to drdrdr56 for the Osaka recommendations.
Niikura liquor shop in Osaka had the hak Nas.
The limited editions at hnd international terminal towards gate 146. Also hats off to drdrdr56 on that.
the 18s were at one of the ginza department stores. Since I've visited literally every department store on the street I really do not recall which but it was in the basement. Much much kudos to drdrdr56 for his helping to coordinate and permission to share this. I know he scored a Yama 12 but decided to get a LE at the airport for a sick relative I guess. Can't blame him, as a display piece it's really a looker.
Mar 31, 2020, 11:03 pm
#2210
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NorCal
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold, SPG Platinum
Posts: 47
I checked back daily at the department stores in case they got their allocation in that morning. From everything that we've gathered they get pretty much a couple of allocations per year. These three bottles finished off their allocation and they only sold it to me across the two weeks as there is so little foot traffic right now.
I would add that if you are going to pay above retail like a prior poster mentioned get it at the airport. Otherwise get it back in the United States online for the 6-800$. Bottles on secondary market are marked up more than the USA cuz they know the Chinese tourists buy a ton.
Last edited by hgeek23; Mar 31, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Mar 31, 2020, 11:28 pm
#2211
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Olympian, no medals (non-elite status :p )
Posts: 122
For those interested in buying at above retail but a ton of options there is a drug store next to the fresa inn in shinsaibashi that has about 12 bottles of hak 18 for 60k jpy, 30 or so bottles of yama 12 at about 22k, and a bunch, maybe 10 Yama 18s I think at 75k.
Mar 31, 2020, 11:34 pm
#2212
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
That would be Matsuya. Same one I've found a H21 at not too long ago.
Mar 31, 2020, 11:48 pm
#2213
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago, USA
Programs: UA 1MM Gold AA Gold NW Silver Marriott Plat. SPG Plat. Hilton Gold Hertz 5 Star
Posts: 3,215
On January 1st, I was too late, but the Aeon Mall Liquor shop near my house in Osaka sold Yamazaki 18 Hak18 and Hibiki 30 all for MSRP, I couldn’t believe it, i was so pissed when I got there around 6:00pm and they were all sold out!
I sometimes find good bottles at Aeon, I’m just not sure if they have Aeon in Tokyo.
I sometimes find good bottles at Aeon, I’m just not sure if they have Aeon in Tokyo.
WOAH
what is retail for a Hibiki 30?
Apr 6, 2020, 3:40 am
#2215
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 166
News just released that a State of Emergency is planned - not clear whether liquor retailers will be affected - could well be exempt under vital foodstuffs, or at discretion of owners. What will be affected is the night bars - possibly affecting a big sector that has bought premium Japanese whisky. Not sure about the Bic cameras of this world - possibly non-essential for sure.
Apr 23, 2020, 12:57 pm
#2217
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
Apr 28, 2020, 5:19 am
#2220
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Kanagawa
Programs: JAL Global Club, ANA Super Flyers
Posts: 238
Haven't been out to the liquor shops in a while (still have my current stash to work through!), but Essence Volume 4 certainly sounds more interesting than Volume 3. The Sakura Wood finish Chita certainly sounds interesting, but I'm more intrigued by the rice whisky from their new-ish Osumi distillery.
https://www.nomunication.jp/2020/04/...kura-and-rice/
https://www.nomunication.jp/2020/04/...kura-and-rice/
