What is the best Japanese whiskey that's currently available at HND duty free?

This is a shot in the dark (and slightly OT so apologies) but has anyone seen Hibiki 17 in DFS (or other places) in or around SIN, DPS, or HKG (or DXB but that's way off topic) recently?

I'm heading to SE Asia in the next month (and staying in all of those places / going through the airports) but sadly (unless something changes) no stopover (overnight or otherwise) in Tokyo is in order and I'm in desperate need of a new Hibiki 17 bottle.

I'm at HND right now - they have Hibiki 17 at Y20,000. But I saw it yesterday at Don Quijote Roppongi for Y11,990. Don Quijote also had Hibiki 21 at Y24,990.

Someone in Bali has asked me to pick up a bottle of single-malt, which I take to mean Scotch from Scotland not whiskies from anywhere else (sorry, lovers of Japanese whiskies). We'll be flying from Narita to Bali, so NRT T1 duty free is our best and last place to buy.

How much should I expect to pay for a decent but not extravagant single-malt at Narita? How do those prices compare to "downtown" prices?

I don't find the prices any cheaper than in the shops in Tokyo !


http://www.pernod-ricard-japan.com/dutyfree/naa/narita/

Thanks for the report.

Yikes! DFS at HND charges 2x!:td:

Yeah, the only good deal on Hibiki 17 at HND is in the lounges where it is free. :cool:

I am tempted to go in town just to grab a bottle or 2 of the Hibiki 17.;)

Anyone know if there is a store near HND that is accessible by public transit and would have that in stock?

Aeon Mall in Narita....

That's a trick question. Does "best" mean most desired by shoppers? Best rated? Or, best value for the $?

Most desired is probably the Yamazaki 25 Limited Edition (AKA Yamazaki 25 in a fancier bottle), at an overpriced 250,000 yen. It pops up every so often at Narita Duty Free. While it is about 100,000 yen higher than it's non-fancy bottle version, the regular version has been nigh-impossible to find in Japanese stores (save for the few lone shops that have jacked it up to crazy prices). The Hibiki 30 is probably also on the high demand list. There's also the Taketsuru 25, but I believe that's gone the way of the Dodo.

Best rated, I couldn't say? Again depends on your price range. I'm sure there are those who will swear by the Yama 25 as the best product of Japan. But others might tell you that the Yama 18 is just as good and 1/5 the price in duty free. Others might tell you the blended malts like the Hibiki 17 & 21 are excellent choices. But again way overpriced compared to their retail store brothers.

Best value for the $ (or yen), there's one I can tell you that's actually cheaper in Duty Free than any retail store in Japan, and that's the Nikka Taketsuru 21, which is 13,400 yen Tax free. Most retail shops sell it between 14,500 and 15,000 before tax. It's one of the only things that is actually cheaper in Duty Free than retail.

The best bet for access is probably the main store in Yokohama: Yokohama Nishiguchi. It's open 24 hours, and there are direct Keikyu trains from HND to Yokohama station that take under 30 minutes. 450 yen each way. The store is a five minute walk from the station.

Whether they have the Hibiki 17 at that location is another question, but you could call and ask. (If you had asked this question yesterday when I was walking around killing time in Yokohama, I could have checked for you. But I'm not going back soon.)

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of analysis I am looking for.

How's Nikka Taketsuru 21 compared to Hibiki 17?

They are different. The Taketsuru is a bit more smokey than the Hibiki. So if that is your thing, I'd go with Nikka. Personally I prefer the Hibiki 21 to the Taketsuru 21 - I have a bottle of each in my collection currently. Hit up a nice hotel bar and try both to see what you prefer.

If anybody cares, Yamazaki 12's have been spotted in Costco Burbank in SoCal. $68.99 each. I'm guessing they may be elsewhere, too.

Cheaper than what you pay for them in Tokyo right now.

Damn. Hats off to the buyer at costco for getting it and not ripping people off.