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)
Oct 12, 2017, 4:05 pm
#646
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 2
Oct 12, 2017, 4:36 pm
#647
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Kobe/Osaka
Programs: Delta
Posts: 1,587
https://www.amazon.co.jp/サントリー-ブレンデッ...ords=hibiki+17
Oct 20, 2017, 5:35 am
#650
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1
Did a pretty thorough search of the Ginza area today (October 20, 2017). Sorry I don't remember prices well for some of these.
Matsuya Department Store: Bought a Saburomaru 1990 (25,000 yen without tax): From what I could research, only 500 bottles made and only one I could find online was listed for $600 (and I like peated whiskey). Looks like they had at least one more bottle + the display bottle left if anyone is interested.
Hasegawa: Had a Hibiki 21 plus some other age-listed stuff back behind the counter that I couldn't see with my poor eyesight. Quite a good selection of other interesting NAS Japanese whiskey as well. I ended up buying a Mars Komagotake for like 8,500 or so as I wasn't in the mood to spend a ton more, and that looked much cheaper than I would ever get it back in the US.
Shinanoya: Nothing interesting there today. However, super interesting scotch selection if you want to browse non-Japanese stuff.
BIC Camera: Had Kurayoshi from 12 through 33 years. Don't know much about this and was just browsing at this point, and not sure if these are any good. Guessing not really since they had a ton of bottles of each...
Matsuya Department Store: Bought a Saburomaru 1990 (25,000 yen without tax): From what I could research, only 500 bottles made and only one I could find online was listed for $600 (and I like peated whiskey). Looks like they had at least one more bottle + the display bottle left if anyone is interested.
Hasegawa: Had a Hibiki 21 plus some other age-listed stuff back behind the counter that I couldn't see with my poor eyesight. Quite a good selection of other interesting NAS Japanese whiskey as well. I ended up buying a Mars Komagotake for like 8,500 or so as I wasn't in the mood to spend a ton more, and that looked much cheaper than I would ever get it back in the US.
Shinanoya: Nothing interesting there today. However, super interesting scotch selection if you want to browse non-Japanese stuff.
BIC Camera: Had Kurayoshi from 12 through 33 years. Don't know much about this and was just browsing at this point, and not sure if these are any good. Guessing not really since they had a ton of bottles of each...
Oct 21, 2017, 2:49 am
#651
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Nikka 12 seems pretty available in Shinjuku as well. Liquor Mountain had it for ~5K yen, BIC for 6K.
In terms of age stated, didn't find much else in Shinjuku outside of a tiny little wine store on 3 stores down from Liquor Mountain.
Picked up Hibiki 17 for 18K and a few Hibiki 17 mini's for 1.3K a pop.
On the shelf were some age stated bottles;
Hibiki 21 - ~42K
Hakushu 12 - ~12K
Yamazaki 12 - ~12K
Yamazaki 25 - ~120K - was tempted by this one but passed since I didn't have the cash on hand and am now on a train to Kyoto... Really regretting it now.
In terms of age stated, didn't find much else in Shinjuku outside of a tiny little wine store on 3 stores down from Liquor Mountain.
Picked up Hibiki 17 for 18K and a few Hibiki 17 mini's for 1.3K a pop.
On the shelf were some age stated bottles;
Hibiki 21 - ~42K
Hakushu 12 - ~12K
Yamazaki 12 - ~12K
Yamazaki 25 - ~120K - was tempted by this one but passed since I didn't have the cash on hand and am now on a train to Kyoto... Really regretting it now.
Oct 22, 2017, 10:47 pm
#653
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
Unfortunately Hasegawa is mostly a tourist trap these days. The Hibiki 21 is 49,700 + tax and looks like it's been sitting around for a while. It would be foolish for anyone to buy it from here as at least you can get a nice bottle for 50k duty free at the airport. I also saw it at Donkis in Osaka for 39k tax free.
Last edited by invalyd; Oct 23, 2017 at 8:31 am
Oct 26, 2017, 4:04 am
#654
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: TYO
Programs: UA MM *G, NH Plat/SFC, HH Diamond, GE
Posts: 238
Just saw 3 - 6 bottles of Yamazaki LE 2017 at the Donki in Roppongi last night... 14,800 each.
Donki also had:
Yamazaki 12 - 16,900
Hakushu 12 - 16,800
Hakushu 18 - 49,900
Hibiki 21 - 69,900 !!!!!!
Donki also had:
Yamazaki 12 - 16,900
Hakushu 12 - 16,800
Hakushu 18 - 49,900
Hibiki 21 - 69,900 !!!!!!
Last edited by groovbusta; Oct 27, 2017 at 9:30 am
Oct 26, 2017, 4:12 am
#655
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: TYO
Programs: UA MM *G, NH Plat/SFC, HH Diamond, GE
Posts: 238
Even for an EMPTY bottle of Yamazaki 25, sellers are asking 50,000 - 70,000 yen... you don't think counterfeiters have a pretty good business going?
Oct 26, 2017, 8:33 am
#656
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
A small store called Liquor Express in Gion district Kyoto has pretty much everything in stock. PM me if you have trouble finding it and I'll send detailed directions.
Hibiki 17 - 16,000
Hibiki 21 - 39,000
Hakushu/Yamazaki 12 - 12,000
Hakushu 18 - 39,000
Yamazaki LE - 16,000
Yamazaki 18 - 48,000
Hibiki 30 - 300,000
Also went to the Yamazaki Distillery today, while they don't sell any age statements, this is hands down the best place to sample premium whiskies. A 15ml tasting of Yamazaki 18 or Hibiki 21 is only 600yen!
Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 25 samplings are only 2,900 yen. Tried both, very satisfying trip.
Hibiki 17 - 16,000
Hibiki 21 - 39,000
Hakushu/Yamazaki 12 - 12,000
Hakushu 18 - 39,000
Yamazaki LE - 16,000
Yamazaki 18 - 48,000
Hibiki 30 - 300,000
Also went to the Yamazaki Distillery today, while they don't sell any age statements, this is hands down the best place to sample premium whiskies. A 15ml tasting of Yamazaki 18 or Hibiki 21 is only 600yen!
Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 25 samplings are only 2,900 yen. Tried both, very satisfying trip.
Last edited by invalyd; Oct 26, 2017 at 8:42 am
Oct 26, 2017, 12:42 pm
#657
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
Nice. There's a bar in San Francisco called Nihon Whisky Lounge that does tasters (I think 3/4 oz ~ 22ml) of many of these whiskies, but way more expensive than the distillery.
Oct 27, 2017, 9:14 am
#658
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 278
A small store called Liquor Express in Gion district Kyoto has pretty much everything in stock. PM me if you have trouble finding it and I'll send detailed directions.
Hibiki 17 - 16,000
Hibiki 21 - 39,000
Hakushu/Yamazaki 12 - 12,000
Hakushu 18 - 39,000
Yamazaki LE - 16,000
Yamazaki 18 - 48,000
Hibiki 30 - 300,000
Also went to the Yamazaki Distillery today, while they don't sell any age statements, this is hands down the best place to sample premium whiskies. A 15ml tasting of Yamazaki 18 or Hibiki 21 is only 600yen!
Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 25 samplings are only 2,900 yen. Tried both, very satisfying trip.
Hibiki 17 - 16,000
Hibiki 21 - 39,000
Hakushu/Yamazaki 12 - 12,000
Hakushu 18 - 39,000
Yamazaki LE - 16,000
Yamazaki 18 - 48,000
Hibiki 30 - 300,000
Also went to the Yamazaki Distillery today, while they don't sell any age statements, this is hands down the best place to sample premium whiskies. A 15ml tasting of Yamazaki 18 or Hibiki 21 is only 600yen!
Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 25 samplings are only 2,900 yen. Tried both, very satisfying trip.
It used to be Y500 for Yama 18 and Hibiki 21 and Y2400 for Yama 25 back in 2015. I guess a lot of things changed since then! Still pretty cheap!!
Oct 29, 2017, 12:20 pm
#659
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Thats nice! I did a sampling of Yama Sherry Cask in 15ml for 3000yen in a small whisky bar at Ponto-Cho, Kyoto. I also saw an empty bottle of Yama 50 on display and they told me it was at 10k yen per 15ml for tasting so I missed the chance!
Do they have Yama 50 for sampling at the distillery?
Do they have Yama 50 for sampling at the distillery?
Oct 29, 2017, 6:09 pm
#660
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
Thats nice! I did a sampling of Yama Sherry Cask in 15ml for 3000yen in a small whisky bar at Ponto-Cho, Kyoto. I also saw an empty bottle of Yama 50 on display and they told me it was at 10k yen per 15ml for tasting so I missed the chance!
Do they have Yama 50 for sampling at the distillery?
Do they have Yama 50 for sampling at the distillery?