sf7307

Is it less expensive to buy Scotch at the distillery than to buy the same specific brand/type here in the US?

Gordon_R

It's whisky, not whiskey in Scotland. No idea about prices in the US, but the distilery shops I've visited (quite a few) were certainly a bit more expensive than what I would pay in a local (UK) supermarket.

Assuming you do buy here, there will presumably be US customs restrictions on how much you can imprt back into the US.

elberko

I think the advantage is buying ones that aren't readily available in the U.S. We brough a few bottles back, but I don't recall the prices.

~Liz

janisj

The prices are actually a bit higher in the UK - and most single malts and just about all blends are readily available in CA. Not sure where elberko lives but you live in No Cal and we have a huge selection here - BevMo, Total Wine, all the usual suspects.

I'd just buy whatever you wanted to drink while in country and no worry about taking any home.

sparkchaser

It depends. It's likely to be cheaper in the U.S., <b>BUT</b> you have access to a greater variety in Scotland.

That being said, when we go to Scotland, we stock up big time on delicious, delicious whisky.

lateinlifetraveler

Depending on the distillery, you may not be able to find their whisky in the states. The distillery may also offer small bottles in which case you can taste several and compare the differences to find your favorites.

janisj

>>I think the advantage is buying ones that aren't readily available in the U.S. <<

>>BUT you have access to a greater variety in Scotland.<<

>>You may not be able to find their whisky in the states. <<

I'm curious which are all these whiskies one can't find in the States. I've been drinking single malts for decades and almost every one I've ever tasted in Scotland can be found where I live. It is true that years ago availability wasn't as good, but here in N. Cal there are shops that have huge specialist Scotch sections. Maybe it matters where one lives.

BigRuss

The specialty bottlers are far more numerous (Duncan Laing, Cadenhead, Signatory, Provenance, Gordon MacPhail) and their offerings are far more extensive. You won't find 90% of that in the US and most of it will be far less expensive. ESPECIALLY the Old Malt Cask preview bottlings from Duncan Laing (20 cl bottles).

Distillery bottlings (aka "OB" for "own bottling") are not necessarily less expensive but there will be varieties available that you cannot get in the US (e.g. Glenmorangie Cellar 13 - only available at duty free shops).

The best places to buy are at major specialty retailers, not the distilleries and not the duty free (which will primarily have offerings you can obtain in the US).

Google these: Loch Fyne Whiskies, Royal Mile Whiskies, Cadenhead shop.

janisj

Re BigRuss' post - yes the specialty bottlings are generally not available in the States. And he is right that the best selections will be at Royal Mile Whiskies etc. Not at the distilleries.

But most any whisky you are likely to taste at any distillery (unless you are on a special connoisseur's tour) or in most pubs - those are generally available in the states - and cheaper.

yodababe

Many distilleries have special stuff that isn't exported or readily available in the States. For example, Blair Athol has a 12 year single malt that is not exported, you can only purchase it in the UK. It is also freaking delicious. So while you can get just about every brand in the US, you might find it worthwhile to hunt down some of these special whiskies that are made in limited quantities or that aren't exported.

Why not check out Whiskies of Scotland? They are a great company that sell a lot of whiskies from distilleries that are closed, limited run stuff, and popular brands as well. It's def worth a visit to one of their shops if you are visiting Scotland. We go to the one in Huntley (on one of the whisky trails, about 25 miles NW of Aberdeen) when we visit.

sparkchaser

Kinda sorta related is that Highland Park's Leif Eriksson is only available in select duty free shops and that is worth seeking out.

Also, I think the new Johnnie Walker Explorers Club Collection is also only available in duty free shops. I bought a bottle of The Spice Road and it is very nice.

Katiehab

We brought back several bottles recently, none were a bargain. Everything we brought back are not available for purchase in the United States, which if you were focusing on, you could just ask the distiller about. For example, Talisker sells two, and maybe three in the coming months, options in the US, but they have 8 or 10 on sale at the distillery. We bought one that was released last month and is only going to the European market. We also stopped at Edradour, and they had SO MANY options for sale, including single cask bottles, and malts aged in a variety of barrels, but they currently only sell ONE option in the US, and MAYBE will be selling two by the end of this year. Blair Atholl, mentioned above, doesn't sell it's single malt in the US at all, and doesn't sell its 12 year outside of the distillery.

Like, I said though, nothing's a bargain, so be sure to do lots of tasting and buy what you like!

sparkchaser

The Blair Atholl 12 is quite lovely.

sf7307

I'm not sure where they're going other than Abelour (we're all fans of their "A'bundah", so I'll pass this along. Thanks all!

yodababe

I have to clarify one small point in your otherwise excellent post Katiehab. You CAN get the Blair Athol 12 year through Whiskies of Scotland--not only their distillery. And if you live in the EU, their (WoS) shipping prices can't be beat!

BigRuss

(1) Tell them NOT to buy anything less than 46% ABV.

Personally prefer cask strength, but anything less than 92 proof is paying for the water. That HP Leif Ericsson is an insult - 80 proof for $88? Geez.

(2) Don't worry too much about the duty free limit - you can pack bottles bought in Scotland in luggage (wrap well) and still get your limit at the airport. If the ICE folks really care, they'll ding you in the US (never had that happen) but the per bottle price for duty is relatively low.

(3) Stress the rarer stuff in your price range.

(4) I've had success with Murray McDavid and Signatory independent bottlings, less so with Gordon MacPhail. Best stuff I ever bought was straight from the barrel at the Cadenhead shop.

zippo

Good whisky starts at 15 years old. (years in the cask - it doesn't improve in the bottle)
Don't buy "rare" whisky unless you are a collector - it doesn't taste any better, it's just rare.
Special "expressions" - eg matured in a port cask - are often interesting but may not be to your taste.
Specialist whisky bars will give advice and let you smell and taste different variations of the same whisky, but don't be tempted to buy a bottle there, you will pay plenty.
(try the Pot Still, Hope Street, Glasgow, not far from Central Station.)

yodababe

I know that whisky attracts its snobs as much as wine does, but I don't drink it as a social statement. I drink it because it is freaking delicious. And for me, delicious starts at 12-15 years. Of course, the 18-30 year stuff is really nice, but you don't have to go broke to get a decent bottle of good-tasting whisky.

'Rare' can mean many things. For us, we like to find whisky from small distilleries or even distilleries that are now closed--so when their whisky is gone, it's gone. My husband and I think that's special, but we don't often drink that whisky--we bring it out for friends on special occasions.

It all comes down to personal taste. One of the guys we like to talk whisky with says he can taste the difference between a 60 dollar and 600 dollar bottle, but can't taste the same difference between a 600 dollar and a 6000 dollar bottle. We are personally happy with the 60 dollar bottle, I have a bit of a moral dilemma spending 600 bucks on a bottle of whisky when kids go hungry all over the world--but that's just me.

BigRuss

Well, this so overstated as to be arrant nonsense: "Good whisky starts at 15 years old."

Age means less than quality - there are plenty of Scotch whiskies from 10-12 years old (sheeyoot, the Ardbeg, Longrow, Springbank and Talisker standard bottlings are only 10) that are very good or better and older whiskies that aren't so great.

And by rare, I mean rarer or impossible to find in the US. You can get a 12-yo Macallan anywhere, you can't get a 12-yo Signatory bottling of Cragganmore finished in a _____ cask as easily.

yodababe

One of my faves is Tomatin, bottled in Inverness. Their 10 is surprisingly good, and the 12 is lovely.

Here's a bit of whisky trivia for you. There are an increasing number of Scottish-style whisky distilleries opening in Bavaria, of all places. Their stuff is still pretty rough (mostly because it hasn't had much chance to age, they sell 4 and 5 years right now) but, having tasted really well done schnapps, I anticipate them rolling out some nice single-malts in the next couple of decades. We live in Bavaria, actually really close to much of the production, and it is interesting to watch it all unfold before our eyes. We call it 'homage whisky'