Bourbon

Duty Free & Travel Retail Shopping

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

NOTE:  Richard posted this originally in Nov 2011; as prices and even what is/isn’t available has changed – Gary updated in Jan 2019.

The holidays are once again right around the corner. For most people in the U.S. this means two things…gift giving and travel. So with that in mind I thought I would pontificate on the intersection where those two things meet whiskey. Duty Free/Travel Retail shopping immediately come to mind.

I’m sure that most of you who have done any type of international travel have seen whiskey for sale somewhere. It might be a small duty free liquor section in the gift shop of your cruise ship or a massive store in Heathrow. If you’ve flown out of Cancun then you can’t actually get to your gate without going through the duty free store. The selections may be big or small but how do you know what to buy?

Before we start I want to dispel the myth that if you get it in a travel shop then it must be a good deal. What once was referred to as “Duty Free” shopping has now morphed into “Travel Retail” shopping. That means that depending on where you are, where you’re going, and what you’re buying the items may not be duty or tax free at all. If you see something that you buy all the time at home then you probably have a good point of reference for the relative value of the purchase. However, if you’re picking up a gift either as planned or on impulse you might be surprised to know that the price of the bottle you are looking at may not be that great. In some instances it might even be more expensive. In this age or smartphones and instance wireless internet connectivity I recommend doing a little homework before pulling the trigger.

If it’s whiskey you are after, look to old favorites, exclusive items, or high-end blends. You need to pay attention to pricing though (and if you’re not sure, that’s what smartphones are for). Some travel retail locations (such as near where the cruise ships dock in Grand Cayman) have historically charged more for some standards than you would pay at home.

Next, I would recommend looking at travel retail exclusive bottlings for something interesting. More often than not you will find Scotch in your search for travel retail exclusives. There are also items that started out as travel retail exclusives, can be found elsewhere in the world, but still may not be available in the United States (so despite not being a pure ‘travel retail exclusive’, if it is up your alley – likely will be cheaper to buy there than say in London).  Also, many (not all) now have web-sites where you can check before your trip.  They may still have items in-store that aren’t on their site, or just the opposite (on the site but not in-stock).  But I always recommend a little web-shopping in advance.

Here’s a brief list of some to keep an eye out for:

Laphroaig fans can look for:
Laphroaig PX Cask
Laphroaig Brodir
Laphroaig The 1815 Edition

Johnnie Walker fans can look for whole bottles from their Explorer’s Club Collection, or they have a sample pack with three 200 mL bottles of Gold Route, Royal Route, and Spice Road.

On the American whiskey front, the selection isn’t as broad, although we do really like the Jack Daniel’s Silver Select if you can find it!

A final thought might be a good Scotch blend. Blends have been getting beat up a good bit in the past decade with the growth of single malts. I can’t seem to throw a cork without hitting a single malt snob these days. The truth is blends are good. Some can be very good. They also seem to have a higher tax/duty mark up and therefore offer great buys in a duty free shop. I’ve regularly found Dewar’s Signature and Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old for half of retail price. You might only save 10% or 20% on the bottle of single malt sitting next to it. With deals like that maybe it’s time to see how good blends can be. Personally, I always have a good blend at home and if it’s more than $100 you can bet I got it duty free.

I hope some of this might help you in the near future while waiting for your next flight. I want to be clear that this is purely from personal experience. I have no data from expansive international pricing surveys but I travel regularly and I’m always looking for something interesting. Hopefully, on your next layover or trip to visit the family you can find something interesting too.

Oh by the way, most of the shops gift wrap too. 😉

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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More Information on Old Scout

/ / Bourbon

John Little over at Smooth Ambler was kind enough to send me some more information on their new Old Scout Bourbon. Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey was released on November 2nd. This particular released is sourced from Indiana. The bourbon in the first bottling is five years, just shy of six years old. The next run will tip the six year mark. The recipe for this new bourbon is a higher rye recipe (36%) and it’s bottled at 99 proof/49.5% ABV. There is no chill or carbon filtering prior to bottling. According to John they are “taking every step to make sure the bourbon retains as much of the flavor as possible.”

You can get a bottle for $32 to $35 depending on the state. Right now it’s available at the distillery in West Virginia and you can expect to see it in FL, NY, CT, DC, DE, and MD in the next 10-14 days. It will also start showing up in KY, TN, and VA in about a month. John was kind enough so put a sample in the mail for me so hopefully I’ll have a review up later this month.

I really like the upfront and open approach Smooth Ambler is taking with this. So many “distillers” and bottlers are coming out with sourced bourbons and making it look like they made them. It’s a shame they feel they need to do this. I think more folks you follow Smooth Ambler’s example. Kudos guys!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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New U.S. Releases – September 2011

/ / Bourbon, Irish Whiskey, Other Spirits, Scottish Whisky

I’m a little late again this month but I have good reason. I reinjured my right ankle and as a result I’ve been medicated and hobbling around. It’s an old injury that actually goes all the way back to fourth grade. My MRI results are pending and it hurts. It is what it is. This is just an excuse on my part. There’s really no good reason why I couldn’t have posted this on time so here goes.

Bruichladdich 10 Year Old
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: TBD
Bruichladdich is back. Well, they’ve been back. Now they are back with their own 10 Year Old from entirely new production stock.

2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: Varied
Price: $70
The whole gang is back again. All five releases are coming back this year. George T. Stagg, Sazerac 18, Eagle Rare 17, William Larue Weller, and Thomas Handy will be available in October.

Bunnahabhain Vintage
Timeframe: 2012
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
Starting next year Bunnahabhain will be replacing their 18 Year old with a vintage release. For fans of the 18 Year Old you better pick it up while you can!

Elijah Craig 20 Year Old
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 45%
Price: $275
The rub on this one, aside from the price (EC 18 is about $60), is that it’s only available at the Bourbon Heritage Center in Kentucky.

Glen Garioch 1994
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $109.99
This vintage release is supposed to showcase a slightly smokier side of Glen Garioch.

Glenrothes 1995
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $TBD
This is the newest edition to Glenrothes ongoing vintage releases.

Glenrothes Editors Cask
Timeframe: Winter 2011
ABV: 55.8%
Price: $250
This new limited edition will see only 130 bottlings coming to the U.S. later this year. This one comes from a Spanish hogshead and is cask number 9973.

High West OMG Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 49.3%
Price: TBD
This is a new un-aged rye from High West. It’s 100% rye, 20% malted. High West has caused some controversy in the past but I like their stuff and look forward to giving this a try.

Johnnie Walker Double Black
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: No price yet but it’s expected to retail for 15% to 20% above standard JW Black.
Think of this a more heavily peated version of JW Black. Interested? I am. This one was available in travel retail only for a while. I’m glad it’s making to release.

Macallan 60 Year Old Lalique
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $20,000
This is the fourth release in the Macallan Lalique series. Realistically for most of the us a $20,000 bottle of scotch is a pipe dream. However, it comes in a really pretty bottle. 😉

The Mackinlay
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 47.3%
Price: $162
This is the recreation Whyte and Mackay did of the whiskey found in the Antarctic that was all over the news a while back. It should be interesting. I’m supposed to have a review sample on its way. I’ll keep you posted.

Oban 18 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
I like Oban but I feel that it tends to be overshadowed by its stable mates. Well, Diageo seems to be giving it a little more attention with the line expansion of adding the 18 Year Old as a permanent addition.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
Timeframe: 2012
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Okay Redbreast fans, the hits just keep on coming. First we got a 15 year release and now we’ll see the original 12 year old coming out in a cask strength version. I’ll definitely be picking some up.

Red Stag Honey & Red Stag Spiced
Timeframe: Early 2012
ABV: 40%
Price: $15
Apparently Red Stag was so popular that Jim Beam decided we need more. Two new flavors are coming to the market next year.

R&R Reserve Canadian Whiskey
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: $14.99
R&R stands for rich and rare. This new value release comes to us from Sazerac. Building on the previously release Royal Canadian and Caribou Crossing Sazerac continues to expand their Canadian offerings.

Temptation Bourbon
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 41%
Price: $22
This new bottling comes from Dynamic Beverages. They are the same folks bringing you Redemption Bourbon and Rye. This is another rebottling of bourbon produced by LDI. This one is from their mashed bill that uses a higher percentage of corn. It’s bottled at about two years old.

Woodford Master Cask Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $45 per 375ml bottle
There are actually two releases in this year’s Woodford release. Both are 100% rye triple pot distiller whiskeys. This is a first from Woodford. One is aged in new oak barrels and the other is aged in used oak barrels. This should be pretty interesting.

Glenfarclas Family Casks
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Not much news here. The Glenfarclas Family Casks have been available abroad for some time. They are finally going to make it stateside late this year or early next year. No word yet on which bottlings or prices.

That is all for September.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Bulleit Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$25
Website

What the Producer Says:
In the 1830s, as a tavern keeper in Louisville, Kentucky, Augustus Bulleit set himself on a mission: to create a bourbon unique in flavor. Just as bourbon lovers today may sample many brands before finding their favorite, Augustus decided to experiment too — by creating bourbons of many different types and tastes. After countless small-batch trials, he came upon a bourbon with the character he had been seeking.

While transporting barrels of his bourbon from Kentucky to New Orleans, Augustus Bulleit vanished. What happened to him is still unknown, and his creation could have passed into history as well. But after more than a century, in 1987, his great-great -grandson Tom Bulleit stepped in. A lawyer by profession, Tom’s lifelong dream had been to revive the family’s bourbon legacy, started more than 150 years ago.

Bulleit Bourbon is still distilled and aged in small batches. Kentucky limestone-filtered water provides the foundation for the bourbon’s character, while charred American oak barrels lend a smoky backbone. Bulleit’s distillers age the bourbon simply until it is ready. The result is placed into a bottle whose design has won awards of its own.

What Richard Says:

Nose: Maple syrup, citrus, and sweet vanilla. The nose is very shy on this one. It doesn’t open up much without water.
Palate: Very rich with honey and vanilla notes. Citrus and banana open up with a little water.
Finish: Woody, smoky, and something that kind of reminds me of saltpeter. A little rough around the edges.
Comments: I love the labeling of U.S. whiskeys. Bulleit’s bottles say “Distilled by The Bulleit Distilling Co. Lawrenceburg, KY.” Well, if by that they mean distilled by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg under contract for Bulleit, a division of Diageo then I guess it’s sort of true. I could be remembering incorrectly but I believe Bulleit was one of the first bottlers (as opposed to distillers) to do a nationwide mass market bourbon push in recent memory. They seemed to kick off a storm of other bottlers trying to do the same thing. Sure, other brands predated them but they weren’t marketed and distributed to the extent Bulleit is. I’m not really knocking or praising Bulleit. I’m just telling it like it is. It’s a well marketed, slightly above average bourbon that can be had for under $25 a bottle.

Rating: Average

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, charred oak, hints of cast iron baked corn bread, anise seed.
Palate:  Vanilla and caramel, cinnamon, bit of pepper with a hint of cherries and honey.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with pepper and oak.
Comments:  A fairly standard bourbon. Bit of corn on the nose, but not the palate. Nothing off putting, but also doesn’t especially stand out. Now at barrel proof, that’s another story! Does does perfectly well as a straight-forward sipper, or a cocktail bourbon. In fact, tried this Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned and thought that was fantastic!.

Rating: Stands Out/Average

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Buffalo Trace

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV/90 Proof
$20 to $25
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says
Light bronze in color with streaks of gold, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bears a complex aroma of vanilla, mint, and molasses. Its taste is pleasantly sweet and contains notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak and leather. The long and dry finish has significant depth. When enjoyed with water, flavors of toffee, dark fruit and anise are revealed.

What Richard Says:
Nose: It takes a little water to open the nose up but when you do you’re rewarded with fruity sweetness, cereal notes of corn, cherry blossoms, honey, vanilla, and a hint of mint.
Palate: Smooth, measured, and flavorful. Creamy, vanilla, and oak. Classic bourbon.
Finish: Dry. It fades away slow and steady.
Comments: Wow, I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to review Buffalo Trace! It’s been a personal favorite of mine since the first time I tried it almost a decade ago. When it was originally released it was touted as being around nine years old. I’m not sure if that’s still the case but this is a fine bourbon. It has great flavor and works equally well in cocktails and by itself both on the rocks and straight up. When you also consider that it can be had for at or around $20 a bottle I really couldn’t recommend this more. They also don’t water it down to 80 proof like some other bourbons. (you know who you are)
Rating: Must Try, Great Value

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