Distilleries Giving Value For Money: Your Picks

Here in Ontario, there are exactly zero Scottish distilleries that offer good value for money as far as I’m concerned. All malt whiskies are overpriced to varying degrees. But my top picks for “best in their price class” would be:

1. Wild Turkey Rare Breed: $60 for a fantastic Barrel Proof Bourbon is amazing value. I’ll be picking another one up soon because I don’t like being without one in my cabinet.
2. Wild Turkey 101: $40 or so for a bourbon that’s punchy enough to sip neat but also works beautifully in cocktails. (I haven’t tried it with ginger ale yet though)
3. Lot no.40 Rye: usually sells for $37 but is often put on sale. Only 43% ABV, but is always a treat.

@OdysseusUnbound I guess we need to distinguish between the distilleries offering value and the sellers gouging us.

KGBO, with a few exceptions likely attributable to negligence, has bad prices, but some whiskies that are unaffordable here are cheaper elsewhere and should not be penalized. Sure Uigeadail is nearly $200 here, but it's only $80 in Calgary and that's a reasonable price for that quality.

On the other hand, the distillery that produces Lot 40 also jacked up the price of the cask strength version for its second (younger) release by 42%. If they could sell it for $70, it's not VFM at $100.

@RianC I'd agree with all of your picks. As OdyseeusUnbound says it's difficult for us to talk about value for money when prices outside the UK might be a lot different.

I think I'd add Glencadam and Balblair to that list. Both get good reviews and both are sensibly priced. They both do all the goid stuff. Bottle at 46% NCF etc. I've added bottles of both to my collection that I haven't yet opened but when I do I'll let people know if they decent or not.

I got the Glencadam 10 for £35 and the Balblair 2000 vintage second release(17 years old) for £70.

I want to get a scotch over 20 years for Christmas this year and was looking at the Glenfarclas 25. But Glencadam do a 21 year old for £100 and Balblair 91 vintage (26 years old) is £120. So those are decent prices and I may be tempted by them.

@Nozinan I really do not understand your national system... $200 in one place, $80 in the other. Isn't this really inviting for cross-border trade of the more and less 'illegal' (not sure how this is dealt with) variety??

@RikS If you can't understand then there is no point trying to explain it.

Actually, there's no point trying to explain it because it really makes no sense.

It's a combination of private vs public retail, different provincial taxes, and the fact that the world's largest single buyer actually benefits if it does not get the best price from the distillery (apparently they have a fixed markup % - they would do so much better if they go the best price and increased the markup, and could still sell for less than now).

As to cross border shopping, while there may be much more availability and better pricing in the US, there are strict limits to what can be brought back duty free. And duty is about 90% of the price you paid. Unless, @paddockjudge is with you, then often the duty = $0.00.

And there are very strict rules about transporting spirits between provinces. For goodness sakes, a poor guy in NB was charged with "smuggling" a couple of cases of BEER from Quebec. I'm trying to think if I can even name one person who would take the risk of bringing even one bottle over from Calgary in his luggage ( to say nothing of 16 bottles), let alone shipping by Canada Post!

@Nozinan I do understand the monopoly element, as well as the international border issue, but yes, the internal border issue is the one that strikes me as odd... Then again, I've never had the pleasure to visit Canada yet. So, you actually have border checks when crossing state lines INSIDE your country?

@RikS There are no border checks that I'm aware of. In fact, airport security doesn't care as long as it's in checked luggage. But if you are suspected and observed you can be charged.

@Nozinan So I shouldn’t try to find a Springbank 12 CS, an Edradour 12 Caledonia, an Amrut Intermediate Sherry, and a Wiser’s Lanny McDonald edition when I’m in Edmonton in November? I will be checking my suitcase as my laptop will be my carry-on. I was thinking about bringing a good sized suitcase.

@OdysseusUnbound I heard from someone who heard from someone that someone successfully brought 16 bottles plus minis in 2 suitcases, but that was before Dear Leader was elected Premier of Ontario.

@RikS Alberta in 1993 privatized liquor retailing. This created an open and competitive market. That's one of the reasons alcohol is less expensive in Alberta. The provincial governments have control in the other 9 provinces and territories. Additionally, Alberta has no provincial sales tax. Ontario harmonized tax is 13% (provincial + federal) Alberta's is 5 % federal. It would be nice to have an open and competitive market in Ontario, however, when you're the only game in town and LCBO sales are roughly 6+ billion, you're not about to give it up. In July, my wife and I took a little get away to New Hamps hire. We stopped into the state run store and spend about 160$. When we paid, the cashier gave us a 25$ gift certificate. I asked what it was and they said when you spend 125$ you get a gift certificate. When I got home I mentioned this to our local LCBO and told them they should introduce this. Their response "in your dreams" In NH I purchased 2 single malts. A 16 Lagavulin, and a Tallisker Storm. Together, they cost less than the lagavulin in Ontario

Yeah, but they're practically giving away Talisker Storm these days.

@OdysseusUnbound - I guess Canada is a special case with its 'unique selling point!' But they are good prices for good bourbons/ryes. Lot 40 @43% is indeed a treat!

@Wierdo - Aye, I'd agree with Glencadam and Balblair although I've not tried the latter (it's on the list!). I had the Glencadam 10 a few years back and liked it but it had a slight 'play-doh' note that I just couldn't quite get on with. I hear the older versions can be very good.

@MadSingleMalt LCBO price for storm is 88.50. So, compared to other single malts I guess they are giving it away..) :

@PeterG7, I've long since abandoned any notion of seeking parity between US and Canadian prices, but I'll say that Talisker Storm used to be ~$80 USD when it came out, but then it plummeted and most places here now have it permanently "on sale" for $39.99.

Just like Oban Oban—sorry, I mean Oban Little Bay.

@MadSingleMalt Oban Oban is still $100 up here. Pass. Heck, Oban 14 is like $115. Nope.

@OdysseusUnbound - Only tried Oban 14 once at a bar (bottle was almost full so it must have been fairly fresh) and I wasn't that impressed.

@RianC I like Oban 14. It’s one of the better “subtle” malts on the market, but I would not pay $115 for it. I’m not much for subtlety, really. I don’t think I’d pay more than $70 for it. And even then...

@OdysseusUnbound - It sells for near £50 here and that's too high for me. I agree it was quite subtle, and tasting in a bar from a rocks glass isn't ideal, but if I want a dram similar to the one I tasted I can get Pulteney 12 for half the price.

@RianC I'm trying to figure out a way to get Amazon products (i.e. whisky) from European Amazon shops into the UK... Why? Because I have a great price tracking system on my computer called KEEPA that also monitors / compares best prices across the EU Amazon universe, and the difference in price is staggering.

E.g. the Oban 14 that you refer to is indeed £48 in the UK... but only £30 in Germany. Uigeadail is £56 in the UK, whereas it's £58 in Spain... However, Amrut peated CS on the other hand is £82 in the UK, whereas it's £42(!) in Spain.

So, if anyone has a very clever idea how to get Amazon EU purchased 'bounced' over to the UK, I'm all ears!

@RikS - Not my forte, sorry, unless you know people out there that could get it for you? I'm not even sure whether you'd have to pay any extra duty? But those differences are quite prominent aren't they? I'm sure I read that Holland is perhaps the cheapest EU country.

Without diverting too far off topic, I do wonder how the EU will fare re. whisky prices post Brexit. And, by extension, what it will do, if anything, to UK prices?

The words cluster and 'a popular slang term for sex' leap to mind . . .

@RikS

www.eurosender.com/en/pack-ship/alcohol

This link has some information about buying alcohol in europe. It says essentially that you can ship up to 10 litres within the EU without paying duty.

gov.uk/guidance/…

The gov.uk link seems to say it's classed as 'duty paid' if it's brought within the EU.

I think it would just be a case of finding a European supplier whether that's Amazon or the German version of Master of Malt and paying the extra shipping they'd want to ship it to another country and making it worth your while to pay the increased shipping fee.

IIRC when I was using one website (it might have been drink finder) looking for older releases of Springbank 12 the website located a bottle for me in Holland. I ended up not buying it as it turned out. But that kind of suggests it's doable.

That's how I interpreted it. If you get arrested for tax invasion for not paying import duty I'll delete this comment and you're on your own!

Oh and you might want to do it before March next year

@Wierdo hey, thanks a lot of tracking down that link! I know the eu rules (that's sort of part of what I do...) but couldn't find a solution for the logistics. I'll actually contact this company and see if I can have it shipped to them, and then onwards. They quote a price for a box / suitcase at €27. Now, that's what I'd easily save on one good bottle. Buy 5 and it's a real interesting one to explore. Again, thank you Wierdo.

I like your list @RianC and I'll add in Tobermory. Both the unpeated Toby 10 and the peated Ledaig 10 tick all your boxes and are very well priced (here in NZ).

@RikS let us know how you get on!

If I was starting from scratch on a tight budget, this is what I would buy:

•Any decent Irish, such as basic Jameson's, Black Bush—or Knappogue Castle 12 if I had an extra fiver to throw at it.

•Laphroaig 10 43%—or QC or Ardbeg Ten if this is where I decided to throw my extra fiver instead.

Rotate, rotate, rotate, I'd be fine.

if I was recommending a few nice and not costly entries for someone I might include... Aberlour 10/12 for a bit of sherry influence. HP12 for a 'standard' and wee bit smoke, Talisker 10 for a standard and some maritime salt, and Glenmorangie 10 for a 'standard' without the smoke or the sherry, just easy pleasant barley. Ardbeg An Oa (on sale) for a few quid more than Ardbeg 10 to stray into Islay. And if I had some more saved up, I'd definitely add Talisker DE.

Most of the first ones can be obtained in the UK for about £25-30. The An Oa stretches it to about £40-45 (compared to Ardbeg 10 at £37). And the Talisker would be about £55.

...though, I'd probably encourage them to try some of mine and then tell me what they liked the most, and then steer them to fewer, but better, expressions. Still no need for an arm and a leg...

Back at the turn of the century while still early in my whisky journey, I bought my first bottle of Oban 14. And it was hands-down the best Oban 14 I have ever consumed. Slightly salty and distinctively buttery. I have never found another Oban 14, nor any other Oban sibling with that flavor profile. No doubt an anomaly. And severely missed.