What is the Best Whisky not Available in the USA?…

[Matches Malone]

Greetings, friends. Please forgive me if this question has already been asked and answered; I used the search function and nothing applicable came up.

I have the great blessing of being able to visit Scotland for a few weeks. What are some great bottles / brands that are not imported to the United States? I'd love to bring back a few souvenirs that I know could not have been easily purchased stateside. I'm thinking of perhaps small distilleries and things like that. In terms of whisky, I'd like to make the most of my trip here!

Some time spent on Google shows the following as not being available in the United States:

Talisker 57 North
Balvenie 14 year golden cask
TWE 12-Year-Old Caperdonich at 57% (online)
Glenfiddich 19 year old "Age of Discovery"
Glenfarclas 15yr
Edradour, 10 Yr, d'Yquem Sauternes cask finish
Mortlach 16 year old

What am I missing? I also live in a state with draconian alcohol importation laws, so basically I can't shop online as it is. So, any advice on hard-to-find items and where to find them would be greatly appreciated. I will be leaving from the London Gatwick airport, so if anything is available there that would be great (for packing reasons…). Thanks in advance!

[DavidUK]

If Bladnoch is not available in the USA, I'd recommend a bottle of their 8yo or 18yo at 55%ABV.

Are Kilchoman and Glengyle available in the USA?

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Where will you be traveling, Matches? If you're in Edinburgh, I highly recommend a visit to the Cadenhead shop down toward the foot of the Royal Mile. Mr Jolly Toper will see to it that you go home with a bottle or two that you are very happy with. Cadenhead bottlings are not available in the US--if they were, I'd have a shelfload of them.

If you're going to be visiting any distilleries, many have exclusive bottles in their shops, and more and more feature the opportunity to fill your own bottle direct from the cask. Again, it would be worth knowing where exactly you plan to visit.

[Matches Malone]

Thank you for the prompt replies!

I'm in Glasgow for nearly one month. I'm planning to visit the distilleries that are doable as day-trips, in addition to some quality time at a few Highlands distilleries.

I'm not sure if Bladnoch, Kilchoman and Glengyle are available in the USA. I'll check on that, thanks for the tip! The Cadenhead shop is a great suggestion as well, and it's not too far from where I am. Thanks!

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Well, if you're there for a month, you have plenty of time to do research before you buy. You will of course want to visit the Pot Still, a good pub for such (and you'll get some other suggestions here, I'm sure), and the Good Spirits shop, which someone around here has some connection with.

[Matches Malone]

Sounds great, I'll check them out! Thanks for the recommendation; I hadn't heard of those places before. I've been browsing Oddbins and some of the smaller whisky and cigar shops, but the places you mentioned seemed really cool judging by the website.

[Willie JJ]

McSorley's usually has a 3 drams for £10 deal that's worth a try too.

[Livvy]

...and if your stay is in November you could always join a few of us as we head to the Glasgow's Whisky Festival on the 19th

[Matches Malone]

I'd love to do the festival, but alas I'll be home already... hate that I'm missing it!

[Pudge72]

Hi Matches,

I don't know if you live near Ontario, but a trip to the Greater Toronto Area will net you the Glenfarclas 15, as per the link below (inventory is updated daily):

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/inventory/searchResults.do?language=EN&itemNumber=345199

[Matches Malone]

Hi Pudge, thanks for the link; that looks like good stuff. I'll be headed home to Birmingham, AL in the USA. Thanks for the tip and I'll be sure to stop by if I'm ever up that far north!

[Pudge72]

Hi Pudge, thanks for the link; that looks like good stuff. I'll be headed home to Birmingham, AL in the USA. Thanks for the tip and I'll be sure to stop by if I'm ever up that far north!

Psssh! What's a 16 hour drive to Toronto, when it comes to obtaining whisky?! Enjoy your overseas sojurn!

[mongo]

Cadenhead bottlings are not available in the US--if they were, I'd have a shelfload of them.

are they not? a retailer in the minneapolis area carries a bunch. perhaps it's very old stock, i don't know--they're kinda pricey though.

to the original question: don't bother with duty-free only bottlings like talisker 57 north (friends and family flying international can always pick those up for you). i would focus on distilleries or independent bottlers that are entirely unavailable, such as bladnoch, or indeed the highly reasonably priced offerings from the bladnoch forum. david stirk's executive malts, or berry brothers & rudd would be other options.

also consider looking for bottles that are massively more expensive in the u.s: springbank 18, longrow 18.

the balvenie golden cask is not interestingly different enough from the caribbean cask to be worth it.

[Willie JJ]

Cadenhead bottlings are not available in the US--if they were, I'd have a shelfload of them.

are they not? a retailer in the minneapolis area carries a bunch. perhaps it's very old stock, i don't know--they're kinda pricey though.

It is probably old stock as Cadenhead's used to supply to the US, but gave up on it. Some of the bottles that went to the US were fantastic. You should have a closer look.

[Matches Malone]

Cadenhead bottlings are not available in the US--if they were, I'd have a shelfload of them.

are they not? a retailer in the minneapolis area carries a bunch. perhaps it's very old stock, i don't know--they're kinda pricey though.

to the original question: don't bother with duty-free only bottlings like talisker 57 north (friends and family flying international can always pick those up for you). i would focus on distilleries or independent bottlers that are entirely unavailable, such as bladnoch, or indeed the highly reasonably priced offerings from the bladnoch forum. david stirk's executive malts, or berry brothers & rudd would be other options.

also consider looking for bottles that are massively more expensive in the u.s: springbank 18, longrow 18.

the balvenie golden cask is not interestingly different enough from the caribbean cask to be worth it.

Good stuff here. What are some of the most impressive Bladnoch, David Stirk's executive malts, or Berry Brothers & Rudd selections? As I mentioned, I live in a state in the US that does not allow for online whisky delivery, so ordering some bottles from these sites delivered to Glasgow for me to take home later might be a good option. Though the Bladnoch distillery seems like it could perhaps be a day trip from Glasgow...

Also, off hand, can you tell me more about the price difference between USA and UK shopping for the Springbank 18 and Longrow 18?

Thanks for sharing all of your very helpful knowledge!

[Pudge72]

...to the original question: don't bother with duty-free only bottlings like talisker 57 north (friends and family flying international can always pick those up for you).

...If your travels do actually take you to Ontario at some point, Talisker 57N is currently available in a 200 mL bottle as part of a Talisker pack that also includes 200mL bottles of the 10 yo and the Distillers (1998) Edition. Unfortunately at this point, I don't believe that any LCBO stores carry both the previously mentioned Glenfarclas 15, and they Talisker pack. If in the future you are Ontario way, double check the LCBO site for up to date inventory listings.

[mongo]

Also, off hand, can you tell me more about the price difference between USA and UK shopping for the Springbank 18 and Longrow 18?

Thanks for sharing all of your very helpful knowledge!

springbank 18 is only available at very few retailers and goes anywhere from $129-160 before shipping or tax, so about $140-$170 total. at the whisky exchange it's £77 inclusive of vat and shipping to a u.k address. which comes to about $120 all in (though, of course, for 50ml fewer). i guess that's not such a radical difference. the longrow 18, if you can find it, is a different story. about the same price as the springbank 18 in the u.k and last i saw it in a minnesota store it was selling for >$200.

twe also have a bb&r cragganmore 1989-2010 (20 or 21 yo) for £63 inc. vat. it's pretty good, much cheaper than the newly released official 1989-2010 cragganmore, and not something you'll ever see in the u.s.

you might also look at some of master of malt's proprietary bottlings which our own malt teaser recently reviewed and had high praise for.

[MacDeffe]

Being there for 1 month you'll be able to do a lot of research, and visit some bars, whisky shops and distilleries.

In Glasgow I would for sure visit Bon Accord, for their extensive malt whiskies, but also for their huge range of real ales.

Cadenhead and RMW in Edinburgh are two shops with great selections (not a lot of overlap between those two's)

and I'll tell you more about the Glasgow whiskyshops after I have been there in November

I have to say I wouldn't really pick anything on the the list in first post, I'd go more special. Try look for some IB's, or get some very special whiskies, like a distillery fill your own, or distillery exclusive, or maybe a special premium bottling. Or even try to et hold of a Lochside 81

It all depends on your budgets and amount of bottles you plan to bring home. With fewer bottles it's gonna be tough to select!

Steffen

[Matches Malone]

Thanks guys; great stuff! I'm taking notes and making a list... my wife is not going to be too happy about giving up so much packing room in our luggage for the trip home but I'm going to try and make it happen.

[MacDeffe]

It's clever to bring a wife so more bottles can be carrried home in her suitcase

Steffen

[lawschooldrunk]

Matches Malone, you might want to take some hard to get bourbons to the UK for our UK forum friends

They may just help you out in reciprocation.

Some Kilchoman bottlings are available in the USA.

[DavidUK]

I'd definately recommend a visit to Bladnoch. It's about a two and a half hour drive, but well worth it. You could always stay in Wigtown for a night and walk to the distillery as you might 'have a few' while you are there.

Aberlour and Balvenie are also very highly regarded tours, but don't plan on driving afterwards. You need to book for these.

I'd second Steffan's recommendation of a visit to the Bon Accord pub in Glasgow.

[Matches Malone]

Great replies gentlemen; thanks very much. I've narrowed down my selection to buying a few (hopefully 4 or so, if I can throw away some of the clothes and things I brought with me the first time) independent bottlings... Is the best way to go about this to use their respective websites? Or will somewhere in Glasgow sell the same product at a better price?...

[Mr Tattie Heid]

He wheels his wheelbarrow
Through shops broad and narrow
And fills it with whisky,
Does Matches Malone;
And if US Customs'
Declining to bust 'im,
His Speysides and Islays
Arrive, arrive home.
Arrive, arrive home,
Arrive, arrive home,
His Speysides and Islays
Arrive, arrive home.

[Matches Malone]

He wheels his wheelbarrow
Through shops broad and narrow
And fills it with whisky,
Does Matches Malone;
And if US Customs'
Declining to bust 'im,
His Speysides and Islays
Arrive, arrive home.
Arrive, arrive home,
Arrive, arrive home,
His Speysides and Islays
Arrive, arrive home.

This will be me... fantastic!