Local Availability

I'm really only interested in Scotch & Irish. Here in the American Midwest, just about everything that's current on the global market and that I want is available either locally or through the few really good US-based retailers that ship to Wisconsin (especially K&L, Binny's, and Ace).

These are the only exceptions that come to mind:

•Amrut Peated CS and other Amrut specials

•Talisker 57N

•Writers (sic) Tears CS

•Connemara specials

Until recently, I'd've included Te Bheag on that list, but Binny's carries it now (and I have a bottle on its way!).

I have no idea about Bourbon availability 'round these parts.

I live in Ontario and as my knowledge of whisky and tastes have developed and expanded, I would say that I find less and less that I want here. It's both a matter of availability and price.

Of my unopened bottles, just over 40% were purchased outside of Ontario. Of my opened bottles, 37% were sourced outside of Ontario.

This is consistent among Scotches and to some extent bourbons. The only bottles I get primarily in Ontario are Canadian whiskies. Without them in the equation, the numbers would read - sealed 48% from elsewhere and open 47% from outside Ontario.

Now there is some overlap of availability.. I could have bought all my Uigeadail in Ontario, but I prefer the price in Calgary (almost $100 or nearly 60% cheaper), to list just one example...

I live in Limassol Cyprus, and surprisingly enough there is a big variety of Scotch, Irish and American whiskies, even a few Japanese ones! As for Canadian we get only standard brands like Crown Royal and Canadian Club. Other world whiskies simply don't exist. The good part is that prices are really good compared to the UK and sometimes compared to the USA. (I remember picking up a Wild Turkey 101 for 25 euros!)

@Nozinan. Of the 47 bottles I currently have in the cabinet(s), 28 of them were purchased either in Alberta, Oregon, UK, or at various duty free outlets. I hardly buy anything in BC other than wine and beer. As for whisky I will pick up odd special release or the very odd standard bottling that is unusually decently priced. The only thing I have bought lately is 2 bottles of Lagavulin 8 as it is still available here for $109. The Caideas 2015 was also around $100 when it was available. I've got one left in the bunker, and that is about half a dozen too few.

Zhengzhou, China is pretty bad as far as what we can get. I can get the standard lines of scotch like McCallan 12 and Ardbeg 10 stuff like that, and that's about it. Back home in Alabama, I can only get what the ABC board orders for a particular area. Since the state has a monopoly on liquor, I sometimes drive an hour up to Tennessee just to get specific bottles I want. Alabama and VA both need to stop the board controlled liquor, it's bordering Sherman anti-trust violations.

$109USD or Canadian dollars? That seems so high!@BlueNote

@casualtorture. That's Canadian dollarettes, and that, depressingly, is considered a pretty good price here. We are also under government control.

Add Michigan to that list of State controlled boards too. Typically, retailers can only sell liquor that they must purchase from the state's liquor control board price book. Although I have encountered the rare retailer or two that carries something not offered by the state for many years. Slane Castle Irish whiskey comes to mind.

In Sweden we have a nation-wide monopoly called systembolaget. A fairly high alcohol taxation but we're also quite close to Scotland. Since systembolaget has a monopoly they are bound by law to acquire and sell you any alcohol product you want. They have a rather large selection, as of today 1464, whiskies free to order. If you want something they do not carry you ask them to import it for you and provide them with the name of the product and the supplier. That you have to pay extra for though. Shipping and administration. Still a quite nifty system.

In Sweden we have a nation-wide monopoly called systembolaget. A fairly high alcohol taxation but we're also quite close to Scotland. Since systembolaget has a monopoly they are bound by law to acquire and sell you any alcohol product you want. They have a rather large selection, as of today 1464, whiskies free to order. If you want something they do not carry you ask them to import it for you and provide them with the name of the product and the supplier. That you have to pay extra for though. Shipping and administration. Still a quite nifty system.

In Sweden we have a nation-wide monopoly called systembolaget. A fairly high alcohol taxation but we're also quite close to Scotland. Since systembolaget has a monopoly they are bound by law to acquire and sell you any alcohol product you want. They have a rather large selection, as of today 1464, whiskies free to order. If you want something they do not carry you ask them to import it for you and provide them with the name of the product and the supplier. That you have to pay extra for though. Shipping and administration. Still a quite nifty system.

I use to read reviews by impressions expressions and discover they where no where to be found here in Australia. Only to be surprised when they'd show up 12-18 months later. Oddly, it happens more than I'd expect and I can benefit from the thorough reviews.

I think here in Sydney we're lucky with the wide range of core Scotch and American whisk(e)y available in retailers. Speciality, one off releases, Japanese, etc can be harder.

@Frost

It's the same deal in Melbourne.

@Alexsweden I checked out the site. I'm impressed with some of the variety, though not everything is there. Most prices seem a bit high compared to even the LCBO, especially Amruts, although Lagavulin 16 is a bit cheaper than we pay here.

@casualtorture how are things in China generally? Are they into whisky?

I live in Montgomery County, Maryland, population about 1 million, just outside Washington, D.C. Several different jurisdictions are located close together here. Maryland is laissez-faire, except for our county, and one or two others, I have read. We have a county liquor control system, which has moderately broad access mostly to standard lines of products and more limited access to the premium products. Our prices here used to be some of the best on earth for many things whisk(e)y, but that has eroded significantly in the last 2 years. Many of the advantages we had here 5 years ago are much diminished now, especially with respect to Scottish malt and access to allocated whiskies, but we still have a very wide selection of US whiskey, usually at very good prices. There is little Japanese, Indian, or Taiwanese whisky available here. If I want something uncommon, especially in the realm of Scotch, Irish, or Asian whisk(e)y, I will usually need to look for it at the better DC laizzez-faire stores, or sometimes in Baltimore. But if I get it in DC or Baltimore, it will almost always cost 10-20% more than it would have cost if I could have gotten it in Montgomery County. Virginia is also in the mix, with its state-controlled liquor system, but Virginia's prices are higher than my county prices and selection is usually slightly narrower, so it is only occasionally that it is advantageous for me to buy something there. It is a felony crime to receive spirits in the mail in Maryland, so that greatly reduces availability overall for those living here.

In summation: things used to be great here. They are still good, but the popularity of whisky has made acquisition of many of the better products extremely competitive now. For middle and lower shelf US products this is still an excellent place to be, with large selection and excellent prices.

@Victor I've often been envious of the availability in the US, and specifically what you've described in your county. I think it probably still compares favourably to the LCBO though, and while Alberta does a lot better in terms of variety, the prices are starting to shoot through the roof.

I find myself wondering whether the increased difficulty in finding quality products, and the increased costs involved, might be a factor in my decreased enthusiasm to add to my collection, and not just the fact that I have more than I can reasonably consume.

@victor when you say it's a felony to receive alcohol in the mail, I'm guessing it's okay if it comes via a carrier like Fedex etc, just not via USPS? So you are ok ordering online?

@MuddyFunster, I wish that I could order whisky online. It is equally and feloniously illegal to receive spirits in Maryland via carrier as it is to receive them through the mail.

@Victor This describes the rules regarding privately importing spirits anywhere into Canada or shipping orders between provinces.

In fact, strictly speaking, it is an offence (though I believe civil, not criminal) to personally transport spirits between provinces. So (not that anyone I know should consider this) buying good stuff in Calgary and bringing it to Toronto is a no-no...

@Nozinan yes the prices are rather high in Sweden. The CS offerings naturally goes up a bit in price due to the taxation being calculated on the alcohol

@Nozinan Not exactly accurate about transporting Alcohol between provinces.

hellolcbo.com/app/answers/…

I purchase most of my Whisky come from either Alberta or Nova Scotia (through my sister). This will continue as the LCBO has nothing interesting to offer. If our dollar ever sees 90 cents again I will eat the duty and cross to Niagara or Buffalo just to get something interesting. I have a friend on their way to Vegas for 3 days and has promised to visit Total Wine and Spirits and get something on my list. The list consists of 20 Whiskies and I don't care which one she returns with as long as it is the Willett Estate Rye

@Astroke Thanks for updating me. Makes me feel less guilty. Since 2012 I've never muled more than 3 L between provinces on my own.

@Nozinan Please, I brought 14 bottles from Atlantic Canada my last trip to visit my sister. I expect the haul to be at least 8 next summer. The LCBO can come and get me or force me to purchase from them with a decent selection and price or they can go to hell.

@Astroke, I brought seven bottles back from New Mexico. I would have brought more but both of my suitcases were at capacity.

@Astroke

Let's see... 14 minis at 50 cc each is 700m cc. Yup, you broke no rules! I'd have done the same.

@paddockjudge

That's not between provinces. It's a whole other kettle of fish (or pot still of whatever).