Bourbon in Iceland

[Colonel Duke]

I'm just back from Iceland and wanted to give the board a report. There's almost zero bourbon in this country. I was able to find some Jim Beam white label at duty free and saw a bottle of Devil's Cut at a whiskey bar in Reykjavik. There are tons of Scotch and even Japanese whiskeys to taste, but from talking with locals they say bourbon hasn't made it that far north.

Alcohol is extremely expensive there too. A six pack of Viking tall boy beers are nearly $25 U.S. and boxed 1.5 liters of red wine are $50 dollars. I stopped at the local liquor store yesterday and nearly hugged the clerk. It's good to be back in the land of semi-reasonable alcohol costs.

[squire]

Well, I wasn't actually planning on visiting there anyway but if anyone ever suggests it . . .

[theglobalguy]

I remember a friend from EU explaining that some countries tax based on ABV as a way to curtail demand. Either that or the import tax is likely killing the market for USA based product.

[weller_tex]

I remember a friend from EU explaining that some countries tax based on ABV as a way to curtail demand. Either that or the import tax is likely killing the market for USA based product.

Been to Greenland 20 years ago but never Iceland. 20 years ago it was the same in Greenland.

[squire]

I understand their government supports high alcohol prices in order to suppress consumption.

[michaelturtle1]

The bourbon selection in the airport was terrible, if I recall it was only a couple bottles of Beam.

[tanstaafl2]

I wasn't looking for bourbon when I was in Iceland last summer so I can't say much about it. I brought my own Irish whiskey to drink on the cruise ship we were meeting there. But the cheapest place to buy alcohol was at Duty Free which has the interesting policy of allowing everyone, including locals, to buy alcohol as they come in to the country (not just on the way out). Still not cheap but certainly cheaper.

I am sure the price is in large part an effort of the thoughtful government to help save the poor citizenry from itself by making it expensive. That said apparently it is something of a problem especially during the long dark cold winter nights!

In Greenland we were discouraged from buying anything from the local village of Ittoqqortoormiit at the mouth of Scoresbysund we stopped in to visit as our little ship of 100 passengers could easily disrupt the inventory of the one little general store which apparently only gets stocked twice a year.

[Richnimrod]

In Greenland we were discouraged from buying anything from the local village of Ittoqqortoormiit at the mouth of Scoresbysund we stopped in to visit as our little ship of 100 passengers could easily disrupt the inventory of the one little general store which apparently only gets stocked twice a year.

ONLY TWICE A YEAR!!!??? Even at the ridiculously high prices that sounds like purposely torturing the local population! :bigeyes:

Didn't we (the US) just declare an undeclared war on the President of Syria for torturing his own people?

...Maybe we need to invade, with ships full of Bourbon; and rescue all the poor Norse up there...? What say you all? :slappin:

[whiskeyagonzo]

I'm just back from Iceland and wanted to give the board a report. There's almost zero bourbon in this country. I was able to find some Jim Beam white label at duty free and saw a bottle of Devil's Cut at a whiskey bar in Reykjavik. There are tons of Scotch and even Japanese whiskeys to taste, but from talking with locals they say bourbon hasn't made it that far north.

Alcohol is extremely expensive there too. A six pack of Viking tall boy beers are nearly $25 U.S. and boxed 1.5 liters of red wine are $50 dollars. I stopped at the local liquor store yesterday and nearly hugged the clerk. It's good to be back in the land of semi-reasonable alcohol costs.

Good to have you back in USA. Can't say I will ever get to Iceland but I know to bring my own bourbon. Thanks for the report.

[Colonel Duke]

Thanks whiskeyagonzo. It was a good trip. And I believe one poster had the right idea. Alcohol is sold in state run stores, and the idea is to control consumption.

I grabbed some booze at duty free, but clearly not enough.

[LostBottle]

I would have skipped the booze juice and gone straight for the fermented shark!

[tanstaafl2]

I would have skipped the booze juice and gone straight for the fermented shark!

I will try anything once. But I won't try hákarl again! It does help you understand why Brennivin (the local drink, also known as "Black Death") scnapps is so popular. You need something strong to wash that stanky stuff out of your mouth!

Whales and puffins are pretty tasty though...