Availability of MM Cask Strength and ECBP

[jsrudd]

I'm travelling to the U.S. in a August for my brother's wedding and I want to pick up a bottle of both MM Cask Strength and ECBP. I'll be in both Kentucky (Louisville/Lexington) and North Carolina (Asheville).

How hard are these bottles to find? Should I do some research in advance or will I be able to find them fairly easily?

I'm planning to visit both MM and the Evan Williams gift shop in Louisville, but since gift shop prices are generally a little high, I'd prefer to pick these up at Liquor Barn or similar.

[petrel800]

MMCS shouldn't be too difficult. It was decently available during my last trip through KY.

ECBP on the other hand will likely be a hard pursuit. It still gets cleared by flippers when they find it, and allocations aren't huge. It was pricey at the HH gift shop the last time I went by, but it may be your best shot.

[squire]

There are plenty of both on shelves locally but that doesn't mean they will be on the shelves where you visit. Good luck.

[TunnelTiger]

Maybe a Local SB member can pick up and hold you a bottle

[tigerlam92]

MMCS, maybe but not a definite for sure.

ECBP, a definite very hard to find unless you are in the PAC NW I'm guessing.

Research in advance or pre-buy and ship to your brother would be wise.

[jsrudd]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll probably line up the ECBP in advance and take my chances on the MMCS.

[amg]

Don't forget that if you find an ECBP over 140 proof they won't let you take it on a plane.

[tanstaafl2]

Don't forget that if you find an ECBP over 140 proof they won't let you take it on a plane.

Presuming that you tell them...

[jsrudd]

Don't forget that if you find an ECBP over 140 proof they won't let you take it on a plane.

Thanks for the reminder. I was already considering this since I'm someone that normally like to play by the rules. I even declare all the bourbon I bring back to the US when going through customs (though it has never been an issue).

[Sean Bond]

Thanks for the reminder. I was already considering this since I'm someone that normally like to play by the rules. I even declare all the bourbon I bring back to the US when going through customs (though it has never been an issue).

Interesting. How does that work? I've never cleared liquor through customs since I always assumed they'd give me a hard time.

"Did you bring any liquor into the US?"

"What's liquor?"

[squire]

I never had a problem simply declaring my purchases but it's been a few years since I brought any liquor back in my luggage.

[jsrudd]

Interesting. How does that work? I've never cleared liquor through customs since I always assumed they'd give me a hard time.

"Did you bring any liquor into the US?"

"What's liquor?"

Well, if you bring over 1 Liter you are supposed to declare it when the customs officer asks if you have anything to declare. I believe you are supposed to pay a 3% duty on any amount over 1 Liter, but I have never been required to pay this duty. The most I have ever declared is five bottles of whiskey.

[unclebunk]

Well, if you bring over 1 Liter you are supposed to declare it when the customs officer asks if you have anything to declare. I believe you are supposed to pay a 3% duty on any amount over 1 Liter, but I have never been required to pay this duty. The most I have ever declared is five bottles of whiskey.

I drove across the border back into the United States at Niagara Falls after finally tracking down Alberta Premium which I had been after for years. I had five bottles in my possession and one other adult in the car with me. I gave momentary thought to not mentioning them when asked but thought better of it and came clean. When I explained how long I had been looking for them, the guy just waved me through and didn't require me to pay any sort of duty. Awesome!

[WhiskyRI]

I've always declared whatever I have. The most I've brought back from a trip is 11 bottles - I declared them all and the actual prices since I had the receipts. The guy looked at me funny - asked me if it was my business. I said no I just like to drink (it was well into 4 figures of single malt scotch). I asked what's the duty and he just waved me through. So far in 20+ years of crossing the border with booze I've never had to pay the duty even if I have brought back more than the duty free allowance. I've heard (although not verified it myself) that if you fail to declare they can confiscate it. At least coming into the US. Not sure how other countries handle it.

My question is can I buy more than the duty free allowance at a duty free store? I'll be passing through Tokyo this fall and there are several bourbons I hope to find on the shelves and want to buy more than just one of each....

[shoshani]

I would think that, technically, if you're an American citizen and you buy some Japan-only high end expression of bourbon, you wouldn't have to pay duty on it when you come back. For goods purchased overseas, duty is waived if it can be demonstrated that it's a product of the United States being returned to the United States.

[jsrudd]

I would think that, technically, if you're an American citizen and you buy some Japan-only high end expression of bourbon, you wouldn't have to pay duty on it when you come back. For goods purchased overseas, duty is waived if it can be demonstrated that it's a product of the United States being returned to the United States.

Thanks for the tip. You're 100% correct.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/375/~/duty-on-u.s.-made-goods-returning-to-the-u.s.

My question is can I buy more than the duty free allowance at a duty free store? I'll be passing through Tokyo this fall and there are several bourbons I hope to find on the shelves and want to buy more than just one of each....

Looks like you can buy all that you want!

I'm not sure what you're looking for, but if memory serves the only interesting bourbon they have in Narita's duty-free stores are Four Roses Platinum and maybe Blanton's Gold.

Edited June 26, 2015 by jsrudd