Anwalt Posted May 17, 2022 Share Posted May 17, 2022 So. I gotta friend. <suspend your disbelief, laughter, etc.> He's coming to PR from Phoenix. And is willing to bring 9 bottles of le Élixir de Vie to PR on a pending trip. So a friend indeed. First suggestion I got in terms of local deals: The Costco in North Scottsdale is the most bougie with the bestest selection. Any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 17, 2022 Author Share Posted May 17, 2022 Asked, answered. The local Reddit groups in AZ are pretty darned informative. Costco, TW, AJ's, Albertsons. Silly thing to get all excited over, I know. It's just so nice when I'm not the one muling bourbon into PR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroo5880i Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 We are here for you! Glad we could help ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 9 hours ago, mbroo5880i said: We are here for you! Glad we could help ! Lolz. Found a local friend's assistant who is willing to do a little work on the side. The stores around there, TW excepted, seem not much into online inventorying. I'm arming her with a list of Desirable Things (with Woodford Special offerings emphatically not on it, that was a useful pile on!) to search for. She'll check out a number of places mentioned on the local reddit group and drop it off at my friend's house with bubble wrap. Friend's kid will wrap, friend will pack. And mule. Such is how bourbon supply chains to Puerto Rico function. I self-solved on this one. But you guys are still my besties. You consistently recommend good bottles, warn about inferior ones, and are generous on sources. And the history....oh the history and why is matters. So ya'll get a pass on this one! I'll let you know what it's like down in "but it's dry heat" land. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 19, 2022 Author Share Posted May 19, 2022 Costco in Scottsdale Mundane selection. Decent prices. 4R SiB $39 4R SmBatchSelect $50 15y Calumet Farm $100 Kentucky Owl St Pats LE $90 Pinhook 2022 High Proof $44 Jeffersons Ocean (24) $80 Peerless Bourbon $65 AE Bourbon $42 Belle Meade Reserve $50 Legent Straight $40 Horse Soldier Straight $40 MM 1.75 liter $39 WR 1.75 liter $49 KC 1.75 liter $43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroo5880i Posted May 20, 2022 Share Posted May 20, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, Anwalt said: Costco in Scottsdale Mundane selection. Decent prices. 4R SiB $39 4R SmBatchSelect $50 15y Calumet Farm $100 Kentucky Owl St Pats LE $90 Pinhook 2022 High Proof $44 Jeffersons Ocean (24) $80 Peerless Bourbon $65 AE Bourbon $42 Belle Meade Reserve $50 Legent Straight $40 Horse Soldier Straight $40 MM 1.75 liter $39 WR 1.75 liter $49 KC 1.75 liter $43 This just pisses me off. My Costco carries maybe 4 or 5 standard bourbon offerings and a couple of overpriced offerings. Tongue-in-cheek, of course. I just wish my Costco had this breadth of offerings. We get EC, JB, MM, FRSiB, St. Elmo's, Michter's, and a couple of oddball offerings. Its all good. I don't believe I have seen the Costco branded bourbon recently. How odd if true? Of course, it could be sitting right in front of me and I missed it. Of that list, I would back up the Equinox and load up a couple of bottles of KC 1.75 liter plus a couple of roaster chickens, bully sticks for the dogs and some sea salt caramels. My wife would fill the cart with a bunch of other crap so that the total is $200. It just happens. I might grab a hot dog and soda on the way out. Edited May 20, 2022 by mbroo5880i 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 20, 2022 Author Share Posted May 20, 2022 (edited) Tower Liquor: For people with lots of money and very little time. OWA at $300 gives you an idea of the prices. I asked my bourbon helper to run away, screaming. She did try and talk to the staff about store picks and they kept trying to sell her the encased unicorns or more common stuff at those prices (e.g., OF 1920 at $70/bottle). Makes Caskers look cheap in some regards, I did not think that could be done. Not all the prices are legible. The ones that are tell the story. Edited May 20, 2022 by Anwalt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 20, 2022 Author Share Posted May 20, 2022 AJ's is a local "fancy grocer" chain. Pricey, but not as bad as Tower. My helper did not have time to get into store picks. Based on the local chat board, they sometimes have some good ones. I did buy the Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen (I really like that one), it was $10 - $15 cheaper than FL, which is where I normally see it. Also took a chance on the Baker 7 based on some recommendations made here. $64 is probably high, but seeing as how it included "appears in Puerto Rico with no effort on my part" and the fact that it seems hard to find, I figured "what the heck". Not quite tater, but perhaps a bit bougie. The Saz price seems a touch high but not insane. Is the Willet Rye price high? I'm not terribly well informed in that regard. The Belle Meade Reserve price was waaaay better at Costco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 20, 2022 Author Share Posted May 20, 2022 The TW prices were as good or nearly as good as Costco on the items that they had in common. Most of the "classics" of any caliber were out of stock (see the website, it's pretty accurate). The local deal hunters are active and move fast. Ended up getting: Costco - 4R SmBatchSelect $50, 15y Calumet Farm $100, Peerless Bourbon $65, AE Bourbon $42, Belle Meade Reserve $50. All known creatures except the Peerless. Tower: Mirth. AJ's: Widow Jane $100, Baker 7 $64. TW: Would have liked to have gotten the Smokewagon UCUF, but it was out. And my helper was gracious but had her very understandable limits, so no driving to another location that had it. Got the Willet Pot Still Reserve for $53 for a friend. Spendy? Yah. But it's all unavailable in PR and automatic transport to PR factored into the decision-making. That and not abusing the good graces of my helper by doing a deeper search. I will be in Scottsdale, Chicago, Indy in late July. I will probably spend a bit of time exploring for fun in Phoenix/Scottsdale, just plain curious. There seem to be deals in the normal grocers (Albertsons), but as is their wont, they disappear like ice in the sunshine. Not sure I'll buy anything unless something truly wonderful appears. Chicago - I shall get to visit the infamous Binnys. Indy - The prices. Oh Lord, the prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted May 20, 2022 Share Posted May 20, 2022 26 minutes ago, Anwalt said: AJ's is a local "fancy grocer" chain. Pricey, but not as bad as Tower. My helper did not have time to get into store picks. Based on the local chat board, they sometimes have some good ones. I did buy the Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen (I really like that one), it was $10 - $15 cheaper than FL, which is where I normally see it. Also took a chance on the Baker 7 based on some recommendations made here. $64 is probably high, but seeing as how it included "appears in Puerto Rico with no effort on my part" and the fact that it seems hard to find, I figured "what the heck". Not quite tater, but perhaps a bit bougie. The Saz price seems a touch high but not insane. Is the Willet Rye price high? I'm not terribly well informed in that regard. The Belle Meade Reserve price was waaaay better at Costco. Is there sales tax on top of the bottle price? The WFE 4yr rye is about $64 OTD here in Taxachusetts and the Baker's 7 yr bourbon is $58 OTD (2 of my "go-to's"). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 20, 2022 Author Share Posted May 20, 2022 7 minutes ago, GeeTen said: Is there sales tax on top of the bottle price? The WFE 4yr rye is about $64 OTD here in Taxachusetts and the Baker's 7 yr bourbon is $58 OTD (2 of my "go-to's"). 8.6%. So pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anwalt Posted May 20, 2022 Author Share Posted May 20, 2022 18 hours ago, mbroo5880i said: I don't believe I have seen the Costco branded bourbon recently. How odd if true? It's not allocated but sells as if it were. Granted, I think Costco/Kirkland deserve the reputation. Whether it's olive oil or wine (hey, some things never change, that's what filled Greek ships 2,500 years ago), they offer great quality at excellent prices. Just bought a number of Barolo bottles from them at $20 each. Mostly for cooking the delightful Italian Barolo beef dish. Super drinkable too. I'd never heard of a legit Barolo so cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven s Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 On 5/19/2022 at 2:56 PM, Anwalt said: Costco in Scottsdale Mundane selection. Decent prices. 4R SiB $39 4R SmBatchSelect $50 15y Calumet Farm $100 Kentucky Owl St Pats LE $90 Pinhook 2022 High Proof $44 Jeffersons Ocean (24) $80 Peerless Bourbon $65 AE Bourbon $42 Belle Meade Reserve $50 Legent Straight $40 Horse Soldier Straight $40 MM 1.75 liter $39 WR 1.75 liter $49 KC 1.75 liter $43 I would like to be able to buy: peerless at 65 KC9 1.75 at 43 BM reserve at 50 great prices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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