Bourbon Availability Downunder

[HighTower]

very interesting indeed.....as I work for "the company"....I did a bit of digging. It seems we received stock of Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 101 just last week....that's right 101 proof bottles. They're selling for $74, which aint half bad, when you consider the 8yr 101 sells for about $55. I'm going to try to order it in:grin: ...don't know if that will work though...

[pete_d]

you are correct that they are the 101 bottles available now. It softens the blow that we can't get Kentucky Spirit down here. At least we get the good RR bottling.

If i didn't buy a new bottle of RB last week, i would have jumped at the chance. Having said that, Dan Murphy's does rare breed for just a trifle over $60. So RR better be worth it at lower proof.

PD

[HighTower]

Yeah I hear what you're saying......seems harsh to pay 15 bucks more for RR when rare breed is that price.....it's funny the last 2 times Jimmy Russell has come out here....when they do the industry nights they always have a lucky door prize of a bottle of Russell's Reserve (a nice one in a wooden presentation box) that I've never been able to convince the winner to sell to me:smiley_acbt: Now that we have it here I won't have to drool over the 3 bottles I have in the cupboard! I had some in 2004....they asked the guy who won it if they could have it back and send him another, as they ran out of rare breed (which Jimmy wasn't too happy about) so they cracked the Russells Reserve. I had been drinking rare breed prior to that so probably not the best time to taste it, but I wasn't going to pass on the oportunity!

Maybe all the pestering Jimmy to bring it to Oz worked

It's been 2 years....I was hoping he would be out here again soon, and maybe bring Eddie with him....here's hoping!

Scott

[camduncan]

WOW!!! I'm not a big Wild Turkey fan, but I'd really like to pick one of these up... Hopefully they'll make it to some Brisbane stores.:skep:

I was having a look through our bar last night.... It looks like I bunkered 2 bottles of 94 EWSB last year :confused: If we all get together one day for an Aussie Bourbon Event, I'd be more than happy to put a bottle on the table...

Also, I saw the 96 bottles when I was in Taree NSW last week.... so it looks like I need to stock up on a couple of 95 bottles before they disapear.

[pete_d]

agreed. Cam. The 94 EWSB was an absolute pearler. 95 less so; so much so that based on reports and the change from 94 to 95, i doubt i'd pick up the 96.

I'm curious as to whether the importer of the EC and EW will decide to get the good stuff in - Rittenhouse BIB, Henry McKenna BIB, Old Fitz Heritage and EC18. Just imagine it, they could pass it off down under as their own 'small batch' range - the Rye, the Spice, the Wheater, and the Supe-Aged.

[camduncan]

I'm curious as to whether the importer of the EC and EW will decide to get the good stuff in - Rittenhouse BIB, Henry McKenna BIB, Old Fitz Heritage and EC18. Just imagine it, they could pass it off down under as their own 'small batch' range - the Rye, the Spice, the Wheater, and the Supe-Aged.

Sadly, from the information I've been given when I contacted them earlier in the year, not at this stage... I hope they prove me wrong though...

[pete_d]

very interesting indeed.....as I work for "the company"....I did a bit of digging. It seems we received stock of Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 101 just last week....that's right 101 proof bottles. They're selling for $74, which aint half bad, when you consider the 8yr 101 sells for about $55. I'm going to try to order it in:grin: ...don't know if that will work though...

quick question Scott, what company are you referring to here?

PD

[HighTower]

Pete....I manage a Liquorland store, so they are in our Brisbane wharehouse....they also supply our Vintage Cellars Stores and also 1st Choice Liquor Super Stoes.

Cam - the Sydney warehouse has all 1996 EWSB, last week we still had 80 bottles of the 95 in our Brisbane wharehouse, so I went ahead and got 24 bottles. We have them on special until sunday for $39.99. I am going to keep ordering it and bunkering the 95 vintage:grin: I still have a couple of healthy pours in my 1992 vintage...

I just did an order and tried to get Russell's Reserve, with no cigar...."product not on store range"....at this stage its only ranged for VC and 1st Choice....and they are available at both in Brisbane stores now Cam....1st choice were a little cheaper if you have one near you, they have them at $72.95...not much in it but it's better in your pocket than theirs :grin:

-And on the bourbon event....sounds good, maybe a few of us from the north can get together.....I have some RR101s and 90 proofs here ...

and I just got an email form Brett from Binny's....he said the Buffalo Trace Antique collection for 2006 comes out early October....including the new Thomas Handy 8yo Cask Strength Rye, might have to put my order in!!

Scott

[pete_d]

Good news about the Antique Collection being available for us to order. Having never ordered bottles from OS, could those who have comment on how much id expect to get fiscally reamed for shipping and any such taxes. How much more than the bottles would i expect to outlay?

[camduncan]

I think somewhere back in the various pages of this post I put some details of my experience importing an order of 1x 2004 Stagg and 1 x 2004 Sazerac from Binnys...

They had been listed at US $45 and US $50 plus shipping.

The final cost once I got them with shipping and customs duty etc was approx AU $170 each

[HighTower]

I'm going to order all 5....not sure what price the Thomas Handy 8yo or Saz 18 are, but the Stagg, WL Weller and Eagle Rare17 are US$49.99. The more bottles you get, the better the shipping will work out per bottle. I am hoping to get all 5 for about AU$500. I imagine postage will be about $35 per bottle for that quantity. If customs happen to intercept them, it works out to just under $25 per 750mL bottle for import duty and GST.

$500 seems alot, but when you consider Nicks are selling Stagg for $399........

Scott

[OscarV]

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Scott

Hi Scott,

What is the significance of your "HighTower" screen name?

Oscar

[HighTower]

Oscar......it's a nickname, a lot of people call me High Tower......I'm 6'8" :grin: so yeah.....

Scott

[OscarV]

Hi Scott,

Friends of my daughter call her Hightower for 2 reasons.

1. She is 6ft tall

2. That is our name

Cheers,

Oscar Hightower

[HighTower]

Oscar,

it seems your daughter has more right to be called HighTower! For me it's just a police academy thing.....:grin: I even have customers come into work and call me HT....lol

[JeffRenner]

I'm 6'8" :grin: so yeah.....

I thought you all down under were metric!

Jeff (176 cm)

[leigh_munro]

It not bourbon but i saw this for the first time today at a bottle shop here in brisbane. 18 yr old Bundy Rum. It had a $500 price tag so i didnt purchase it but would like to know more about it if any one has any info. Apparently its a limited release of just over 5000 bottles. It's pretty instesting considering the regular bundy is only 2yrs old.

I stole this picture from ebay, they have a bottle currently at $310.00

[HighTower]

Leigh,

Diageo released this about 6 months ago...only 5,142 bottles (857 cases) were released, and it was only distributed in QLD and Northern NSW. Some retailers started selling them straight away (the retail price was about $180 at most places) and a lot of others have held onto them and are hoping to do much the same as the store you saw it at.....sell them for $500. I was chasing a couple to resell on ebay, and a mate of mine got me 2 bottles $150 a piece, and drank them 2 Friday nights in a row watching the footy. He is still chasing more for me but dont know how he will fair up. If a get 2 and resell them, there's my Antique collection

What were they like?? I think to quote him, he said they were "f*#king great" - good tasting notes there......

Scott

[pete_d]

Hey Hightower, since you're a manager of a liquorland, would you have stock listings of what each liquor distributor would have in stock? Does Blue Hills liquor still carry Blanton's? If so, do they do any other BT-based bottlings?

oh, and is Jack Daniels Silver Select able to be ordered through the JD supplier (perhaps Maxxium)?

PD

[HighTower]

Pete,

Unfortunately due to the size of Liquorland, we have our our wharehouses from which we receive our stock, with the exception of maybe 20 products that get delivered directly from suppliers like DeBortoli, Southcorp and Samual Smith & Son. So unfortunately we do not have such lists.....I am hoping as our 1st Choice Liquor stores continue to grow they will look at increasing their bourbon range, maybe BT product could be an option....

As far as Silver Select is concerned, JD is distributed by Swift & Moore, and although we do not see a rep from S&M, I do know one and Silver Select is a duty free product only in Australia. If you're into Jack bottles, apparently the 1981 Gold Medal bottle is supposedly being released here in November, which I can't really believe as it isn't out in the states yet. Then there's the posibility of us getting the new Master Distiller series after that.....

I have friends who manage some independant liquor stores, so I will try and make some inquiries on BT product.

Scott

[pete_d]

thanks mate, i shall do the same. I got a Blanton's direct from Blue Hills last year and i'm almost out. If i can't find it anywhere, i'll ring em up direct again

PD

[HighTower]

thanks mate, i shall do the same. I got a Blanton's direct from Blue Hills last year and i'm almost out. If i can't find it anywhere, i'll ring em up direct again

PD

Pete,

My grandmothers partner called me earlier in the year as he was looking for a bottle of Blanton's for his brothers 70th Bday (their surname is Blanton) He said he had called the people that used to distribute it....and I think that it could be Blue Hills...he did tel me I just can't remember....and they told him they didn't distribute it anymore and wouldn't tell him who did. He was hoping I could find out. That's when I did an online search and found Vintage Direct. I got the original, special reserve, silver and gold Blanton's from them a couple of months ago...they still have them all except the silver. Gold is $120 SR is $85 and original is $100 www.nicks.com.au they're in Melb, postage is $15 unless your order is over $200, then it's free. They also have A.H. Hirsch 16 for $120. Adam there was great to deal with.

Scott

[camduncan]

I too have had nothing but good service from Nicks (although I haven't ordered from them this year)

[pete_d]

very true. I have seen the Nicks prices. Of course i'd prefer to avoid interstate freight if possible

[and you all know the advantage of picking an item up from a supplier over a retailer]

i didn't say that!

[pete_d]

although not available in Australia, and therefore not really suitable for this thread, but...

i got a bottle of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit from a mate returning from Japan. I couldn't resist opening it and taking a subtle pour. All i can say is that it's criminal that this isn't available in Australia. I've never tasted such a flavour-packed whisky. It packs both a spice and sweetness, with a bunch of fruit overtones that i find in the Rare Breed, and marries it to a pepper start and a caramelly finish. This is surely the centrepiece of my slowly expanding collection.

PD (picking himself up from the floor)