Japan trip

[RedVette]

this time I'm gunning for some Four Roses, either the Single Barrel 100 or 90 proof. Didja see any in the duty free at Narita?

Nope. There was an extremely limited supply of bourbon at Narita, at least in the Star Alliance part of the terminal, which is about half the airport. With the exception of the 12 year old Harper, there was nothing I couldn't get here in Oklahoma, and the prices were about the same as well.

I did manage to have a couple of drinks of Four Roses Platinum, on the 70th floor of the Landmark Tower in Yokohama. It was a fantastic pour with lots of flowers and fruit as far as I could tell. Smoking is a national sport in Japan, and they were up to Olympic form in this bar that night. I could say that the Four Roses had a hint of tobacco and leather, but it was probably the air that gave me that impression.

Have a good trip, watch out for the traffic.

[Luna56]

Looks like I'll have to search elsewhere for some FRSB, maybe in one of those great subterranean markets below the Tokyo train stations.

I love those hotel bars in Japan that overlook the city, very stylish. Paying the equivilant of forty bucks for a tiny appetizer plate makes one feel quite cosmopolitan as well.

Cheers!

[drli]

I found the black label 4 roses to be very close to the yellow Label 4 roses... for 1/2 the price... and the yellow label included a free Ridel O looking glass with acid etched flowers. Still have the glass and remember the bourbon.... I was unable to taste the higher-level 4 roses bourbons, but found Suntory product to be quite good... especially the black label 43% (the finest old whisky). Like the pick above.... but I was unable to find a pic of the black label on the web. The exchanges on this is like $8.... and came the free glass.... which the wife broke in less then a month after returning to america. I was also able to get a very rare old bottle that I didnt like as much (matured in wood at Yamazaki neer Kyoto). I have a pic of both Suntory bottles if anyone wants to see, but dont know how to post here.

[robbyvirus]

Well, my wife is heading to Japan next weekend for a weeklong business trip, and I've decided to tag along as a chaperone. Never having been abroad in the past 25 years, I have a rather stupid question: what's the deal with duty free liquor? Do I buy it at the airport in Japan before the return flight? How many bottles can I bring back? And if I find some bourbon in Tokyo (where we'll be for the week) can I bring that back in my suitcase as well? How many bottles? Do I have to pay duty on those bottles? I'd appreciate people's wisdom on these issues!

[barturtle]

Well, my wife is heading to Japan next weekend for a weeklong business trip, and I've decided to tag along as a chaperone. Never having been abroad in the past 25 years, I have a rather stupid question: what's the deal with duty free liquor? Do I buy it at the airport in Japan before the return flight? How many bottles can I bring back? And if I find some bourbon in Tokyo (where we'll be for the week) can I bring that back in my suitcase as well? How many bottles? Do I have to pay duty on those bottles? I'd appreciate people's wisdom on these issues!

First, don't forget to check duty free on your way out of the US, just in case you find something there, and then check duty free in Japan on your way back. You can only shop duty free when leaving the country, so you can't hit duty free upon arrival.

Yes you can bring back liquor you buy in a store in Tokyo.

Everything needs to be in a checked bag these days, due to the "no liquids" policy that's in effect. Make sure to look up the current policy on this, will save you time and frustration at the gate.

Federal regs limit alcohol on planes above 25%(IIRC, anyway liquor, there is no limit on wine/beer) to 5 liters, that's 6 750ml or 7 700ml.

Yes you are supposed to report what you bring back and pay duty, sometimes the duty guy won't bother, but better to be prepared to pay it than to not report it and caught.

[doubleblank]

There are limits for returning with "duty free" items but no practical limits if you're willing to pay the duty. The duty isn't much (in relation to the whiskey's value) and the customs officer usually won't bother collecting duties less than $X ($X has been around $50 in my recent experience). IOW, they don't want to do all the paperwork unless the amount to be collected is material.

Each airport can have it's own quirky rules regarding what is allowed on the airplane in one's possession. I don't know Narita, but currently you can have your duty free items purchased in the US in your possession on the departing plane. The problems occur if you have a connecting flight after clearing security/customs&immigration.......you can't carry them onto the next flight. Best bet is to be prepared to pack them into your checked baggage. I usually pack a little bubble wrap and tape for just that purpose.

Good luck finding something. And go see Koji's bar in Kawasaki (a Tokyo suburb).

Randy

[ThomasH]

I sometimes have a few empty whiskey boxes or canisters in my luggage. I also helps if you are able to buy bottles that have boxes. They provide a little extra protection in the luggage!

Thomas

[RedVette]

I don't know Narita, but currently you can have your duty free items purchased in the US in your possession on the departing plane. The problems occur if you have a connecting flight after clearing security/customs&immigration.......you can't carry them onto the next flight.

Randy

At LAX, they do a seal-a-meal thing with the clear bag so that you cannot tamper with it, along with a giant label saying "Do not open until you reach your final destination" I of course opened it up on the plane, not reading the label. When we hit Seoul and changed planes a miffed security agent, attacked the bag with a stapler, attempting to resecure it against further tampering. I of course just stood there with a "too stupid to breed" look on my face, and they let me pass through the inspection.

[jspero]

I don't know Narita, but currently you can have your duty free items purchased in the US in your possession on the departing plane. The problems occur if you have a connecting flight after clearing security/customs&immigration.......you can't carry them onto the next flight. Best bet is to be prepared to pack them into your checked baggage. I usually pack a little bubble wrap and tape for just that purpose.

Randy

If you buy something in the airport after security at Narita, you carry it on with you. They do not put it in the no-tamper bag, you just put it in your carry-on. If you are changing planes in the US, you are going to have to put it in your checked bag when you change planes. Anything you purchase in Japan outside of the airport has to go in your checked bags.

Good idea about the tape and bubble wrap. I always brought a box and a large zip lock bag for each bottle. I packed the box with clothes on the way over to make sure it fit in my suitcase and put the clothes from the box in my carry-on on the way back. I just stuffed my dirty socks around the bottles instead of bubble wrap.

I mentioned this to a few folks through PM - There is a store in the Shimbashi district (next to Ginza) that has a pretty good selection of bourbon and good prices. Some of the selection includes Olde St. Nick, FR (regular, SB, and SP), EW 12 and 15. I did not see any WT products there. It is located at Shimbashi Chome-2 and is called Shinonoya. I recommend going there if you get a chance. The bourbon is in the back to the right.

Jay

[robbyvirus]

I mentioned this to a few folks through PM - There is a store in the Shimbashi district (next to Ginza) that has a pretty good selection of bourbon and good prices. Some of the selection includes Olde St. Nick, FR (regular, SB, and SP), EW 12 and 15. I did not see any WT products there. It is located at Shimbashi Chome-2 and is called Shinonoya. I recommend going there if you get a chance. The bourbon is in the back to the right.

Jay

Greetings from Tokyo! It's my second day here, and I'm somewhat jet-lagged, but that didn't stop me from going hunting! My hotel is actually about 12 blocks away from the Shinonoya store (see above) and so I took a trip over there for a look. It took me a looong time to find the store, mainly because the streets in Tokyo are not laid out in a grid form, like most American cities. Still, I finally found it, and all I can say is "Wow"! This store is a bourbon hunter's paradise. Thanks for the tip, Jay!! They had about 40 different bourbons. Many of them were the same as could be found in the US: Old Grand Dad 114, Wild Turkey 8yo, Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Bourbon DeLuxe (What the heck is THAT doing here??), etc. Then there were the "exotic" bourbons previously mentioned or alluded to in the thread: Four Roses Super Premium, two types of Four Roses Single Barrel (one like in the US, one in a different bottle), Olde St. Nick Winter Rye, Olde St. Nick Summer Rye, Blanton's Single Barrel (several different types, including a Barrel Proof), Wild Turkey 12 yo, Evan Williams 15 yo. There were some unexpected finds, such as Willett's Bourbon, Johnny Drum 12 and 15 yo, and a whole slew of bourbons I'd never heard of, like Cock of the Walk (12 and 15 yo). Most of these seemed mid-range in price. The craziest find, though, were three bottles of tax-stamped Old GrandDad BIB. A label on the tag on the shelf next to them said "From 1972". The cost: about $250/bottle. Ah well...these Japanese know the value of a dusty bottle. So I bought bottles of Four Roses Super Premium and the Olde St. Nick Winter Rye. I probably have room for one more bottle in my luggage. Any thoughts on what that should be? When I return, I may bring my camera and take some shots of all the "unknown" bourbons.

[doubleblank]

Robby, I think I've tasted each of the bottles you have mentioned. If you want an opinion....well, here's mine.

I think the Evan Williams 15yo is the best whiskey I have ever tasted from HH. There is none of the "mentholyptus" that can be a little overpowering in some of "their" whiskey (many are bottled by others). And it usually isn't too expensive.

The Straight From The Barrel Blanton's is interesting too. Someone here got a bad bottle in the past and didn't like it, but I've always enjoyed this bottling.

Those Old St Nicks are in cool bottles, but the whiskey never motivated me to buy some.

Randy

[luv2hunt]

I'm the one that got the "off" Blantons. The Blantons Gold is a favorite BUT....Blantons is a bit harder to pack in a suitcase than the other choices. Just my two cents ;)

Dawn

[HighTower]

I'm the one that got the "off" Blantons. The Blantons Gold is a favorite BUT....Blantons is a bit harder to pack in a suitcase than the other choices. Just my two cents ;)

Dawn

I also love the Blanton's Gold, but I'm with Dawn, I would be very careful about putting one in a suitcase. Mine get sent here from Melbourne via courier, and on 3 occasions the wax seals have split and the bourbon has leaked.

Scott

[Luna56]

Hey, robbyvirus, what kind of prices were you seeing for the Four Roses? Not sure if I'll be in Ginza but it's a short train ride from Shinagawa I believe. I'm hoping to score a little FR when I'm there next month.

Hope you're enjoying Japan as much as I do. Any place that sells beer out of vending machines on the street is ok with me.

Cheers!

[robbyvirus]

Hey, robbyvirus, what kind of prices were you seeing for the Four Roses? Not sure if I'll be in Ginza but it's a short train ride from Shinagawa I believe. I'm hoping to score a little FR when I'm there next month.

Hope you're enjoying Japan as much as I do. Any place that sells beer out of vending machines on the street is ok with me.

Cheers!

I'm not sure where Shinagawa is, but the store mentioned in the posts above is a few blocks from the Shinbashi train station. The Four Roses Super Premium was about 6000 yen (somewhere around $50). It was the most expensive Four Roses they had...pricier than the single barrel, although I can't remember the price of that. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the single barrel. Too bad I have to wait until I get home to open it.

[nor02lei]

Those Old St Nicks are in cool bottles, but the whiskey never motivated me to buy some.

Randy

Well we all got different plates Randy. Personally I consider Old St Nick winter rye as one of the best whiskeys I have ever had, with a perfect mix of spice and fruit.

Leif

[robbyvirus]

I was walking in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo today, when I passed by a bar that had a drink menu in the window. They listed 7 "American Whiskeys" that they had for sale, for 800 yen/glass (about $7). It was such an unusual selection, that I had to write it down. The whiskeys they were serving were:

Henry McKenna

Old Crow

Heaven Hill

Ancient Age 10 years

Virgin 7 years

Outlaw 8 years

Jim Beam Rye

Too bad it was only 2pm, otherwise I would have been tempted to try a glass of Outlaw.

[Luna56]

I'm not sure where Shinagawa is, but the store mentioned in the posts above is a few blocks from the Shinbashi train station. The Four Roses Super Premium was about 6000 yen (somewhere around $50). It was the most expensive Four Roses they had...pricier than the single barrel, although I can't remember the price of that. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the single barrel. Too bad I have to wait until I get home to open it.

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to snooping around on my day off over there. Hope I get to try some of the Super Premium.

Campai!

[bpt]

Hey Robbyvirus,

Keep in mind that 2pm Tokyo time is 12 Midnight here in Texas..........

Just trying to help.

[robbyvirus]

Well, I arrived back in San Francisco this morning, and all my bourbon has made it back successfully from Japan. I ended up bringing home five bottles in all...the aforementioned Four Roses Super Premium and St. Nick's Winter Rye, plus a bottle of the straight-from-the-barrel Blantons. These I all bought at the Shinanoya store in Ginza. At the airport, I picked up bottles of Harpers 12 year old (in a really swanky bottle!) and Wild Turkey 12 yo. Since I was flying direct to SF it was no problem carrying these on. They also gave me a free Wild Turkey laptop bag with the 12 yo purchase...the bag is really nice too. As for the other three bottles, I wrapped them in bubble wrap, then wrapped dirty clothes around them. For the Blanton's bottle, I wrapped a shirt around the top and sealed it all up with packing tape. Everything came though OK, with no damage or leaking. Whew. I've attached pictures of my loot.

Also, as an aside, I highly recommend visiting Tokyo. It's a great and fascinating city, with lots of great shopping, sightseeing, and restaurants. Plus the people are incredibly friendly and helpful. We speak no Japanese whatsoever and we had no problems getting around.

[robbyvirus]

One thing I forgot to mention...I declared all five bottles on my customs form, but they just waved me through without inspecting my bags or asking about the whiskey, so I didn't have to pay any duty.

[bluesbassdad]

I'm not a traveler, so I'm only guessing here.

The duty they could have collected is probably not worth the effort.

Then by being truthful you spoiled any fun they might have had by making you sweat. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Hedmans Brorsa]

You´re in for a treat, Robby!

Well, I haven´t had the winter rye but Leif appears to swear by it, so...

[doubleblank]

There are limits for returning with "duty free" items but no practical limits if you're willing to pay the duty. The duty isn't much (in relation to the whiskey's value) and the customs officer usually won't bother collecting duties less than $X ($X has been around $50 in my recent experience). IOW, they don't want to do all the paperwork unless the amount to be collected is material.

Randy

Not paying any duty is the norm in my experience. And not just with alcohol.

Randy

[robbyvirus]

When I was at the Shinanoya liquor store in Japan, I took some shots of some of the bourbons on the shelves that I didn't have room for in my luggage. I've attached the pictures here. I love the look of some of these labels! Many of these are Heaven Hill bourbons, of various proofs. The older Kentucky Vintage looked interesting. I was able to have a sip of the Evan Williams 23 year old in a bar (for about $30 a shot). It was very smooth, and didn't really remind me of the taste of the Evan Williams single barrel we get in the states.