In August I will be going to Ireland and Scotland. My question is if anyone can advise where would be a good place to purchase local Single Molt Scotch or Whiskey? (it is for my son. I don't drink and have no clue what to buy). Also what brand name to get? It would be good to find a brand that is not sold here in the States.
Thanks,
Saki

This is a question for Jackman but he's in Sydney.

Saki - it depends on how much you want to spend for a start. There are some whisky shops around and I'm sure they would be a good place to get advice, particularly if you want something that is not available back home. We bought a little bottle for our TD in one of these places when we were in York and I'm pretty sure they have an outlet at Heathrow as well.
www.whiskyshop.com

I'm not sure which tour you are on but we didn't get to visit any whisky distilleries on ours. If you do, that could be an option, it's always nice to buy something from a place you have visited.

There are many labels and if you go to the Edinburgh Scottish Night, have a look at the whisky menu!

Saki
What sort of whiskey does your son drink at home?
Regards
Jackman

Hello Hello Hello.
Hi Jackman. I have been having computer problems this week and I have been having withdrawl symptoms from the lack of my cyber mates.
This is a subject dear to your heart and it is also Mr FTET favourite cold remedie. I notice that the Johnny Walker Black label has been coming out of the liquor cabinet a lot lately .He says that the JWBLW keeps the swine flu from "knocking on the door."

It's true Kathy. Our Irish TD said so

Nothing wrong with Johnny Walker . My old granny used to laud it's usefulness and I have been under it's influence since I began to teeth . So, I can safely say that we usually find it much cheaper to buy our whisky at the duty free shops!! Mind you we haven't visited a whisky distillery yet and would probably buy a bottle from them if we did.

PS Both hubby and I prefer JW red

Scotch is all across the board and varies greatly just look at a scotch lovers web site, they call the taste vanilia, cocoa, honey nutmeg and a hundred more descriptions. The numbers on the bottles ie: Glenfiddih 30 indicate the number of years in the cask. The higher the number the higher the price.

I find it easier to buy alcohol in the duty free shops when returning to the airport in Australia. If you plan to buy it overseas, you probably won't be able to bring it back in your hand luggage if the rules about 100ml of liquids apply.

We ran into the liquid restrictions problem on a recent trip to Croatia. We purchased a bottle of Irish whiskey at the duty free in Washington DC, forgetting that we would have to go through security a second time in Frankfurt...we were changing airlines. What to do about our whiskey? At the suggestion of the flight attendant, when we got to Frankfurt we checked my carry on, with the whiskey safely wrapped onto the second airline. It arrived in Dubrovnik safely!!!

Once upon a time, another BBer asked me to bring her back some Scotch from a trip to Scotland. She wanted a particular brand name I had never heard of. We traipsed all over Glasgow looking for it to no avail but discovered it was an "Export Only" brand. We made a special trip to Edinburgh for it and found it there. We carefully wrapped it for the journey home to Oregon. The BBer lived on the East coast. When we got home, we learned that the law prohibits sending alcohol across state lines without a special license. Neither the Post Office nor UPS would carry it. I got stuck with a bottle of very expensive whisky which I ended up giving to a local friend.
If you're bringing whisky back to the States, it has to stay in the state in which it arrived.

quote:

Originally posted by Caitie:
Once upon a time, another BBer asked me to bring her back some Scotch from a trip to Scotland. She wanted a particular brand name I had never heard of. We traipsed all over Glasgow looking for it to no avail but discovered it was an "Export Only" brand. We made a special trip to Edinburgh for it and found it there. We carefully wrapped it for the journey home to Oregon. The BBer lived on the East coast. When we got home, we learned that the law prohibits sending alcohol across state lines without a special license. Neither the Post Office nor UPS would carry it. I got stuck with a bottle of very expensive whisky which I ended up giving to a local friend.
If you're bringing whisky back to the States, it has to stay in the state in which it arrived.

'Sakes alive, Caitie, had I known you were that accommodating to us BBers however far we live from you, I would have put in orders myself.

By the way, a most upsetting thing I've just learned: MacDonald's counts France as its second largest profit maker after the United States. If that isn't upsetting, I don't know what is. I may have stirred up a hornet's nest here with the Maccer's fans but France? OMG, the world is coming to an end.

BC

Thanks for all the advise regarding buying alchohol overseas. I may end up buying something at the duty free on the way back home. I am not sure that I want to carry it during the tour and than have a problem at the airport if I have to put it in the suitcase.

Saki

Brenda: This BBer was one I had met on the BB tour back in 2003. Our postal rates have increased a lot since then, so nowadays I do less "procurement" than I used to. For me, part of the fun of having lived in several countries is the access to different markets. And with Internet access, nowadays it's as easy to shop outside your own country as in it.

As for the McDonalds marketing phenomenon, it was an inside job. The Frenchman in charge knew his people and had certain market forces on his side.
http://www.slate.com/id/2221246/pagenum/2.
The trend toward fast food is a matter of concern for the older generation, though, who call McDonalds "industrial food" - not really fit for eating, not really even food at all. But the French have a sort of love/hate relationship with America. As mush as they disdain American culture, they are also fascinated by it. They don't want it thrust on them, but they will often choose it. (For great insighhts into French/American differences, read "Au Contraire: Figuring out the French" http://www.amazon.com/Au-Contr...French/dp/187786482X

McDonalds is providing jobs and sourcing most of its supplies locally, so the practical French see some benefit in that.

You mean someone actually had to write a book to help us figure out the differences between Americans and the French??? What audience is this for?

Saki,

Buy it at the Duty Free Shop in Heathrow. Usually better prices and they stock very well. Also you would not have to haul it in your luggage until you are flying home.

We looked all over for Johnny Walker Green Label, but only found it at LHR.