A Guide to gifting Whisky
There is an extremely common topic that we get asked about alot and that I get asked alot by my friends.. How can I pick the right Whisky to gift to someone. This is an extremely personalised experience and there is no rights or wrongs, but to get the best results.. Here’s our guide.
The first thing to establish, is your budget. We have a large range of clientele at Whisky Discovery and every single clients budgets vary. What’s expensive to some, is not to others. When gifting Whisky, we find it’s always best to have a few/multiple people chip in so that you can afford something really extraordinary, as Whisky can be a gift of a lifetime.
Once you understand your budget, it’s important to note where the giftee is at with their Whisky Journey. Some people are very new and are just discovering their love for Whisky, some are very experienced and some may just be “collectors” of whisky and other spirits. Understanding where your giftee is in this spectrum, can greatly help steer you to the right bottle to gift.
So now that you have a budget and a general idea of where the giftee is, it’s time to pick a bottle and there are now more options. The questions that often come up are - Do you pick an aged whisky? One with a nice presentation box? One that will be a great investment long term? One that is an amazing whisky to drink? So many things to think about… Lets start with the different types of Giftee’s based on their Whisky journey.
A newer Whisky lover:
We highly recommend something aged within the key distillery brands that often appeal to new drinkers. Quite often, this is within the Japanese range as the Japanese whisky’s can be very easy to drink and appeal to people early in their whisky journey. The Japanese range also tends to hold it’s value very well and in alot of cases, increase in value.
The core range & Limited Edition versions of key Japanese Whisky's are always a great gift for new Whisky lovers and collectors
A more experienced Whisky lover:
We highly recommend vintage and more interesting bottlings are suitable for more experienced Whisky lovers. People that are further into their Whisky journey and possibly “enthusiasts” tend to care less about presentation and more about the liquid and history behind the bottle. Alot of vintage Whisky has incredibly history and stories as well as ratings that are indicative of a special whisky. Age (Time in the barrel) and year (Of Initial Distillation) can also be a really cool factor and talking point.
We find that gifting a Whisky that was distilled in the year that the giftee was born, has always been a popular and well received and a well thought of gift. Gifting a liquid that was distilled potentially before the giftee was born also has an incredible “wow” factor, to know that you are drinking a liquid that is old that you are can be quite mind boggling to the giftee. We have a wide range of bottles that cover a large number of years as well as bottles that were distilled before World War 2, which is an incredible capsule into history.
Bottles that have specified Distillation Years generally provide a talking point and “wow” factor, especially the older years
There are so many other factors that can be considered as well, but we find that if you have these basic factors considered, then you will be much better placed to find that perfect gift. Ultimately however, the more you know about the individual, the easier it will be to find the right bottle for them. However, if you don’t happen to know a great deal about their Whisky preferences and journey, there is a still a safe way to select the best option possible.
That all said, we are here and happy to assist you with any advice that you may need in selecting the right bottle to gift. Please reach out through the contact form and we will aim to reply within 24 hours. Happy gifting!
Suntory announce new price hikes on their entire range, doubling the prices of the high age statement releases… OUCH
Well, Suntory have done it again, this time, in spectacular fashion.
So firstly, a HUGE shout out to the great people at Nomunication who continue to be a source of great information when it comes to Whisky in Japan. Most of this information was brought to my attention through their blog post which I will reference link below.
So, what on earth is happening here? Suntory appear to be trying to bridge the gap between the grey market pricing and their own, that’s my take on this. It’s no secret, that even in Japan, resellers are claiming a good portion of the stock through creative means, then reselling it at slightly below international market rates locally, knowing the stock ends up overseas. Clearly, Suntory are now trying to increase their pricing to almost match the reseller pricing, in order to prevent this lucrative reseller channel.. That’s my take.
What does this mean for you, here in Australia? I’d anticipate a 20-30% price hike on the key Suntory products. There are some things that I think are certain, resellers will continue resell (With lower margins due to market demand lowering with prices rising) and Australia will continue to have low local stock allocation (as well as high retail price adjustments - Just look at the Airport duty free prices and you will understand.. Yes I am selling stock cheaper than Melbourne airport supposed “duty free” prices).
If you would like to see the full information, please visit the link below to Nomunication, but in summary… Hibiki 21 Year, Yamazaki 18 Year and Hakushu 18 Year is getting a 72% price increase with 12 year variants getting a 50% price increase. This has already impacted the Japan local market pricing and will continue to do so gradually, until the actual price rise comes in April 1st 2024 (And no this is not an April fools joke despite how unrealistic it may sound).
My advice, Buy now if you cant live without these releases.
https://www.nomunication.jp/2023/11/21/suntory-dont-gaf-will-massively-increase-whisky-prices/
Suntory announce the Yamazaki Limited Edition 2023 & Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2023 Editions
Just in case you haven’t brushed up on your Japanese lately, Suntory Japan have just announced the release of the (Now) annual editions of Yamazaki and Hibiki.
From the information provided so far, 2,000 bottles of each will be release via 2 lottery ballots for each edition.
We can expect these to start floating into the grey import market, potentially by early May 2023 as the first release should hit mailboxes in Japan late April. It’s hard to speculate at this stage if Suntory will release more bottles into the market, as they did appear to have done this without any notice with the 2022 editions. I suspect that this will be the same and what that means is, the first lots of these to come through will be high in price with the price dropping over time if they release more (again this is only speculation).
If you choose to buy at the beginning and they do not release more, you could expect those bottles to rise significantly in value, but on the other hand, if you wait longer and they do release more, then the price is likely to drop. With Suntory notoriously not giving this information out, it will be totally up to you and your instinct as to how and when you purchase. I.. personally… Am still undecided as to what I will do…..
Macallan release the James Bond 60th Anniversary set
THE MACALLAN JAMES BOND 60TH ANNIVERSARY RELEASE
Through a behind the scenes exploration of the James Bond archives this release celebrates 007 and The Macallan as modern innovators linked by their Scottish heritage.
The Macallan and James Bond are bound together by our shared Scottish heritage, innovative nature and the pursuit of excellence. We have created a remarkable collection comprising six limited edition bottles inspired by each of The Six Decades of Bond, telling the story of innovation over 60 years and the pioneering character attributes of James Bond and The Macallan.
The packaging of each bottle features an original illustrative design and colour to denote the decade it represents. The distinctive artwork brings to life the creative development process of the films in a behind the scenes exploration of the James Bond archives.
Unfortunately, whilst the ballot is now open on the Macallan website, entries are only valid in the U.K and there is no information about an Australian release. We can only hope that Macallan gives us a chance to purchase this set in Australia but expect a hefty price tag circa $1000 per bottle.
ABOUT THE WHISKY
The timeless single malt has been developed to reflect the enduring character of James Bond, a force of nature defined by his Scottish heritage. The Macallan Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, has created a whisky with extreme grace balanced by remarkable strength and character - just like Bond himself.
The expression exudes a sense of style and maturity which has evolved over the years. It has a natural colour of Suisse gold and an ABV of 43.7% as a homage to James Bond’s agent number, 007. The whisky is consistent within all six bottles.
World Whisky Awards 2022
Well the World Whisky Awards 2022 was recently held and there were definitely some surprises and new distilleries taking out coveted awards. One of the key highlights would definitely be a huge congratulations to Australian Distillery “Sullivan’s Cove” who took out “Craft Producer of the Year” adding to their multiple WWAs titles. Another key highlight would have to be “The Lakes Distillery” taking out the award for “Worlds Best Single Malt”. We absolutely love what Lakes Distillery are doing behind the helm of The Lakes Whisky Maker Dhavall Gandhi.
We have some of the winners available now to purchase as well and managed to get a number of The Lakes Distillery Whiskymakers Reserve No 5 (Said to be very close in character to the No 4) all available online now. A full list of winners are below as well.
The Lakes Distillery WhiskyMakers Reserve No 5
Akkeshi Shosho
Sullivan’s Cove Range
World’s Best Single Malt
The Lakes Distillery, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.4
World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt
Stalla Dhu, Caol Ila 11 Years Old Cask Strength
World’s Best Small Batch Single Malt
The Notch Nantucket, 12 Years Old
World’s Best Blended
The Akkeshi, Shosho
World’s Best Canadian Blended
Crown Royal, Noble Winter Wheat
World’s Best Blended Limited Release
Pike Creek, 22 Years Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish
World’s Best Blended Malt
Yamazakura, Blended Malt Asaka
World’s Best Rye
Millstone, 100 Rye Whiskey
World’s Best Pot Still
Teeling Whiskey, Wonders of Wood
World’s Best Grain
The Whistler, Mosaic Marsala Cask
World’s Best Single Cask Single Grain
Whipper Snapper, Australian Wheat
World’s Best New Make & Young Spirit
Macaloney’s, Seaweed-Peated Clearach
World’s Best Flavoured
Whiskeysmith, Blood Orange
World’s Best Design
Spirit Thief Distilling Co., Limited Edition Set
The Glenallachie 21 Year Batch 2 is coming…
The Glenallachie 21 Year Batch 2 is here….
If you managed to get your hands on Batch 1, then you will understand why this is an exciting announcement. The best part is, they are now officially released out to distributors.
Unfortunately however, with a very limited release of only 1,600 bottles available worldwide, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of bottles for us here in Australia. As I imagine, with the 30 Year batch 1, there will be very few bottles to go around with bars and retailers with a high turnover of Glenallachie getting hold of the majority. We will certainly do our best to get hold of some however, so stay tuned….
This new instalment marries together five Pedro Ximénez puncheons and hogsheads dating back to 1997, 1998 and 1999; each hand-picked by renowned Master Distiller and Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame inductee, Walker, who this year celebrates reaching a half-century in the Scotch Whisky industry.
Chosen from The GlenAllachie’s enviable stock of over 50,000 casks, the Pedro Ximénez casks imparted rich, indulgent tones upon the distinctive heather honeyed charm of the distillery’s archetypal spirit.
The antique auburn liquid, said to display “lashings of cocoa, Seville orange, fresh ginger and treacle tart”, has been bottled at natural cask strength of 51.1% ABV, with no added colour and non chill filtered.
The Glenallachie 21 Year Old Batch 2
New Yamazaki 2022 Limited Editions (Tsukuriwake) are here!
Yamazaki Limited Editions 2022 (Tsukuriwake) Announced.
It’s just been announced that the new Yamazaki 2022 Limited Edition Sets (Tsukuriwake) are going to be released globally worldwide in June 2022. There hasn’t been a lot of information provided so far but it appears that 4 expressions are due to be released (Most notably with the popular Bordeaux Cask missing this time around).
The official information has now been announced by Suntory and we now know that this is not a Japan only release! Will it be released to Suntory trade partners (Local Bars etc) only? This sounds like another great set to get your hands on and we will certainly be asking our Japanese affiliates to keep an eye out for us. Check back soon to see if we managed to get hold of any and best of luck in your searches!
With pricing now released (RRP) we are very keen to see how these will be allocated. We certainly havent been able to locate any so far but in the meantime have managed to get a few of the Yamazaki Limited Edition 2022 & Hibiki Harmony Blossom 2022 releases and these are now live and available at the shop.
Yamazaki Spanish Oak 2022
Yamazaki Puncheon Cask 2022
Yamazaki Peated Malt 2022
Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2022
Rare items come and go just as fast
As soon as I heard about the recent Hakushu Spanish Oak 2021, I asked my local contact in Tokyo to try and source me a bottle. To my surprise, he found me one and had it shipped over immediately.
I received the bottle a few days later (It’s funny that things shipping from overseas tend to arrive faster than our local shipments..), I put the bottle up on the site and within 2 days it was gone. It really reminded me of how rare, sort after items can go faster than they come and this was no exception. After all, as far as we currently know.. Only 300 bottles have been released with Suntory in Japan advising of 300 ballot winners only. I can only hope that they release more to the public, so that I can get the opportunity to try some at least.
As of today, there’s been no further indication yet whether a further allocation will be released and time will only tell. I’ve already asked my local contact to try and find me another bottle, but I fear the prices will be surging. If you were looking for one, please do get in touch and I will note your interest so that you will get the first opportunity to purchase if we find one.
On that note… If you see something rare and really hard to find, the chances are they will just get harder and harder to acquire… So don’t hesitate too long.
Hakushu Spanish Oak 2021 Edition - 300 Bottles released via ballot system in Japan
We Are Live & Trading!
Coming Soon
It feel's so great to say this, but after months of hard work, we are finally up and running. What started as an obsession with good whisky has now turned into “Whisky Discovery” the web store dedicated to rare and hard to find whisky in Australia.
A big thank you to everyone who has had a chance to look through the collection which we have accumulated over the past 2-3 years when we became huge Whisky lovers. The drinking soon became collecting and over a nice tasting it was decided that it’s time to start selling off some of the amazing extra bottles that we had.
Our aim is to try and buy at the right time so that we can offer it to you at the cheapest current rate possible. We wont always get it right, but we certainly will aim to.