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Keihan said:
But they don't tend to carry some of the more obscure or difficult to find stuff, or has that changed? My old shop in Osaka had a couple bottles of Yamazaki 12 during the Great Shortage a few years ago (is it over yet?) and sold me one to take back home, and there was another similar shop in town that was the only place you could find Blanton's bourbon. And those two shops were way cheaper than anywhere else at the time.

But I stopped toying with expensive stuff years ago. It's a luxury, being able to survive on Costco vodka, Costco chardonnay and, now, apparently Costco cognac. And I was told one of the Costco whiskies was actually quite good. I tried the Costco gin last year, which was London Dry so not my type (the only gin I'll drink is Hendrick's) but certainly not bad for around $16 for a 1.75L.

And just for you, Frenchman, I have a bottle of this in the fridge right now.

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I'm so not kidding...this stuff is really, really good for $19.99. I mean, seriously good. It's not quite Moet, but for a third of the price I take this fucker up to the roof of my condo and pound the whole thing before I finish a 5" Macanudo robusto.

So sip on THAT.
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For decades the champagne industry was built around a few brands that were buying the wines from local growers and make the final product and charge premium prices for it.
Now some of those growers make their own champagnes (or put whatever silly brand on the bottles like “Kirkland” if big buyers want it) and it’s cheaper, for equivalent quality .
We have decent champagnes in Japan at 3,000 yens now.
 
Keihan said:
My old shop in Osaka had a couple bottles of Yamazaki 12 during the Great Shortage a few years ago (is it over yet?)
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Nope, it's still going strong. It is really hard to find Yamazaki anywhere even if you are up to paying ridiculous prices. I have seen a lonely bottle selling for over 20k in some small shop.

Your only hope taking one home is to know a restaurant owner as the ones with old contracts still get them at 4k a piece in cases.
 
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MikeH said:
Nope, it's still going strong. You is really hard to find Yamazaki anywhere even if you are up to paying ridiculous prices. I have seen a lonely bottle selling for over 20k in some small shop.

Your only hope taking one home is to know a restaurant owner as the ones with old contracts still get them at 4k a piece in cases.
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That sounds about right. They sold me a bottle for 12000, and to be honest I only bought it because I have idiot clients back home willing to pay $500 or even more for it...but then I got home and got all nostalgic about those times when you could still order Yamazaki on the Toriki 280 menu. It's sitting in the kitchen cupboard somewhere. I don't even like the taste of Yamazaki. Costco Whisky FTW!!
 
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Keihan said:
Yamazaki on the Toriki 280 menu.
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The normal price is 750 now but I know a place that includes it in the nomi-houdai menu and then it's 1.000 for an hour. Can't beat that value even if you are not a Yamazaki fan.
 
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