Sweden ?

[adogranonthepitch]

My mates is off to Sweden next week. I know the dram shops ate government run. Any specials on that he needs to get? We are talking middle to upper range if drams .. Collecting stuff.

[Swedish Chef]

Systembolaget does not do many specials and no whisky ones right now. I doubt they'll find anything cheaper here than in Britain. Most of the high-end bottles fill have to be orded to the stores which usually takes between seven and eight days.
If they're looking for something special i'll be happy to search for it.

[Pure Pot Head]

I think your friends might be better off shopping in Duty Free on the way to Sweden or on the way back. From my experience in the Swedish Monopoly Shops, they have a set up that felt a bit odd. You'd see big sections of brands you wouldn't imagine selling that much and little sections hidden away for that you take for granted as being big brands. I couldn't quite get my bearings or something. Everything seemed reversed. There's a specialist whiskey shop in Copenhagen airport en route if they're going that way which might have what they want. And I think Sweden might prove quite expensive. However, they do of course have their own whiskey up there which might be of some interest - perhaps the Monopoly Shops have a selection of these.

Pure Pot Head

[adogranonthepitch]

Thank you for great info!

[lisa]

Well there are actually some finds to be made in Sweden.

Especially the exclusive bottlings for Sweden.

The best ones recently was probably Bowmore Laimrig and two very nice Springbank OB SC 1991s (but most likely they were all gone by last week).

When it comes to more ordinary stuff fx HP 18 is available in most ("systembolaget") shops and is cheaper than most other places in Europe.

Macallan 18 yr sherry (vintages 1987, 1988, 1989) can be found here and there for less than elsewhere (mixed in among / same price as later vintages - so you have to search them out in the shops).

But the most interesting finds you would have to search out in the so called "Winecellar"-stores of which there are only three - located in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Black Bowmore, Yamazaki 25 and some others in higher price ranges are actually sometimes a lot cheaper in "systembolaget" than in other countries.

Independant bottlings are almost always more expensive in Sweden than elsewhere but when it comes to original bottlings it is possible to find great deals in Sweden - more so if you´re OK to move up in price range.

You can check prices at http://www.whiskyfinder.eu that tracks also "systembolaget".
Even if it is in swedish - it also is quite easy to navigate http://www.systembolaget.se for prices and full line of products (and shops)

[lisa]

Even better - I just noticed that http://www.systembolaget.se have an english interface that you can switch to ("in english" on top of page) so go there and be a pricenerd to all your heart´s desire

[lisa]

http://www.systembolaget.se/Applikation ... SKY:Alla+l%u00e4nder:Alla+storlekar::::::

[Pure Pot Head]

Especially the exclusive bottlings for Sweden.

I have to confesss, I'm a wee bit sceptical of a lot of these special bottlings you see pop up out of nowhere. I wonder how others feel about the issue. I can't help but get the strong stale odour of marketing gamesmanship designed to pull in gullible collectors with something that at best has the most marginal alteration (often just the label) from the standard line. If a distillery really does truly produce a fine and excellent new variation that deserves attention, wouldn't they make it available widely, not just to one single retail chain, whether state controlled or independent. I can understand a special cask being made available to whiskey specialist outlets that are trying to stay afloat with giant Tesco superstores selling below cost just up the road. But not an entire national retail chain. What's that all about if not a bit of commercial monkey business. What sort of prices do these Sweden only special bottlings achieve long term? Do Maison Du Whiskey in France do something similar and get whiskey producers to package one-off's etc to drive a bit of publicity? What about the Norwegians, Finns and Canadians, do those state monopolies do similar 'special bottlings?' Anyone know?

Pure Pot Head

Pure Pot Head

[r900p]

PPH,

I know Norway had a Bruichladdich only for them, and a few only for Canada. I believe Highland Park did one (Hudson ..Company!???) for Canada only. You also only have to look at the Kilchoman new make single casks made for various countries/specialists to know that editions are made for certain places, LMWD for example had two (one left), so it seems all are in on the act.

I track bottles from other countries, i've got a few people in Canada and a few in the US that i send bottles out to regularly and get bottles off too. I got an email last night saying a Supernova was on its way to me from Canada which was unexpected. I had help on here getting the odd bottles too, one from Norway, which was very much appreciated.

All in all i've got to know a few people and a few i have now been sending bottles to for over 2 years.

If you see that special bottle you want its always worth asking for help, particularly on here. Just think of the number of Ardbeg Committee bottlings that must be sent to one single address for sending on, i had 7 Supernova's coming to me to be sent all over.


Rob

[Pure Pot Head]

Hi Rob,

Do you feel you are getting something special when you collect these special market specific releases or do you ever think that there's a bit of shennanigans going on between retail buyers looking for a bit of a PR coup and Distilleries looking for a quick killing. I'm sceptical about this practice. I'm not too hot on these special whiskeies you can only get at the distillery either. But maybe that's just me.

Having said all that, I'm probably a bit of a hypocrite really. There was a Jameson special issue available I believe only in France and Sweden a few years ago, a Jameson 'Distillers Selection' 12yr old. It looks very like the old version of the bottle they sell at the Heritage Centre in Dublin but is apparently even better. And I can't help wanting one and if I came across it I'd be compelled to buy it

So I take back everything I said.


PPH

[r900p]

If i'm perfectly honest i have come round to your way of thinking in some ways. Namely because of Bruichladdich. There were a few rum finishes for Canada only which i spent ages looking for and never got them in the end. However the allocation can't have sold (or it was such a success they released it everywhere) becuase the identical fisnihes arrived in the UK and Europe. If i had got them i think i would have felt a little ripped off paying for all that shipping, usually 3 lots of shipping costs only to find out i could have got the from TWE 8 months later. This really was my wake-up call with Bruichladdich and the drive to stop collecting their stuff.

I did believe i was getting something special, again Bruichladdich as an example i got a Bruichladdich First Born, now i don't know of another one in Europe so to me thats kind of cool and pretty special in my collection. Was all the effort worth it, to me it was as it was the first bottling of their new distillate and never to be repeated and as a Bruichladdich collector it is probably my best bottle and will never be sold.

Rob

[lisa]

Of course not every "special release" are by definition "special" on the quality side.

But I must say that the Highland Park single cask specials for Sweden a few years ago was truly outstanding, the Bowmore Laimrig recently also very good like the Sweden SC versions of Springbank 1991s.

Bruichladdich special scandinavian versions (ferry retails) and Glengoyne swedish oak was OK but nothing more. Laphroaig and Ardbeg specials for Sweden I have not tasted but heard they were average to their segments.

Another outstanding special for Sweden (and New Zealand) I´ve had was the Compass Box Canto Cask 37 - but that was not really an example of national special as discussed.

[Pure Pot Head]

Maybe the Swede's have it sussed. If we all had a state monopolies controlling the market in every country then perhaps through sheer retailer power we'd all get special editions all the time in each country. Wow! It could become the international requirement to get stocked, a special for that market only. Or at least different labels. or a 13 yr old instead of the boring old everyday 12yr old. Or maybe bring in half years, or by month of bottling, or day even. We could look forward to the end of bland global megabrands and and see the emergence of an infinity of collectables. We could compare the Swiss version of Ardbeg with the Canadian and the Brazillian edition etc. And then we'd also be financially ruined through travel costs and definitely divorced when our wives find out why we're really bringing them to all these exotic locations on holidays. Several times a year.

Pure Pot Head

[r900p]

Sweden are getting a 12 year old single cask Ben Nevis, now thats one i really would love to try.

1967 single cask Ben Nevis is going to Germany apparantly.

Rob