Which is the cheapest single malt whisky in the world?

[chaschas]

Yes, I know, tax, exchange rates etc. muddy the waters a lot but I have a feeling that Japan, of all places, has a contender. I just talking the label price of a single malt on the highstreet shelves. Even with its terrible exchange rate at the moment this Yoichi whisky is astoundingly cheap at 1600 yen or 6.80GBP a bottle. And its a Yoichi, one of Japanese single malt whisky`s top brands! It`s quite nice too
http://nonjatta.blogspot.com/2007/04/yoichi-no-age-cheapest-single-malt-in.html

[Reggaeblues]

Wow, that IS cheap...but what does an airticket to Japan cost?

cheapest I found here was in a store called Lidl, they had a very nice speysider called Ben Bracken for £12 or so...JM gave it 88.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

The actual full bottle price would be slightly dearer as that price is refering to a 50cl bottle....

For those on dial up the below is an exerpt.





Distillery
Yoichi 43%

Is this the cheapest single malt whisky in the world?


A bottle costs 1600 yen. Even at today`s terrible exchange rate, it works out at £6.80 or $13.40. That is for a 500 ml bottle, rather than the more usual 700/750 ml, but we are still talking about £9.50/700 ml, a price that not even discount supermarket Lidl's astoundingly cheap own-brand single malt beats in the UK

This is no second-rate brand either. This is a "Yoichi", arguably one of the two top Japanese single malt distilleries. It was a 10-year-old Yoichi that confirmed Japan's arrival on the international single malt scene in 2001, when it won "Best of the Best" in the Whisky Magazine annual contest. So what are Nikka doing sullying the Yoichi name with possibly the cheapest single malt in the world? Who cares? Ours it but to rejoice and get straight down to the nearest supermarket to buy three bottles of the stuff before they think again (if you are lucky enough to live in Japan).

Is it any good? As I keep warning, I know nothing about whisky but, in the case of this Yoichi new pot, there are no reviews by English-speaking whisky buffs to offer a more reliable view than mine. This is perhaps because this bottle is so cheap there is not enough of a margin on it for the normal single malt guys to ship it outside Japan. Or maybe it is just that nobody has picked up on it yet. Here goes, my first solo flight:

Like meeting a sailor, just off his boat and out on the town. He was shaven and sweet smelling after his first bath in months but rough and ready and still redolent of the docks. Is that all a bit homoerotic? The nose was warming, with bananas and apricots and a touch of vanilla. The first taste was powerful but sweet. There was a flavour of pine but then it moved into much more maritime territory. Iodine and then a hint of ammonia at the end of a long finish. It was all quite complex and unbalanced. Same as meeting a sailor at the docks, I suppose.

Did I like it? Yes. And, at this price, I could even justify making a toddy out of it. Which was damn fine, by the way.

[chaschas]

By the way, I think I got it the wrong way round with the exchange rate. The very poor exchange rate is tending to make the whisky even cheaper at the moment. Still, we are talking about 7-8 GBP even with a much higher exchange rate.

You are right about the 50cl bottle, but it is still cheaper than anything I have seen before even if you convert it into 70cl. And in Japan, a land not known for its bargain prices! Odd.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Yes i meant to say it was still dirt cheap at that. ANd yes Japan is very expensive but it's strange that spirits are so cheap over there not just whisky

[chaschas]

Japanese prices are funny. Generally, things are painfully expensive but, relative to the UK, which is where I originally come from, eating out is cheaper. Not sure an American would have the same feeling.

As for drinks, there is a really cheap end to the market, you are right. I am sure you have seen those bumper sized plastic bottles of cheap blended whisky and shochu they sell for ridiculously cheap prices. Very cheap and in many cases not as bad as you might think. However, once you get beyond that, there is a big price hike. The next cheapest Japanese single malts to this Yoichi, for instance, are the Suntory 10 year olds (Hakushu and Yamazaki) at 4,200 yen (about 35 USD or 17 GBP). This Yoichi (no age) is a bit out of the ordinary. Good wines are very expensive for what you get (although some online retailers are starting to change that). Good quality sakes and shochu are of course way cheaper than in the US and UK. But there are some really expensive products. I have seen a premium Shochu with the rather cool name of "100 years of Solitude" (translated from Japanese) in my local supermarket, which is using whisky inspired barrel aging techniques not usual in Shochu. While the other quality kura shochus were coming in at 10 or 20 GBP equivalents, it cost 60 GBP or 116 dollars. Want to taste what all those yen are paying for but no way I can afford it.

[laphroaig10_65]

Glen Grant 5 yo is a single malt for Italian market that you can easily find at 10 euros (0.7 L).
Bye
Luca

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Glen Grant 5 yo is a single malt for Italian market that you can easily find at 10 euros (0.7 L).
Bye
Luca

Wow


I think we may have a contender here ... that equates to £6.79 at todays rates.


Of course I can beat all those prices as I can get mine for free at the local supermarket (as long as I don't get caught )

Seriously guys just joking.

But keep you hands on your wallet if you ever meet me

[chaschas]

Now that is cheap. Taste good?

[lexvo]

A discounter in Europe sells this 12 year single malt for 12,99 euro:
http://www.aldi-sued.de/de/html/offers/58_1277.htm

It does taste nice, nothing special but quite good considering the price.

[laphroaig10_65]

Glen Grant 5 yo seems to be the most whisky sold in Italy; in my opinion is still too young and I prefer to spend more money for different drams.
Bye
Luca

[Ganga]

Lismore NAS 75 cl @ $12.99 US. It used to be $11.99 US. Someplaces it ranges over $20 US. In addition, I purchased the 1.75 l version for $24.95 US.

I did manage to get a 1.75 l McClelland's Islay and Highland for $14.95 US each.

There are actually many single malts scotch whiskies that I can get under $20. Included is the Dalmore 12, Speyburn 10, and the Glen Moray 12.

Do these contend?

[mikeymad]

12.99 USD = 6.57565 GBP not bad......

[Iain]

Ganga - "That's my skull!"

Are you a fan of Dead Head Bree, Ganga?

[Ardbeg311]

I agree that the Glen Grant 5yo would have to be a contender as one of the cheapest single malts. Although one can also find the Ben Bracken 12yo for the same price (I don't think this is a sale price, but it may be left over cases). In any event, neither bottle was a very enjoyable whisky experience.

[RufusA]

The cheapest single malt I've found in the UK is Glen Ranoch a (probably) exclusive to Tesco Highland malt with no age statement.

Drinkable in a slightly over carameled lacking oak way, and typically sells for £8.99

In fact I used to get this (and a number of other malts) free from Tesco legally - you can't get cheaper than free. They used to have a policy where you got to keep the product and get a full refund if they overcharged you. As they are always tinkering with their prices, by keeping a good track of whisky prices, you could often find one where they had put the price up, but not adjusted the label on the shelf. One of my better finds was a pair of Laphroaig Quarter Casks where I had been overcharged 2p on each!

Whisky always tastes nicer when it's free!

Rufus.

[mithril]

The cheapest full bottle (75cl) of malt you can find in BC is McClellands Highland at $37.99 (£16.89) per. We're not exactly going to win this contest

[TheLaddie]

Cheapest I ever bought was a bottle of Tormore on clearance from Tesco for £9.99.

[chaschas]

The cheapest single malt I've found in the UK is Glen Ranoch a (probably) exclusive to Tesco Highland malt with no age statement.

Drinkable in a slightly over carameled lacking oak way, and typically sells for £8.99

In fact I used to get this (and a number of other malts) free from Tesco legally - you can't get cheaper than free. They used to have a policy where you got to keep the product and get a full refund if they overcharged you. As they are always tinkering with their prices, by keeping a good track of whisky prices, you could often find one where they had put the price up, but not adjusted the label on the shelf. One of my better finds was a pair of Laphroaig Quarter Casks where I had been overcharged 2p on each!

Whisky always tastes nicer when it's free!

Rufus.

Does that Tesco trick work with any other retailer?

[DramMeister]

My cheapest malt was Glen Grant NAS in France for £10. Cheapest in UK - Bowmore Legend £10.

Do Tesco really do that Rufus?
I'm going every day from now on.

[chaschas]

Yes i meant to say it was still dirt cheap at that. ANd yes Japan is very expensive but it's strange that spirits are so cheap over there not just whisky

That Yoichi is going down in price 1498 yen in my local store now, or about 6.30 GBP!

[martin grant]

Do Tesco really do that Rufus?
I'm going every day from now on.

Tesco up in Scotland certainly offer this service. So do Asda. I will certainly pay close attention to the prices from now on!

[les taylor]

After talking with V7 in the show your inventory thread how about, wait for it. GLEN TURNER.

[DramMeister]

I mistakenly bought one of them too.
Fobbed it off on my dad as a birthday present.

[ccrank.freeserve.co.uk]

in 2005 my local Sainsburys sold off Springbank 10 for £12.49 ! It was mayhem only managed to get 2 bottles. Last year got Glenlivet 15 french oak reserve for £14.99 at Asda

[les taylor]

I mistakenly bought one of them too.
Fobbed it off on my dad as a birthday present.

DramMeister I did exactly the same last year. I bought one for my dad as a holiday gift. Magic.

[Ganga]

Ok, the Wine & Liquor Depot now has the 1.75 l Lismore for $23.

[Reggaeblues]

3 years ago, before Safeways became Morrissons, they had HP12 on at £19. I also spotted 3 bottles of HP 18 with no price, so they had to let me have one at the HP12 price...

I wished I'd got all three, furthurmore I wish I could post on the "Supermarket Deals " thread:

"HP 18! £19 , Morrisons!"

Still, I must have bagged the cheapest HP18 ever...

[DramMeister]

My local co op has gone mad and marked down about 6 malts as reduced to clear.
Most that brings them down to about the same price as malts on special offer at the other supermarkets. But the star buy is the previously mentioned Glen Grant 10 which the obviously felt was ridiculously overpriced at £11.99, so they've slashed it to £9.59.

So I bought 4 bottles tonight, 1 for me (I'd already bought one at £12 - damn) and 3 for friends.

The bad news is the reason for the sell off, they are reducing the number of lines, oh well, I'll enjoy it while I can.