CARDHU

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 6:28 pm

Not really a question. More of a moan.

I can't get "Cardhu Single Malt 12 year old" anywhere near me. It's not in any of the supermarkets, off-licences, etc. It is available 50 miles way in London, but for £30 a bottle.

Last week, I went to a smallish town in North Crete. Cardhu was in pretty much every supermarket, at around £16-£17 a bottle.

Now, I know that our duty rate here in England is £5.68 per bottle. But, offset against that, transport from Scotland to England must be much less than to a Greek Island!

So, why do they get all this malt and we get none?

by **vitara7** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:32 pm

diageo dont really market cardhu whisky in the uk, virtually all goes to the export markert, as you said, its all over greece, and every bar in spain and shop in spain has cardhu. might have somthing to do with they dont want cardhu to step on the toes of their "classic malts" range.

by **The Dazzler** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:55 am

Eelbrook, the Cardhu might well be finding its way back into the UK market once again towards the end of the year, however don't expect it to be found in the local supermarkets and do expect the price to be £30+. This is due to the supply and demand saga of a couple of years ago where Diageo decided that they had only sufficient stocks for certain markets, ie France, Spain and other European countries. Stocks in other places such as the US are currently almost none, perhaps some strategic marketing by Diageo but at some some point they must make such decisions so that stock is available somewhere, it is however slightly sad to see this available in places as you mentioned at such low price compared to the price in UK, I even saw in Poland for around £20.

Slainte

by **Admiral** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:28 am

Was the Cardhu in Crete actually 12 years old?

I always under the impression that Cardhu was bottled and sold at a much younger age on continental Europe?

Cheers,
ADmiral

by **bond** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:57 am

Also, have the scars of the Pure Malt v/s Single Malt fiasco worn off?

by **corbuso** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:32 am

Admiral wrote:Was the Cardhu in Crete actually 12 years old?

I always under the impression that Cardhu was bottled and sold at a much younger age on continental Europe?

Cheers,
ADmiral

Not it is sold as 12 YO and now they started a new version, the Special reserve NAS (quite special. prefer the 12 YO OB).

The duties on the whisky are lower in Greece and Spain, and if I am not wrong, on the VAT too, explaining partially the high price in UK.

Corbuso
...........
http://www.whisky-news.com

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:24 pm

Yes, it was 12 year old single malt in all of the shops in Crete. Defo. not pure malt and defo. not NAS.

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:32 pm

The Greek standard VAT rate is 19%, compared to the UK's 17.5%.

UK duty on a 70cl bottle of 40%ABV whisky is £5.68. I'm guessing that it is somewhat less in Greece. But against that must be factored the not inconsiderable cost of shipping bottled spirit to obscure locations thousands of miles from Bonnie Scotland.

So, still a bit rich that Cardhu's £30 in a Scottish (or English) shop, yet £16 (ie a massive £14 less) in some backstreet store in Crete!

Not on.

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:41 pm

Price is more often about the seller's perception of local market conditions than we might think. For example, I can recall reading some years ago that identical model automobiles were sold at a considerably lower price in Canada than in the US, for no reason other than that the automakers judged that Canadians were not willing to pay as much for cars as Americans were. Don't know if this is still true.

by **Muskrat Portage** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:59 am

MrTattieHeid wrote: ...identical model automobiles were sold at a considerably lower price in Canada than in the US, for no reason other than that the automakers judged that Canadians were not willing to pay as much for cars as Americans were. Don't know if this is still true.

Oh yeah, we're all still a bunch of cheap b- - - (can't say that can I?) who will drive three hours to get a deal on flooring...

...Besides, we won't buy a less than dependable car at any price simply due to the weather we tolerate. A breakdown in winter when it's -40 below can be a death sentence in this part of the country. For the record I drive a very dependable Toyota Echo.

Muskrat

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:28 am

So, try Cardhu in the UK at say £22 or £23 and see if customers perceive it as a good buy. I for one would be in the queue.

Then, the distillery wouldn't need to ship the stuff half way around the world.

by **les taylor** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:53 am

eelbrook wrote:So, try Cardhu in the UK at say £22 or £23 and see if customers perceive it as a good buy. I for one would be in the queue.

Then, the distillery wouldn't need to ship the stuff half way around the world.

eelbrook I'm second in the queue behind you.