Anyone Know Where I Can Get "Value" Bourbon?

[bangkokburning]

Looking for drinkable bourbon that does not have the branding, but has the taste.

Old Grand Dad

Kentucky Gentleman

Evan Williams

Sort of thing...

Thanks

[bluebluewater]

You can find Jim Beam at the Tops at Future Park and I would guess at other places. I think it's about 800 Bt a bottle. There is also an American bourbon, whose name I do not recall, that I have not yet tried at Tesco for 750 Bt.

[metisdead]

Try your local Foodland. I was just into the Foodland out on Ramintra and I saw those brands available there.

[JSixpack]

A wine and spirits shop in Pattaya, just down from Foodland, same side of Pattaya Klang as you go toward Beach Rd., was having a 2-for-1 sale on George Dickel a few months ago. No limit, so you could pick up a case or two. I have no idea if the sale is still on though.

[bangkokburning]

Thanks all. I'm in BKK. That's about std pricing I can get about town for the Beam. Funny, its 9.5US in Cambodia. VAT + Alcohol tax = about 15% so we are really getting hosed here in Thailand on spirits. If you guys are Bourbon, Scotch drinkers and make it to PNH, there is a great spirits shop next to Lucky Mkt. Been there as long as Lucky, maybe longer. Great selection. Amazing!

[lomatopo]

Funny, its 9.5US in Cambodia. VAT + Alcohol tax = about 15% Amazing!

It is amazing, that's less expensive than in the U.S. I wonder how they do that?

[Kickstand]

Funny, its 9.5US in Cambodia. VAT + Alcohol tax = about 15% Amazing!

It is amazing, that's less expensive than in the U.S. I wonder how they do that?

Taxes. highly variable and some distillers sometimes sell for a discounted price to get exposure to foreign markets.

Foodland at Laksi stocks a value brand of bourbon from Kentucky called Kentucky Deluxe.

It is quite good at about 400 baht a bottle. I am not sure who the distiller is, but it is a very drinkable bourbon for about half the price of Jim Beam

Note: edited to reflect the previous posters questions..

Edited June 9, 2011 by Kickstand

[lomatopo]

Funny, its 9.5US in Cambodia. VAT + Alcohol tax = about 15% Amazing!

It is amazing, that's less expensive than in the U.S. I wonder how they do that?

Taxes. highly variable and some distillers sometimes sell for a discounted price to get exposure to foreign markets.

State (variable) and Federal (fixed) taxes on Jim Beam/750 ~ $3.25, I guess that still doesn't explain the nearly 50% net price in Cambodia. Is Jim Beam really targeting the Cambodian market for expansion? When you add in shipping costs and the Cambodian alcohol import duty of 35%, it seems like somebody is losing a ton of money?

[bluebluewater]

Twice last year I bought bottles of Jim Beam at the duty free shops for $15 a bottle and brought them back into LOS . . once from Vietnam, once from Burma. That is less that I can buy it in the states (about $19 in my state) and less than I can get it here.

I had no checked bag, carry on only, so I had to do the duty free thing.

Cheers!

[bangkokburning]

Yeah, andy. Sure ain't PNH. PNH is heaven for scotch and bourbon. Makers Mark US20!

Anyway, I will try Foodland. It's a bit of a hop from here, but I'm on a bourbon kick. Can't be worse than 100 Pipers. I can't beleive how much that stuff goes for outside Thailand!

Jim Beam I find is best value in Asia, but there is better for not much more. BTW I bought a few bottles in Burma for US13ea.

You know where has great value (now) is the duty free Thai-Malay xing @ PadangBesar/Sadao. Bought 1L JWR on sale for B444 last time I was through.

Jack is great, but its overpriced and overrated.

Bourbon club!

[JSixpack]

Foodland at Laksi stocks a value brand of bourbon from Kentucky called Kentucky Deluxe.

It is quite good at about 400 baht a bottle. I am not sure who the distiller is, but it is a very drinkable bourbon for about half the price of Jim Beam.

Tried Kentucky Deluxe and didn't care for it. Ditto Heaven Hill. IMO, cheapest decent bourbon in Thailand is Benchmark. Best Supermarket in PTY has it, not sure about Foodland anywhere.

I like a bourbon of higher proof than the low end brands sold here, but for that you have to pay through the nose, unfortunately.

[DP25]

Funny, its 9.5US in Cambodia. VAT + Alcohol tax = about 15% Amazing!

It is amazing, that's less expensive than in the U.S. I wonder how they do that?

Probably fake. Pour some other liquor in to bottles labelled Jim Beam

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011041148478/National-news/police-held-over-fake-whisky-production.html

Long Sreng said that police confiscated 64 cases of counterfeit Super Whisky, hundreds of bottles and labels bearing the Super Whisky, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Red Label trademarks, 200 millilitres of whiskey ingredients, alcohol production machinery and other alcohol-related materials.

[bangkokburning]

The Beam I bought was definitely not fake.Sold everywhere (BUT THE AIRPORT!!) for US9.5.

I could see them being able to blend some grain whiskies with JWR but you can't fake the taste of bourbon. I'd think they would need to target big turnover brands as well. JWR would be the best target. For many Asians, you might be able to cut JWB 25% as it is so heavy and smokey.

Gather a bunch of JWR bottles

Mix with 30% local grain spirits

Recap somehow (?)

Resell.

Beam not mentioned.

The odd thing is that it is so cheap in Cambo, where is this market? Must be to the poor who have not a clue. When the locals taste anything that is not cheap kerosene it tastes great - therefore it is genuine!

Meanchay? Bantaey Meanchay is quite close to the Thai border.

Sounds like someone figured out they were getting sold crap and turned them in....

Edited June 11, 2011 by bangkokburning

[bangkokburning]

J6 - where can I find Benchmark in BKK??

[JSixpack]

J6 - where can I find Benchmark in BKK??

Sorry, I have no idea, as I live in PTY. But if you do happen to spot it, I suggest you give it try. Cheers!

[DP25]

Beam not mentioned.

Just cause it wasn't mentioned in the article, doesn't mean they aren't counterfeiting it. Makes more sense than being able to import it from Kentucky to Cambodia and sell it so cheap. Counterfeit alcohol is big, in Korea they even put electronic tags on bottles that you can scan with your cell phone to see if it's really been imported or not.

http://thenextweb.com/asia/2009/10/15/counterfeit-whiskey-dectors-korean-cell-phones/

Edited June 11, 2011 by DP25

[lomatopo]

The Beam I bought was definitely not fake.Sold everywhere (BUT THE AIRPORT!!) for US9.5.

This is for a 750 ml bottle?

It is amazing! That is approximately the price ex-distillery (before and federal, state taxes; transportation costs). Then tack on the 35% import duty for Cambodia, and someone must be losing a lot of money.

It just seems weird.

[sabaijai]

Villa Supermarkets carry Kentucky Deluxe, Heaven Hill and Benchmark.

Foodland carries Evan Williams.

I think EW is the best of the lot, pretty similar to JD but less expensive. Better than Jim Bean, Kentucky Deluxe, Benchmark or Heaven Hill, IMO. Check out bourbon reviews online, EW does pretty well.

[bangkokburning]

I am going to Dental Clinic tomorrow so will check out Villa, thanks! Yes, EW is pretty good value although I had heard OGD was perhaps better. I will be happy if I can score some EW cheapish, it does get good, even great revues on value. Better than JBeam, I can only hope.

All that counterfeiting a real eye opener. I will be more careful at the Cambodian border and inspect all the bottles everywhere.

I think the products are in heavy competition so the margin is low on the cheap stuff. I've heard containers coming back to Asia from US are practically free as the US does not have the ability to really export much of anything here. My hunch is a large company buys absolutely massive amounts of the stuff at say cost+, then redistributes. Being clever Asians, small consistent profit is better than no profit.

I asked for a discount on four bottles in the store in PNH, the guy did me .50US on each bottle - so they are already operating at cost+ in retail.

What is interesting is the cost of all the resources that go into making a bottle of Beam that is being then sent around the world and sold for less than US10. Lots of fresh water.

[lomatopo]

I am going to Dental Clinic tomorrow so will check out Villa, thanks! Yes, EW is pretty good value although I had heard OGD was perhaps better. I will be happy if I can score some EW cheapish, it does get good, even great revues on value. Better than JBeam, I can only hope.

All that counterfeiting a real eye opener. I will be more careful at the Cambodian border and inspect all the bottles everywhere.

I think the products are in heavy competition so the margin is low on the cheap stuff. I've heard containers coming back to Asia from US are practically free as the US does not have the ability to really export much of anything here. My hunch is a large company buys absolutely massive amounts of the stuff at say cost+, then redistributes. Being clever Asians, small consistent profit is better than no profit.

I asked for a discount on four bottles in the store in PNH, the guy did me .50US on each bottle - so they are already operating at cost+ in retail.

What is interesting is the cost of all the resources that go into making a bottle of Beam that is being then sent around the world and sold for less than US10. Lots of fresh water.

I think it is important that you believe this scenario. However a $5.0 bn company like Beam Global does not 'job-lot' their products to some schmoes who want to fill containers. They have an orderly distribution system and your scenario would make the legitimate country subsidiaries/distributors very unhappy. Four bottles won't kill you, maybe just a bit 'o 'jake-leg'.

I don't care how clever someone may be, if you selling at a loss you don't make it up on volume.

Edited June 15, 2011 by lomatopo

[bangkokburning]

I was thinking more that they were selling the cases at a deep discount. Its surely bottled on premises.

Went up to a shop I thought they might have a few bourbons on the shelf. Kentucky Gent 560 and EW about 800?? OUCH!

Try villa tomorrow.