Being stuck in doors during this unprecedented time of Covid19, it’s always important to take account of what’s important. Your family, your health, and of course a well stocked whiskey cabinet.
Sure, liquor stores are still open — Thank you Specs and Total Wine — but many people are uncomfortable going out and take to the internet in search of their vices.
To date, I have never purchased liquor online and honestly have no idea why. Think about your average trip to the liquor store:
- Finding parking
- Being harassed by sales people
- Probably buying more than you went there for (not necessarily a bad thing!)
- Driving home in traffic
- Having to explain to your wife/husband/significant other your spending habits
Now don’t get me wrong, depending on what store you go to those ‘sales’ people can be incredibly knowledgeable and if you say “Hey, I’m looking for a cask strength sherry bomb”, they are sure to point you in the right direction. At the end of the day though, they still have to make commission and you’re the target.
Hard To Find Whiskey (.com)
This is where my story comes in. For the first time — ever –, I purchased a handful of bottles from https://www.htfw.com/, a UK based retailer and distributor of collectible whiskies from around the world since 1991.
It’s actually nuts what you can find on their site. You want a 22 year old 3rd edition Black Art from Bruidladdich? Sure. How about a Yamazaki 12 that everyone talks about? Of course. How about a $25,000 (British Pounds) 31 year Karuizawa? Yes, but God please don’t those prices are absurd.
Don’t let this scare you, there are plenty of reasonably priced whiskies available such as the Arran whiskies I purchased below.
This is not promoted content. I am not paid by HTFW. But hey, if you want to throw me a bone my contact information can be found below 😀 #Sellout #BigWhiskey
What did I buy?
I bought 4 whiskies, most of which is not easily obtainable here in the United States:
- Arran 10 yr | $42 USD
- Arran Quarter Cask “The Bothy” | $60 USD
- Arran Sherry Cask “The Bodega | $65 USD
- Arran 21 yr | $149
Ever since I had the Arran 18, I fell in love with Lochranza Distillery offerings, especially for the price. The Arran 18 (pre-tariff) was $80~ USD which is an absolute steal in my book. Sad part is, it’s almost impossible to find these days in my large city.
Now while the Arran 10 is readily available in the US, the other 3 products are not. Likewise, this is the new bottling style which is not yet available in the US either.
But What About Shipping???
This is 100% the reason most people avoid buying liquor online. Taxes, tariffs, and the need to keep alcohol out of the heat/cold for as short a period a time as possible all lead to sizable shipping.
That’s why HTFW.com is going to be my go-to shopping spot for bottles I can’t find here in the states. As of May 2020, they are offering free shipping to the USA if you spend at least £250 ($308 USD). Shipping is roughly $45-50 USD which is essentially a bottle of Arran 10 or any number of mid-grade whiskies.
Final Thoughts
Would I buy from HTFW again? Without question, yes. However there are a few caveats to this. First, I don’t normally drop $300 on whiskey. I wish I could, but I simply can’t. If I’m looking for hard to find whiskies (hah) like Octomore or various Japanese whiskies, I would purchase them through HTFW in a heart beat. If I was buying an everyday restock like Ardbeg Uigeadail or Laphroaig 10, I most likely would still visit my local liquor store.
If HTFW offered free shipping to the USA, I would be hard pressed to go anywhere else. The convenience, product availability, and quality customer support makes it a no brainer.
Arran Reviews
In the near future, I will be doing full reviews on the 4 Arran products listed above. Please follow Modern Dram if you want to keep up with any future posts!
Now hopefully if I keeping making reviews, I can convince my fiance that I really don’t have a drinking problem and what I’m doing is professional and self-rewarding….
Modern Dram 