Where should you buy your whisky?

This site is all about whetting your appetite for whisky. So there’s a good chance that if you’re here at all, you’ll read a review here and think: how do I get my hands on a bottle of that?

So where should you buy your whisky (or for that matter, whiskey, if that’s what you prefer)?

A plug for the little guy

I’ll provide specific recommendations–along with links, where relevant–below, but let me start with making a plug for your local specialist shop.

My strong recommendation is that you start your shopping at your local, locally owned liquor store. 

Why? After all, you can often find better prices at chain retailers, and if you’re able to shop online at all, you will find that online retailers have selections that are times over better than anything you can find locally.

The first reason is supporting local businesses. It’s good for your community to have thriving, locally owned businesses!

The second is that local specialty shops will sometimes have stuff that big chains don’t–special bottlings for that particular store, or just more obscure stuff like independent bottlings, or bottlings from lesser known distilleries. As a whisky novice, you may start out being satisfied with widely distributed core bottlings from prominent distilleries, but trust me–if you continue on an extended whisky journey, you’ll start craving more bespoke products. When that happens, you’ll be really glad that local liquor store that you initially thought was a little pricey is still around.

The third reason is that if you can cultivate a relationship with your local retailer, you may get priority access to special or allocated releases, and you may find that they can special order interesting bottles you really want to try.

Finally, it’s not uncommon for local specialty shops to have a knowledgeable staff who can help you find something that will suit your tastes.

But what happens when you want something your local liquor store doesn’t have? That’s when you turn your attention to a good national chain retailer:

US-based chains

Total Wine is all over the place, and they generally have an adequate to good selection of single malts, depending on the specific location. Their prices are competitive, if not amazing. The big downside to Total Wine is that they really, really, really emphasize their “house” sourced whiskies–Grangestone, Shieldaig, Glen Fodhry, etc. Some of them are probably enjoyable enough, but for the enthusiast–for whom source distillery matters–anonymous brands sourced from whatever distillery has inexpensive stocks kicking around isn’t very interesting. Total Wine’s shelves are increasingly crowded with such offerings, making it a frustrating place to shop for whisky.

If you have it where you live, BevMo! is another option very similar to Total Wine. I don’t have BevMo! where I live, however, I’ve been to one of their stores (in Arizona) and found the selection well worth checking out, if not exactly inspired. If you happen to be near a BevMo!, I think you’d definitely find it worth your while to pay a visit.

If you live in Texas, Spec’s is the local equivalent to Total Wine and BevMo!. To my knowledge, Spec’s has yet to escape the confines of the Lone Star state, but if you live in–or are visiting–a sizable Texas metro area, it’s definitely worth checking out. The selection is quite good, and the prices are pretty good.

The truth is, the UK and EU get a vastly better selection of Scotch than we get here in the US, and if you’re a serious Scotch connoisseur, you’ll find yourself frequently and mercilessly reminded of that. Even if you’re blessed to live in a huge metro area that has a liquor retailer with an exceptional selection, there is still going to be a lot of stuff that you just can’t get because it’s exclusive to the UK and EU. That’s where UK- and EU-based online retailers come into play.

This gets a little dicey: US liquor laws are a mess of weird relics from prohibition and obnoxious regulatory capture. But depending on your state, you might be able to get bottles shipped in from an overseas retailer. Where I live, that’s an option, and one that I use frequently. You will definitely want to make sure that you can get alcohol shipments to your state before you go too far down the rabbit hole of online retail, though.

Online specialist retailers

If you can get shipments of alcohol, below are some places with great selections of Scotch, starting with those retailers with whom I have experience:

I would say that The Whisky Exchange remains the ne plus ultra of online whisky shops. Their selection isn’t quite as extraordinary–or quite as far ahead of its competitors–as it once was, but it is still quite formidable. The London-based enterprise (if you happen to be in London, they do have brick-and-mortars there) reliably carries numerous expressions from almost every active distillery in Scotland, including a good mix of official and independent bottlings. Their shipping is, in my extensive experience, quite reliable–I’ve never received a broken bottle from them, and the only time there was a minor issue (my wife ordered a bottle for me that was leaking slightly), they somewhat reluctantly replaced it at no additional cost. That said, their shipping is quite expensive, and for a decent-sized order of 5-6 bottles, you will quickly be looking at around $200 just for shipping.

Right now, probably my second favorite online retailer is Hard to find Whisky. Located in Birmingham, they bill themselves as a source for rare whisky. With stocks from closed distilleries mostly gone, they’re not as good as they probably once were for that, however their more workaday selection is excellent, with a nice mix of indie and official bottlings and even some stuff that Whisky Exchange doesn’t typically carry. Probably their biggest selling point is that they’ve been offering free US shipping on any order over £500, which is a really, really good deal. As with Whisky Exchange, the bottles seem to come very securely packaged, and I’ve had no issues with breakage or leaks so far, although my experience is more limited.

Another great online shop is Must Have Malts, based in the Netherlands. They are a great resource for getting a second chance on the bottles that got away–bottlings from closed distilleries, and limited releases from crowd-pleasers like Ardbeg and Springbank. In some cases, the prices can seem too good to be true, but in my limited experience, they’re moving genuine product. Apparently, they can sell at a discount due to scouring the dusty shelves of obscure liquor stores for stuff being sold below current market value. The shipping is a bit pricey, and it takes a long time to get to the US, but they pack well, and their customer service is top notch and extremely responsive.

If you live outside the US–or if they ever start shipping to the US again–I also highly recommend Master of Malt. For a while, they were the only meaningful competition to Whisky Exchange. I ordered from them several times, and always had good experiences. Their selection is excellent. Alas, a buyout by AB-InBev ran afoul of the tiresome three tier rules for US liquor distribution, and they have stopped shipping to the US. If that ever changes…

I haven’t ever ordered from the following, but they look enticing:

Although there are some odd lacunae in their selection, The Whisky Barrel, located in Edinburgh, carries some fabulous independent bottlings. Although I haven’t ordered from them myself, they promise expertise in delivering to the US.

If you’re interested in rare whisky, The Whisky Vault is a good resource. Their selection of stuff from long deceased distilleries is impressive, and their prices are reasonable. 

I’ve had very good word-of-mouth on Danish purveyor Fine Drams, and they have an excellent selection at reasonable prices, along with reasonably priced shipping.

The UK equivalent of Fine Drams seems to be The Whisky World, which boasts a grand selection of malts from working distilleries and inexpensive international shipping.

Don’t let the name fool you–Dutch-based Best of Wines also has a superior whisky selection, including lots of old and rare bottles.

There are plenty of other UK- and EU-based shops that will ship to the US: if you can’t find what you’re looking for in one of the ones highlighted above, I would recommend a cursory Google search by specific country.

Online whisky auctions

Another option for buying whisky–especially if you’re interested in lost distilleries or rarities–are the various whisky auctions. There are quite a number of dedicated sites that run monthly auctions, and they give you an opportunity to pick up bottles from long-closed distilleries, releases that have long since vanished from retail outlets, and even the occasional bargain on things that are a little more prosaic. All reputable auctions charge a percent commission on the hammer price you pay, and often there are various other fees in the mix, too–shipping insurance, credit card fees, and of course, the various fees and risks associated with any foreign currency transaction (which apply to overseas retail, as well). Also note that most auction sites charge a nominal, one time, non-refundable fee before you are allowed to bid on any lots (it’s usually in the realm of $10-15, converting for currency).

I would advise being very, very careful with auctions. Be sure you read the terms of the auction you’re using very carefully, and make sure you have a clear idea of how much you plan to spend going in. It’s very easy to get caught up in bidding wars and to lose perspective, and it’s very easy to find dozens if not hundreds of bottles that you’re interested in bidding on.

The auctions sites I’ve used are:

Whisky Auctioneer–they have a monthly auction that usually lasts about 10 days or so and features thousands of bottles. Last I checked, their commission is on the reasonable end of the spectrum, as are their related fees. The shipping prices aren’t as bad as they could be, and anything I’ve ordered from them has come carefully packed and in perfect condition.

A similar outfit is Scotch Whisky Auctions. The structure and timing of their auction is similar to Whisky Auctioneer, and like Whisky Auctioneer, they’re usually moving thousands of bottles with generally reasonable pricing. Again, my experiences with their shipping have been positive.

German-based WhiskyAuction.com looks a little primitive–last I knew, it was a two-man operation, so no dedicated team of web developers!–but the selection is usually stunning, the commission and shipping is reasonable, and the only time I ordered from them (I gave them my credit card first, so you wouldn’t have to risk it!), my order arrived quickly and in good condition.

I’ve also ordered from Blackpool-based Whisky-Online Auctions. It’s a smaller auction than the three mentioned above, however, they have some amazing stuff sometimes. Any time I’ve ordered from them, shipping has been prompt and secure. I find their website a little harder to use, and they’re also one of the more expensive auction houses I’ve used when it comes to fees and such.

There are several other auction houses with regular auctions focused around whisky, none of which I have used, and none of which have the kind of jaw-dropping selections that the four I’ve purchased from usually do. You can find them easily enough with a Google search.

Specific Albuquerque and other recommendations

Finally, some specific local recommendations and some buying don’ts.

I live in Albuquerque, NM. Hands down the best local liquor store for Scotch is Jubilation, located at the intersection of Lomas, Carlisle, and Monte Vista. They usually have a solid variety of single malts, and they’re almost invariably the first–sometimes the only–liquor store in the city to get something new to the local market, or an interesting special release or independent bottling. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful.

In my experience, your second best bet is the Kelly Liquor location at the Mountain Run shopping center located at the intersection of Eubank and Juan Tabo. They not infrequently have at least a few things that are interesting and a little off the beaten path.

Other options are Latitudes, an intriguing mix of gas station, delicatessen, and solid liquor store across the street from Intel in Rio Rancho, and a little further afield, Susan’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Santa Fe, although I haven’t yet been to their new location.

I’m not an expert on other cities’ liquor options, but here are a few standouts:

In the greater Los Angeles area, Mission Liquor, with four locations in the valley, has a stunning selection, and is worth a trip if you’re anywhere nearby.

I’ve never been to one of their stores, but I’ve visited the website for Binny’s in the greater Chicago metro area, and the selection looks nothing short of spectacular.

Word-of-mouth is good on Park Avenue Liquor in New York, and also Julio’s Liquors in the Boston area. 

You can probably find good to excellent local options in almost any sizable city outside those in states with highly restrictive liquor laws.

Lastly, although I don’t usually recommend stores outside of liquor specialists for buying Scotch, Costco deserves an honorable mention for some excellent deals. If you don’t already have a membership, I don’t recommend purchasing one just to check out the Scotch. But if you are a Costco member, I’d definitely recommend cruising the liquor aisle on a semi-regular basis, because there’s a good chance you’ll at least find a good deal on a restock.

Don’t do that!

Now, as promised, a few don’ts for buying Scotch:

• 7-11 is not your friend. Don’t buy Scotch at convenience stores. If you can find any at all, you’re going to get ripped off so hard.
• The grocery store. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Grocery stores often have a liquor section, and some even make a tentative effort to stock at least 5-6 single malts. But the price on one of those single malts is going to hurt almost as bad as it would at a convenience store.
• Other not-liquor stores. Here in Albuquerque, you can get liquor at pharmacies and any big box store you can conceive of, but almost all of those options have poor selection and appalling prices. I’ve heard of Walmart having the occasional great deal, probably because their employees are checked out and don’t care about getting the price right.
• From individual sellers. You should be very leery of individual sellers promising you a great deal on that 1960s Macallan you’ve been pining for. Reputable retail and auction sites have teams dedicated to vetting bottles before putting them up for sale (and even there, things sometimes slip between the cracks). Some random dude on Craigslist or in some Facebook group who wants to sell you something? I’d recommend giving that a miss.