508061 Thu Apr 10 10:30:02 -0700 2008 13 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3581194 The recent cover story on this site regarding Japanese whisky made me wonder if anyone has seen any Japanese whisky at a liquor store other than Suntory Yamazaki, as Yamazaki is all I ever saw. Thu Apr 10 10:30:02 -0700 2008 36389 nakni 1 3581235 I recall seeing a pretty interesting assortment of Japanese spirits (whisky included) at Mitsuwa. At the very least it's a great store and you can get some stellar shio ramen at Santouka. Thu Apr 10 10:37:57 -0700 2008 3581194 101728 Frommtron 2 3581302 I know for sure that the West L.A. Mitsuwa doesn't carry spirits. The last time I went to the Torrance one (last June probably), they only had Yamazaki. But since I'll be in town during the Torrance store's anniversary (suhweeeet timing!), I'll be making a trip there anyway. And it's not a question of "if" I'm going to Santouka, but how many visits I can squeeze in amongst okonomiyaki, Korean fried chicken, and other culture fixes. Thu Apr 10 10:54:57 -0700 2008 3581235 36389 nakni 3 3581824 Hmmm . . . maybe it was Nijiya on Sawtelle that I saw that selection at then . . . at any rate, I'll be swining by Mitsuwa in West LA tonight and I'm hitting the Wine House on Cotner on the way home and I'll report if they've got anything. I haven't tried Korean fried chicken. Sounds like that needs to be corrected -- soon. Thu Apr 10 12:53:12 -0700 2008 3581302 101728 Frommtron 4 3582604 Nah, Nijiya won't have it. I don't recall seeing any spirits at the Sawtelle branch. There's a liquor store in that minimall. You figure that would be a great place to find some Japanese booze that would be hard to find, but it was same ol', same ol' the one time I went in there. Thu Apr 10 16:34:29 -0700 2008 3581824 36389 nakni 5 3582767 The good news is that I got a bowl of shio and a gorgeous looking jidori chicken to roast tomorrow. The bad news is that I have a horrible memory. Mitsuwa has some sake, shoju, etc., but nothing in the spirit category. I skipped Nijiya after I realized I must be remembering poorly. I hit Wine House to pick up a few things and I did find the good Yamazaki stuff but nothing else. Then I hit Wine Expo to get some more wine and they had nothing. I did talk to one of the guys that handles the ordering and he said there isn't anything else that he's seen from Japan that is labelled for sale in English speaking countries. I don't know if he's all that informed on the Japanese whisky scene but there's more support for the idea that Yamazaki is the only Japanese whisky maker exporting to the US right now. I'll continue to keep my eyes peeled. Let us know if you get a source. Thu Apr 10 18:17:15 -0700 2008 3582604 101728 Frommtron 1 3582188 I believe Yamazaki is the only Japanese whiskey currently available in the US. It is certainly the only one I have ever seen in California. Thu Apr 10 14:13:46 -0700 2008 3581194 10132 sku 2 3582619 I figured that if there was a chance that someone carried non-Yamazaki stuff, it would be like some small liquor store in Gardena that has connections in Japan and special orders it. I guess I can try special ordering through the Beverage Warehouse and see where their connections lead. The prices might scare me off though. They started carrying the 18-year Yamazaki merely because I asked. Thu Apr 10 16:39:33 -0700 2008 3582188 36389 nakni 3 3582815 Unfortunately, it's not that simple. In order to sell liquor in the US, whiskey imports have to conform to our bottling sizes - 750ml being the standard. Whiskey bottled for sale in Japan (and most of the rest of the world) uses 700 ml as their standard bottling. As a result, a little mart with a connection in Japan can't just import Japanese bottles and sell them here (at least, not legally). The whiskey distillery would have to do a special bottling for export to the US in the 750 ml size. Lucky for us, Yamazaki 12 and 18 are excellent malts, but we're missing out on a lot of good stuff, including Nikka Yoichi, Yamazaki Hokushu, and especially Ichiro's Malt. Thu Apr 10 18:33:38 -0700 2008 3582619 10132 sku 4 3583105 Thanks for that enlightening info. That puts a damper on things now, doesn't it? Thread complete! Thu Apr 10 20:38:08 -0700 2008 3582815 36389 nakni 4 3583396 Suntory Yamazaki 18 makes a great gift. So tasty. Nijiya doesn't carry it, though. Fri Apr 11 00:09:24 -0700 2008 3582815 11933 J.L. 1 3582504 Ebay for I.W. Harper. Thu Apr 10 16:00:16 -0700 2008 3581194 13554 cls 1 3582819 Can you link to the story? I didn't see it. Thu Apr 10 18:34:47 -0700 2008 3581194 10132 sku 2 3583106 http://www.chow.com/stories/11030 Thu Apr 10 20:38:49 -0700 2008 3582819 36389 nakni