Duty free shopping Versus Liquor Stores while in Hawaii

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was because I was trying to find some reviews on a whiskey that my mother had gifted me while visiting from Ireland. I couldn't find a lot of information on it and thought sure why don't I write my own review!  That way anyone else will at least have something to go on, well at least another persons independent opinion any way. I have yet to post a review of that particular whiskey - better get onto it this month!

I ran into a similar problem on my recent holiday to Hawaii although it was in relation to the duty free shopping at Honolulu airport. I was looking online before we left to try and find out what was on offer and whether it was worthwhile purchasing booze at the duty free or to just buy it from liquor stores while over there. I've noticed that duty free shopping isn't always the great value that it should be, particularly here in Melbourne where stuff can often be found cheaper in bottle shops.

One of the things my wife and I both love doing while overseas is visiting supermarkets and regular grocery stores to check out any different exotic products on the shelves and find out how everything is priced. We often do a bit of self catering when we travel too - you tend to get sick of eating out all the time and it's not very healthy on the bank balance either. I always find myself mysteriously drawn to the liquor section and end up spending quite a bit of time perusing the available beers and more to the point whiskies.

The stores we checked out included the following:

Walmart - a huge shopping center where I picked up 2 bottles of Evan Williams for an insanely low 9$. One to take home and one for sipping out on the balcony - NICE!

ABC Stores - All Blocks Covered! These shops are everywhere in built up parts of Hawaii, this is where i picked up most of my bottles in the picture below. American whiskeys are cheap and they have a reasonable selection with a choice of Scotch, Canadian and even some some Irish whiskey too. This is where I picked up everything else pictured below, reviews coming soon :-) these places have all bases covered from tourist point of view - hence the name!

We also checked out Longs Drugs Store which from memory had the widest and cheapest selection of stuff available from the various traditional whisky producing nations - nothing Japanese or Australian on offer but that stuff is all a bit boutique for a drugstore maybe and there was no sign of them elsewhere either.

I'm quite happy that I picked up the grog before going to the airport. Not only did I not have the extra baggage to carry around but when I got to the airport would you believe! I had a look anyway! Surprise surprise - what else does one do at the airport!

The duty free shopping was very limited with offerings from:

Glens Livet, Fiddich & Morangie, the Balvenie & Macallan.

Some blended stuff was available too: Johnnie Walker, Ballantynes ...

as for American whiskies Jim Beam/ Jack Daniels and little else...

Not bad stuff but not very well priced and really for such a tourist destination quite poor and simply not the adventure I was looking for.

I've already got stuck into the Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and Buffalo Trace - all very tastey!
My poor liquor cabinet shelf is under pressure!

Cheers
Kevin