The International Destination Rare Bourbon Seekers Should Visit ASAP

With rare and allocated bottles of bourbon fetching huge sums of money on the secondary market in the U.S., it's no wonder that bourbon fans are going to greater lengths to find new bottles to add to their collection. For some collectors that means looking outside the U.S. Whether you're in search of a bottle (or three) of dusty bourbon (those old and forgotten bottles that have been sitting on shelves for years or decades collecting dust) or one of the many bourbons that are exclusively sold overseas, Japan is one of the best destinations for rare bourbon seekers willing to travel, and one they should visit ASAP.

Considering how large of a market Japan was for bourbon distillers between the 1970s and the 1990s, there's still a chance of discovering dusty bottles of bourbon on the shelf of a small liquor store somewhere, particularly in less touristy areas and cities, though the odds are decreasing as more rare bourbon collectors become aware of Japan as a dusty bourbon destination. Japan is also a great market for overseas exclusives, including certain bourbons from Blanton's — not surprising, considering Blanton's was a hit in Japan before the U.S., and Blanton's single-barrel bourbon was in fact created for the Japanese market in 1984, when the domestic bourbon market was in a decline.

For overseas exclusives, such as the Blanton's Black, Red, and Gold, Wild Turkey 101 12-Year or Evan Williams 12-Year, you can look at big liquor store chains in Tokyo such as Liquor Mountain, Aeon Liquor, Yamaya, and Shinanoya. Some rare bourbon hunters have also had luck finding fairly rare bottles at good prices at big shopping mall and electronics retailers such as BicCamera. The beauty of a shop like BicCamera is that you can search their stock online and place a hold on a bottle that you want and pick it up in person, saving you the time and hassle of running around searching.

Another place that will save you the hassle of putting in the legwork is Amazon Japan. According to some searchers, their prices are actually better than some retail shops in Japan, though they won't offer tax savings for the international traveler, who should also check out the airport duty-free shop for rare bourbons on their way out of Japan. Just keep in mind that the duty free allowance for returning to the U.S. is 1 liter of alcohol, though you can bring up to 5 liters total in your checked luggage.