Hi all,

Recently I have started collecting whiskey. Mostly from Suntory. What I do is I buy from the airport and then put it in a "tool" cabinet. No sun light. Basically I will just leave it the box without opening the duty free plastic at all..

My plan is to just keep for maybe 15 to 20 years wait to use it when my kids gets married.

Is there a proper way store it without damaging the whisky or box?

I have seen photos whereby the label and box starts to discolored.

Any advise. Thanks.

Great hobby! Proper storage is crucial for preserving both the whiskey and its packaging over 15-20 years. Here's how to store your Suntory collection properly:
For the Whiskey:

Keep bottles upright (never on their side like wine) to prevent cork deterioration
Maintain consistent temperature around 15-20°C (59-68°F) - avoid temperature fluctuations
Your dark cabinet is perfect - UV light degrades whiskey over time
Ensure good air circulation to prevent humidity buildup
Keep humidity around 50-70% - too dry cracks corks, too humid damages labels

For the Boxes and Labels:

Wrap boxes in acid-free tissue paper or store in archival boxes to prevent discoloration
Consider using silica gel packets in storage areas to control moisture
Keep boxes away from any heat sources (radiators, pipes)
Don't stack boxes too high as weight can cause crushing over time

Additional Tips:

Check your collection annually for any signs of evaporation or cork issues
Keep the duty-free plastic on as you're doing - it provides extra protection
Consider taking photos now for insurance/documentation purposes
Ensure your storage area has stable conditions year-round

The discoloration you've seen typically happens from UV exposure, humidity fluctuations, or poor air quality. Your dark cabinet approach is smart, but adding some humidity control will really help preserve everything for your children's special days.

-AI

Do you keep?

Don't get why want to buy whiskey to keep. Not like they will age further in bottle.

Unless you are talking those limited quantities the likes of hibiki 40 or yamazaki 55

9 decades by nikka

As said plan to use it in like 15 years time. Also I figure it will not get any cheaper.

Why store it for others to get drunk and sometimes vomit at the function ? Esp when you boast is 15-20 years, more a reason to get drunk.😂

When your children married a halal spouse, on reflecting back, better to have spend the money going for a holiday 🤭

How, if children want to be single. 🤔

Don't kecam ... straight answer.

This post has been edited by mini orchard: Jul 26 2025, 01:22 PM

i have seen a liquor shop keep their whiskies in a park car behind their shop under the hot sun
this parked car is never used, the tires all deflated
is it possible these whiskies are smuggled?

Adulterated.

No owner would want his liquor to be stolen no matter the condition or quality.

Possible you are seeing boxes with empty bottles 😂

This post has been edited by mini orchard: Jul 26 2025, 02:46 PM

then I mai just keep lor... I guess it's also my indulgence/ hobby. Frankly I dont drink also. lol

not sure. but I buy mostly from airport

Why buy liquor if you don't drink ? Hopefully is not about keeping up with the Joneses.

I don't drink too but I don't mind buying for others or I forego my eligibility 🤭.

Whiskey easier to store compare to wine.
Just need normal cabinet, keep it upright and maintain room temperature.

As said I can't see the point unless it is some fancy expensive limited stuff that even has potential to appreciate. I do not have that information and shall not judge further.

If you fancy storing, the standard storage principle always applies. Ie cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, smoke. Whiskey should be kept upright since there's no potential to age in bottle so no point to increase surface area.

Room temp is the enemy of all kinds of liquid. No way to keep nice temp unless you have AC.

Yes, I still am collecting but very hard to get the ones after 2024. Suddenly got demand by locals, these are not usually sold in duty free anymore. The cheaper non special editions are for savoured alone in the night like yamas and nikka.

Unker got a few, maybe open when dotters get merrid, but only open at home not in dinners where everyone drinks like a fish and not able to enjoy the quality. That one pakai JW Double black or Swing.

TS needs to find real vintages which are special editions to add to collection. So far my labels do not fade as not exposed to air and sunlight eventhough kept in a display cabinet.

Wait for your kids become teenagers, confirm will curi and minum with friend

Actually what's the difference between limited edition besides the printing label and boxes? It's the same right?

So keeping it sealed in the duty free bag is the right thing then

Well if you need to ask…

Anyway, LE means only a small quantity was produced, hence higher prices and will go up in prices on later date. Quality is definitely different when you compared a single malt aged 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. Glenlivert and Hibekki come to mind. LE will not be produced anymore as it probably comes out from 1 cask/barrel. The next barrel will be named something else.

Same for wines produced in certain years that had les bountiful crops and end up as vintages or cask and bottled during the grower’s celebration like end of ww2.

Do more reading or attend whiskey/wine appreciation classes, meetings. You can join via fb or insta. You can learn about whiskey legs and color, nose, etc.


This post has been edited by pgsiemkia: Jul 27 2025, 02:39 PM

lapsada selling 1L whiskey cheaper than airport duty free. Can they be trusted?

Two barrels of whisky could be blended to tens of different flavour profile. Limited edition whisky is often marketing gimmick.

Expensive Japanese whisky are mostly bought by non Japanese for it's exclusivity.

Airport duty free price in high duty countries is about 30% cheaper than downtown. As alcohol price in this country is among the most expensive in the world. Klia duty free price is more expensive than sin, tpe, PVG, pek, EU, kix, nrt, etc.

Due to excessive duty and tax imposed on alcohol, believe over 50% of alcohol consumed in this country is illicit.

This post has been edited by icemanfx: Jul 28 2025, 11:38 PM

Well I drank quite a few bottles so far haven't die or any adverse effect. Just don't be a high profile party pooper will ya

how is the taste compared to "proper" airport duty free or 700ml duty paid version in malls?

If its sounds too good to be true... it probably is. At best they just mix/dilute with inferior whiskey... at worst they add weird shiet that can harm your health.

Buy from reputable sellers to be safe, a few extra ringgit is not worth your health/life.

Well... yes- lot of LE memang gimmick.
part of marketing/branding.

how good is good- very subjective yeah. By panel of judges? are they indepent?

Anyway- keep or 15 years... as investment as you forsee the the price will go up. yes- they indeed will go up- but like wise the money i can put into investment also it goes up. Put in FD desptie the shitty 3.5% also it will double in value in 15 years.

but keeping whiskey - risk of it damaged, stolen. Keep a few for self indulgence is ok, but dont keep for others la. We would not know what the guest like to drink.

Like time popular brandy... otard/VSOP. now like old people drink
then macallan single malt... but now got some many other brands are out.

Also Japanse Suntory... it was popular and pretty hyped up back then.... now it is very common in japan, so people just goreng the price.

There are few cheaper alternative which i also enjoy.
Tomatin, Balvenie, Mort Lach are pretty decent too.

I have a fair share of collections... just started nothing too impresive.
but feel like collecting is putting rm 2000 at the cabinet, can see cannot drink, and one day my house break in will be GG.

prefer nice bottle that i can open and enjoy on a good day- without breaking the bank and felt too previous to open.

I see your point. Its valid. Guess it's also an indulgence for me. The most expensive for me would be sgd1000. That would be my limit. Also mostly not those limited edition which I feel is just packaging.

You keep in your display cabinet?

The only proper comparison I have is jagermeister. Tastes the same between lesapda and proper mall purchased. Others like Bombay Sapphire, Roku gin, Bacardi rum, etc whiskeys, somehow all tastes the same to me within the class type of liquor.

As said I didn't feel anything bad happen yet. Do your due diligence if buying from lesapda

Briefly browse lazada. I see ghe price more expensive than airport. Like double the price.

some shiiped with jkdm sticker some dont.

some sticker cannot be verified one....

is it because it is like "grey import" so don't have sticker

I have good suspicion what's the matter with that sticker shit, but I just wanna lay low don't want comment too much. Trust you also got similar idea what's going on.

What I will say is possibly "took out" from channels meant for duty free sales

even "took out" from channels meant for duty free sales, also should have red "duty not paid" sticker

yes- those i more fancy one is in display cabinet.
They are in original packed box so no UV issue. The glass also dark/brownish.

almost all are sub-Rm 2000

one more thing to remember is to keep it somewhere where the temp is as consistent as possible. if your tool cabinet is in a aircond room (which I doubt is in use 24/7) then you'd better look into another location for it.

as for keeping it for 15+ years, are you randomly buying brands or already got a taste for a particular bottle and collecting them ?

been keeping yamaki 18 and hibiki 21.

i rather enjoy it than keep it for later.

No tasting. Just buy any suntory.

Yamazaki 18 -sgd 980
Hibiki 21-sgd 800

Already have yamazaki 18.

Plan to get hakushu 18 and hibiki 21 to my collection soon

have you tasted it before?

Nope. Lol

hahah, then really dunno you buy for apa and at wat reasoning for your kid wedding

I like my whiskies, those that I wanna keep, normally I will buy 2 bottles, one for drinking , another for keeping

these 18 yama or 21 hibiki I dont think its like an investment pc such as those karuizawa or chichibu

but prices now for jap whisky is really overrated , we used to be drinking these for sub 300 sgd

Buy liquor for investment means buying rare bottles like Yamazaki 35.

But these liquor are usually priced out of reach for the majority of folks.

Yamazaki 25 cheapest around 8k sgd. Out of reach la.

Yeah. I think it's an indulgence. Like buying un open pokemon cards.

I guess I will just buy and keep so long as I am working.

I drink mostly high ball. Whisky + soda water. So those 18year or 21 years whisky will be wasted on me for now.

Hopefully as I grow older I will learn to appreciate it like you.

Why not store in those vacuum sealed bags? That would solve the humidity and cork problem...

I am keeping most of it inside the duty free plastic without taking it out. All with receipt inside lol.

my 2 cents based on observations of my dads collection and my own.

Temperature in msia is the biggest killer, our so called from room temp is more like 28-29C indoors, pretty bad for wine and for liquor it accelerates the off gas of the volatile components, older liquor kept like 10 years all lose their 'hiongness' when you finally open it.
Then comes evaporation, over time even sealed, the bottle just slowly evaps out and you can see it slowly getting lower. My dad has bottles from the 80s and some of them are like a quarter gone. Some shops i see try to mitigate this by shrink wrapping the bottles.
I try to keep my own bottles at 22-24C to try and mitigate these.

On the topic of Japanese whisky, pretty much my hobby. Managed to stockpile a whole bunch of Yama/Hibi/Haku. The way i look at it, like LVMH, Suntory won't be reducing the msrp prices, so no point looking back at 2015 prices. Right now i've stopped buying at current MSRP as i think the market has stabilized and i dont think Suntory will be raising them anymore. Pretty much all my stuff is bought at MSRP except for the Hibiki 12s and 17s which i bought via auction. Have a full set of the Y18, H18 and Hibi21. Passed on the Y25 and Hibi30, too rich for my wallet.

This post has been edited by miuk: Jul 29 2025, 03:00 PM

damn, u made me feel damn old

for ur replies , it seems you are based in sg, or ur purchases are made mainly from duty free

I believe the age statement suntorys are not available at Changi, if in Japan , then you are very lucky

I personally buy some wine that can be aged for 20 years or more with the year of my child's birth year

angel's share

but from my experience, mainly the brandys evaporate faster/more than whiskies

no point storing them in glass and expect it to taste any different

need to be in barrel only u can get the taste

just drink and enjoy

child wedding time buy bit more expensive 21 year above one

I think my max will be yam18 price range. Surprisingly I found it cheaper to buy from carousell singapore than in airport.

Will be getting a hakushu 18 on my next purchase and then the hibiki 21

only reason to buy and keep is duty free.... every time fly in buy 1

unless you drink fast, chances you will have a stash after a while

Based in Singapore. I realise changi can easily get suntory but not at klia.
I was at Japan last Dec I find their liquor are more expensive hence did not buy.

Now changi started selling yama and hakushu 18. Bought yam18 already ,plan to get hakushu from casousell. Seems like cheaper.

After that will stop I guess...lol.

just get from carousel

Changi duty free not cheap, unless got certain promo

sometimes I get my supply from Cold Storage with promo, even cheaper than duty free Changi

In Asia, pretty much only worth it to buy in Narita or Haneda ariport itself, no point kena potong at outside shops or other airports. 18/21 year bottles are only 55k yen when you find it.

TPE airport is pretty much the cheapest i've been and can nego some more for free gifts.



This post has been edited by miuk: Jul 29 2025, 05:23 PM

most of my collections I took from my parents when they wanna clean out their stocks haha still couldn’t find a reason to open and drink.

The Blanton bourbon and one other whiskey I bought myself I managed to finish it with my hengdai table during my wedding.

once you kept for sometime, you wont bother about price jor bah.
just open and enjoy la brother.

experience > material/money.

TS if you're looking to collect, I got one Macallan rich cacao for sale

usually its the scalpers who stockpile these "limited editions" because they think they can scalp for it in future or to show some "prestige" of owning atas bottles. these fukers are the ones jacking up the prices and perceived value of whiskies like how they rekted japanese whisky prices. now even cheap shit from japan immediately become expensive shit

but most of the time some folks are more on keeping the bottles that they like to enjoy in future. remember that any aged kind of liquor takes time to create and are based on the tastes of the master distiller years ago

so what makes it special is that the flavor of the past is kept sealed in the bottle even if its just a cheap bottle. most whiskies be it blended or the single malts nowadays are constantly changing based on the environment its aged in, type of wood, weather bla bla so on

for example back in year 2000 you drank a 12yo single malt from Glenfiddich, that was the taste they created in 1988. so if you drink another 12yo now in 2025, the same bottle may not be the same taste as the master distiller prolly has died or changed.

another reason also because over time, some liquors recipe are "tweaked". many liquors like Gordon's gin now due to popularity watered down their gin to 37% instead of 40% to meet rising demands (or fit into country regulations etc).



PS: tho you can argue this is pretentious talk lol, in the end people just guzzle whiskies like water anyway instead of enjoying then theres no need to stockpile


rule of thumb for buying whiskies that you think you might want to keep, always buy in twos

that way you can open one for tasting then the other simpan for dunno when to drink

Japan distilled limited amount of whisky. most japanese whisky are bottled from canada, scotland, etc. if one visit liquor store e.g. aeon supermarket in japan will find a wide range of affordable japanese and imported whisky.

excise duty is often based on % of alcohol. a few decades ago, many brandy and whisky was >42% alcohol. to pay for lower excise duty, distributor request for lower % alcohol.

whisky could be blended in almost limitless ways to achieve desire profile. if a profile is known, it is possible to replicate e.g. many couldn't tell the difference from adulterated whisky/brandy. also means, profile of a blended whisky is more consistent than single malt.

most people buy on brand name/hype rather than taste. many buy expensive japanese because of trending e.g like rolex a few years ago.

Japanse Whisky... can use here as price reference ba.
yeah- not anyone can go Osaka to purchase, but u may see how much mark up any resaler made - and decide if it is worth it.

somemore this place is near shopping district- probably got other places which sell cheaper.

For those lazy to convert....
normal Yama- 350 MYR
Yama 12- MYR 650
Yama 18- MYR 2800
Hibiki 21 -MYR 2500

as i recall- there is another 10% tax rebate on the spot.....

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJWD0JHzitg/?im...mltdDU1djFncDdr

1. yes correct, to artificially inflate the pricing for "limited edition" stuff (granted they have limited space to age/store) especially the ones thats going to be exported. not to mention how many "japanese" whiskies brand are just throwing shit into market to earn a quick buck by selling subpar whiskies at inflated prices.

2. yeah correct, its purely a business/regulation decision. but no doubt the taste will change because of the lower ABV. this is considered subjective POV however cause to those who just drinks for fun they wouldnt know nor care

3. correct as like you said it mostly applies to blended whiskies which they can tweak here there to the master distiller's taste for consistency. but for single malts which requires min 12yrs many things could change during their aging process, which is why i brought it up as a point haha

4. deswai, then they go scalp it thinking its like some gold bar in whisky market ughh.. i still rmb the days Yamazaki 12 was only mere RM300-400 despite winning some whisky event.. then when the scalpers came everything went like 3-10x higher