To buy local Thai rum, whiskey in shop – which brand, which shop?

[Henrik2000]

Hello, for my upcoming Thai vacation which bottles should I get for the accommodation (not in the bar). Could you recommend

• local Thai dark rum (not white rum) – relatively not sweet, but with character and flavours

• local Thai whiskey – not smokey, not firy, rather smooth but with character and flavours

• shops to get them:  first choice Jomtien, 2nd Pattaya, 3rd Bkk Sukhumvit/Asok or even online from within TH (aware Google Maps points out liquor stores)?

0,7 liters of rum/whiskey are enough, and I will consume the drinks inside Thailand, no plan to bring out. 1000 THB are ok for a good local 0,7l bottle. I want to sip those drinks pure, slowly, at room temperature without ice, not in mixed drinks

About rums: Again, not a "sweet cloud", some internat. rums i like include Copalli Barrel Rested, HSE Black Sheriff Rhum Vieux Agricole, Dictador 20 anos Solera Colombian 😋, Don Pancho Origines Reserva 8 years, Havana Club Anejo 7 years. The famous Brugal is way too sweet for me, also some other Havana Clubs. Some Thai rums I saw online:

• Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum – "the rum smells like Coconut, Vanilla and Woody, and on the palate there is Caramel, Vanilla and Fruity"; 7-12 yo – bad reviews here – here good Forbes.com review

• Phraya Elements Rum – (Malays. shop site)

• Sangsom Special Rum – from rice? "not recomm. to drink pure"

• Mekhong – "with traces of rice"

• Cane Island Thailand 5 years (from Pathum Thani province) (in web shop)

About whiskey: not smokey, not firey, rather smooth but with character and flavours. Could pay THB 1000 for a good local bottle. Some internat. whiskeys i enjoy in the west include Auchentoshan 12yo, Kilkerran Glengyle 12yo, Highland Park 12yo. Not looking for Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker etc.

Your recommendations for liquors + sources? Thanks!

PS. If you happened to know that a certain Thai shop stocks one of the internat. brands mentioned above, it'd be nice to know also. If there is a chance to taste the Thai liquors in stores or bars or to buy tiny tasting bottles, that'd be interesting as well.

[thainet]

8 minutes ago, Henrik2000 said:

Hello, for my upcoming Thai vacation which bottles should I get for the accommodation (not in the bar). Could you recommend

 

• local Thai dark rum (not white rum) – relatively not sweet, but with character and flavours

   

• local Thai whiskey – not smokey, not firy, rather smooth but with character and flavours

   

• shops to get them:  first choice Jomtien, 2nd Pattaya, 3rd Bkk Sukhumvit/Asok or even online from within TH (aware Google Maps points out liquor stores)?

   

0,7 liters of rum/whiskey are enough, and I will consume the drinks inside Thailand, no plan to bring out. 1000 THB are ok for a good local 0,7l bottle. I want to sip those drinks pure, slowly, at room temperature without ice, not in mixed drinks

 

About rums: Again, not a "sweet cloud", some internat. rums i like include Copalli Barrel Rested, HSE Black Sheriff Rhum Vieux Agricole, Dictador 20 anos Solera Colombian 😋, Don Pancho Origines Reserva 8 years, Havana Club Anejo 7 years. The famous Brugal is way too sweet for me, also some other Havana Clubs. Some Thai rums I saw online:

 

• Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum – "the rum smells like Coconut, Vanilla and Woody, and on the palate there is Caramel, Vanilla and Fruity"; 7-12 yo – bad reviews here – here good Forbes.com review

   

• Phraya Elements Rum – (Malays. shop site)

   

• Sangsom Special Rum – from rice? "not recomm. to drink pure"

   

• Mekhong – "with traces of rice"

   

• Cane Island Thailand 5 years (from Pathum Thani province) (in web shop)

   

About whiskey: not smokey, not firey, rather smooth but with character and flavours. Could pay THB 1000 for a good local bottle. Some internat. whiskeys i enjoy in the west include Auchentoshan 12yo, Kilkerran Glengyle 12yo, Highland Park 12yo. Not looking for Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker etc.

Your recommendations for liquors + sources? Thanks!

PS. If you happened to know that a certain Thai shop stocks one of the internat. brands mentioned above, it'd be nice to know also. If there is a chance to taste the Thai liquors in stores or bars or to buy tiny tasting bottles, that'd be interesting as well.

This is probably the most convoluted post I've ever had the misfortune to read. I think you've been drinking too much of the hard stuff.

[Henrik2000]

Thanks Thai net.

[keepitfun]

These guys seem to know their whiskey at least.   May be worth a read or stop by. 

 

[LovinBgood]

Central Festival mall food market (basement level) has one of the most extensive collections of liquors in Pattaya I know of. 

They also stock many brands of beers and water (never knew there were so many brands of water!) 

[Henrik2000]

Keepitfun and LovinBgood, thanks for 2 interesting hints!

In both cases (Delirious bar, Central Festival)  it's not clear how much they are into local produce, but anyway i will just walk in and have a look/drink. Would be great if "Delirious" also dishes up better local liquors for tasting (that are still regularly avaible in the shop and not just available to bars).

 

[manni2011]

You are seriously overestimating the variety and quality of Thai produced spirits.  

[Kandinski]

7/11 got all the brands TG likes and chips too

[Greg_B]

Buy a small bottle of this with ice & soda mixers and give it to the ladies in the room 

 

[davetherave3311]

Have you tried vodka and redbull, with ice, in a glass, while sat down on a stool with a table in front of you?
Vodka should be served at a temperature whereby it is in a liquid state. Probably the vodka should also have alcohol content, around 39-45% by volume is usual. The vodka should taste like vodka, and indeed, it is prefered that it also smells like vodka. The vodka should be mixed with the red bull, not sugar free redbull, but the original redbull in a can. The redbull should also be at liquid temperate, not frozen, and certainly not to be served as a gas. It helps if instead of taking a sip of liquid vodka and then a sip of liquid redbull, you mix the liquid vodka with the liquid non sugar free redbull from a can in a glass. Make sure the glass is large enough to fit the liquid vodka and the liquid non sugar free redbull from a can at the same time. At this point, some people (I am not one of them) suggest adding several cubes of solid water into the mixed liquid vodka liquid non sugar free redbull in a can mixture. The lowering of the temperature reduces volatile emissions, therefore adjusting the flavour of the mixed beverage. Personally, I would suggest forgoing use of solid water and instead you may find the addition of hollowed out polymer tubing more satisfactory, providing of course you understand the processes involved in generating negative pressure. Do make sure you are sat at the table on a stool with your glass at or near to ground level ambient atmospheric pressures and not in a vacuum or it will not work as intended. This beverage of liquid vodka mixed with liquid non sugar free redbull from a can in a glass with a hollow polymer tube should also only be consumed on a weekday or a weekend day. DO NOT drink it on any other day. You have been warned. Besides that, I dont know if it makes any difference when you drink it. Some people prefer to drink it up between 1 to 12 hours before going to bed. It is recommended not to drink once you are in bed and asleep. Other than the fact it is difficult to hold a glass containing liquid vodka and liquid non sugar free redbull from a can at the correct orientation while laying down unconscious, it may also affect the effectiveness of the process of brushing your teeth before bed. However, if you do not like vodka, I cannot help you. But Rum spelt backwards is Mur. I dont know what that is.

[Jonsintown]

11 hours ago, Henrik2000 said:

Hello, for my upcoming Thai vacation which bottles should I get for the accommodation (not in the bar). Could you recommend

 

• local Thai dark rum (not white rum) – relatively not sweet, but with character and flavours

   

• local Thai whiskey – not smokey, not firy, rather smooth but with character and flavours

   

• shops to get them:  first choice Jomtien, 2nd Pattaya, 3rd Bkk Sukhumvit/Asok or even online from within TH (aware Google Maps points out liquor stores)?

   

0,7 liters of rum/whiskey are enough, and I will consume the drinks inside Thailand, no plan to bring out. 1000 THB are ok for a good local 0,7l bottle. I want to sip those drinks pure, slowly, at room temperature without ice, not in mixed drinks

 

About rums: Again, not a "sweet cloud", some internat. rums i like include Copalli Barrel Rested, HSE Black Sheriff Rhum Vieux Agricole, Dictador 20 anos Solera Colombian 😋, Don Pancho Origines Reserva 8 years, Havana Club Anejo 7 years. The famous Brugal is way too sweet for me, also some other Havana Clubs. Some Thai rums I saw online:

 

• Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum – "the rum smells like Coconut, Vanilla and Woody, and on the palate there is Caramel, Vanilla and Fruity"; 7-12 yo – bad reviews here – here good Forbes.com review

   

• Phraya Elements Rum – (Malays. shop site)

   

• Sangsom Special Rum – from rice? "not recomm. to drink pure"

   

• Mekhong – "with traces of rice"

   

• Cane Island Thailand 5 years (from Pathum Thani province) (in web shop)

   

About whiskey: not smokey, not firey, rather smooth but with character and flavours. Could pay THB 1000 for a good local bottle. Some internat. whiskeys i enjoy in the west include Auchentoshan 12yo, Kilkerran Glengyle 12yo, Highland Park 12yo. Not looking for Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker etc.

Your recommendations for liquors + sources? Thanks!

PS. If you happened to know that a certain Thai shop stocks one of the internat. brands mentioned above, it'd be nice to know also. If there is a chance to taste the Thai liquors in stores or bars or to buy tiny tasting bottles, that'd be interesting as well.

Perhaps not the answer you are looking for but regarding what some say is the best value for money quality whisky sold in Thailand you only need to go to FamilyMart or 7Eleven to pick up a bottle of 100 Pipers the poor mans Chivas Regal.

[goodie2shoes]

For a "local", though not Thai whisky, has anybody ever tried the Malaysian Timah brand?

Not sure anyone has been to "whisky Live" tasting shows, where one can sample dozens of whiskies. What I noticed there, that the more expensive whiskies are treated more like a collectors item and that a cheaper blended whisky can be just fine and be fit for purpose.

Edited October 14, 2022 by goodie2shoes

[pasta man]

This shop sells Phraya Elements Rum that you mentioned and you can ask them about what other local brands they carry.

https://thebottlesbkk.com/products/phraya-rum-elements

[Henrik2000]

1 hour ago, pasta man said:

This shop sells Phraya Elements Rum that you mentioned and you can ask them about what other local brands they carry.

https://thebottlesbkk.com/products/phraya-rum-elements

Wow, thanks, interesting recommendation from a pasta man about a liquor store 😃! I will certainly walk by there and see what local stuff they carry.

That recommended store "The Bottles" is in soi Thonglor, and they seem to have a branch "Walk the Bottles" in Sukh soi 49, but no information about the branch. Anyway the Thonglor location is rather convenient.

[Henrik2000]

6 hours ago, goodie2shoes said:

Not sure anyone has been to "whisky Live" tasting shows, where one can sample dozens of whiskies.

If you mean "whiskey Live" in Thailand, it seems the last one was 2020?

[goodie2shoes]

1 hour ago, Henrik2000 said:

If you mean "whiskey Live" in Thailand, it seems the last one was 2020?

https://www.whiskylive.com/events/Thailand/bangkok

To be announced, but from what I can say, this event is a real good money maker, so will be around for some time to come.

[Henrik2000]

12 minutes ago, goodie2shoes said:

https://www.whiskylive.com/events/Thailand/bangkok

To be announced, but from what I can say, this event is a real good money maker, so will be around for some time to come.

Thanks. I think i saw that the last event cost 2000 THB entry. Then you have to imbibe some to get your money's worth. And make sure you're still able to hail a taxi back home.

[pasta man]

This 2019 article mentions a few brands and explains some of the legal obstacles for opening a new distillery in Thailand: https://bk.asia-city.com/nightlife/news/these-local-distillers-are-pushing-thai-spirits-world-stage
 

 

[Corrado Soprano]

IMHO all the Thai whisky brands aren't great.  Sang Som, Hong Thong, Mekong.  The worst would be Siam Sato.  You can buy that in 7-Eleven and it is literally rocket fuel. 

I drink them because they're cheaper than the imported brands (Johnnie walker Red/ black, Chivas, etc). 

Other than that i wouldn't drink it.

[sl4ppy]

On 14/10/2022 at 20:22, davetherave3311 said:

Have you tried vodka and redbull, with ice, in a glass, while sat down on a stool with a table in front of you?
Vodka should be served at a temperature whereby it is in a Liquid state. Probably the vodka should also have alcohol content, around 39-45% by volume is usual. The vodka should taste like vodka, and indeed, it is prefered that it also smells like vodka. The vodka should be mixed with the red bull, not sugar free redbull, but the original redbull in a can. The redbull should also be at Liquid temperate, not frozen, and certainly not to be served as a gas. It helps if instead of taking a sip of Liquid vodka and then a sip of Liquid redbull, you mix the Liquid vodka with the Liquid non sugar free redbull from a can in a glass. Make sure the glass is large enough to fit the Liquid vodka and the Liquid non sugar free redbull from a can at the same time. At this point, some people (I am not one of them) suggest adding several cubes of solid water into the mixed Liquid vodka Liquid non sugar free redbull in a can mixture. The lowering of the temperature reduces volatile emissions, therefore adjusting the flavour of the mixed beverage. Personally, I would suggest forgoing use of solid water and instead you may find the addition of hollowed out polymer tubing more satisfactory, providing of course you understand the processes involved in generating negative pressure. Do make sure you are sat at the table on a stool with your glass at or near to ground level ambient atmospheric pressures and not in a vacuum or it will not work as intended. This beverage of Liquid vodka mixed with Liquid non sugar free redbull from a can in a glass with a hollow polymer tube should also only be consumed on a weekday or a weekend day. DO NOT drink it on any other day. You have been warned. Besides that, I dont know if it makes any difference when you drink it. Some people prefer to drink it up between 1 to 12 hours before going to bed. It is recommended not to drink once you are in bed and asleep. Other than the fact it is difficult to hold a glass containing Liquid vodka and Liquid non sugar free redbull from a can at the correct orientation while laying down unconscious, it may also affect the effectiveness of the process of brushing your teeth before bed. However, if you do not like vodka, I cannot help you. But Rum spelt backwards is Mur. I dont know what that is.

That was a hard read , so I quoted it  

[sl4ppy]

On 15/10/2022 at 11:27, Corrado Soprano said:

IMHO all the Thai whisky brands aren't great.  Sang Som, Hong Thong, Mekong.  The worst would be Siam Sato.  You can buy that in 7-Eleven and it is literally rocket fuel. 

I drink them because they're cheaper than the imported brands (Johnnie walker Red/ black, Chivas, etc). 

Other than that i wouldn't drink it.

Siam sato is hardly rocket fuel!  Slightly sweet wine like drink. 

[Corrado Soprano]

11 hours ago, sl4ppy said:

Siam sato is hardly rocket fuel!  Slightly sweet wine like drink. 

I find it discusting.  I don't think i've ever tasted a cheap bottle of wine that tasted as bad as Siam sato.

[mmaaarrrkkk]

On 14/10/2022 at 16:56, Henrik2000 said:

 

Your recommendations for liquors + sources? Thanks!

 

Im interested too but not as extensive as you! Just curious.

Only thing I can add is i heard Mekhong and SanSom's companies merged and killed off Mekhong. Although I can still see some overpriced bottles on sale online , im not sure if its old stock or the company trying to cash in on nostalgia.