Irish whiskey price gap between Dunnes in Dublin and Newry

Red Sleeping Beauty

All these are price comparisons between Dunnes in Dublin and the Dunnes off-licence in Newry. They're fairly accurate as of last week give or take 30-odd cent. All these are 700ml bottles. The Dunnes off-licence in Newry had every whiskey that your Dunnes supermarket in Dublin will have but it I'd say it was far better stocked.

Black Bush
Dublin : €29
Newry : £18/€19.50

Kilbeggan blended whiskey
Dublin : €24
Newry : £13/€14.50

Powers 12 years
Dublin : €38
Newry : £26/€28.50

Jameson Crested 10
Dublin : €29
Newry : £16/€17.50

Redbreast*
Dublin : €45
Newry : £26



So what's going on here ? Do we really pay that much on tax for whiskey ? I recently asked in a well known Whiskey shop in Dublin city centre were there any "specials" on any of the Irish whiskeys, specifically the Jamesons. He laughed and more or less said "gosh no, there never is!". Sainsburys in Newry had a bottle of Jameson 12 yr at about £23 I think it was. Dunnes Stores for a few days last week had the Powers Gold Label 700ml bottle on special for €20 which was 6 quid cheaper! A trip to Musgraves cash and carry shows that when you're paying the VAT on a bottle of Whiskey, it's practically the same price as what you'd pay in an off-licence or a supermarket.

Anyway, back to the point. Why is there such a huge discrepency in prices there ? Is it just the extra tax we pay on alcohol in the 26 county Ireland ?


*Redbreast is €45 in pretty much all the main supermarkets and off-licences that stock it. O'Briens are the only place that I know that charge €35 for it.

NB I left out the Tyrconnel Single Malt and the Bushmills 10yr Single Malt because I can't for definite remember the prices and didn't write them down. I think they might've been in the region of £20 for the former and £25 for the latter.

mcaul

Lets look at it in a different way.


Example 1 - good whiskey

UK
Base Cost £10 incl retailer profit
Duty £6.34
VAT £2.45
Total £18.79


Ireland
Base Cost €11.5 incl retailer profit
Duty €11
VAT£4.84
Total €27.34


Bottle of Jameson or similar UK
Base Cost £4
Duty £6.34
VAT £1.55
Total £11.89

Ireland
Base Cost €4.75
Duty €11
VAT €3.39
Total €19.13


I don't know exact cost prices, just assuming £4 / €4.75, but it shows taxes do make nearly all the differences.

Red Sleeping Beauty

That's a fair point well laid
We do pay a lot of tax on spirits though don't we ? Especially since the VAT is added on after the duty has been applied.

The difference between the Redbreast though is clear. Costs ye about €28 in Newry Dunnes and €45 in your Dublin Dunnes.

gerrycollins

The redbreast issue might be a singular issue.

All booze in Ireland is double taxed.

cantenaccio

Jameson Crested 10
Dublin : €29
Newry : £16/€17.50

Same in my local supermarket in Berlin,Germany; 11 euros.

Red Sleeping Beauty

gerrycollins wrote: »

The redbreast issue might be a singular issue.

All booze in Ireland is double taxed.

Is it not the same in the UK as well where you pay duty and VAT ?