Post #661392 by AceExplorer on Thu, Dec 13, 2012 7:11 AM

On 2012-12-12 01:26, Kane Tiki wrote:
...check eBay for a seller from Germany who will ship LH151 to Australia. I ordered 2 bottles last year and they were shipped marked as "collectibles" which managed to slipped through through the mail without me having to pay any duty.

I did something like this in October when I found a German reseller who shipped a large box of very well-packed 750ml Grassl gentian liqueur bottles to me. Their Lemon Hart prices are very high, however, but no duties where charged, and I was amazed that I pulled off buying things which I could not find in stock anywhere in the US. (I looked around alot!) The only downside was that their web site was a bit difficult to use, but their order accuracy and their customer service was superb. They also threw in some small bottles of other products as freebies. I didn't find this reseller through eBay but found them in my Google search results and gave it a shot.

http://www.worldwidespirits.de

You can ask for "neutral packaging" so that everything arrives in a plain white box, although they seem to know to do that automatically when shipping overseas. Be careful when you read the cost calculations. I believe they do not charge foreign customers the 19% VAT (tax) and this can be confusing. I found that in October they quoted two prices for my products - I qualified for a discounted price by "paying in advance" with a credit card, and I still don't understand exactly how that happened, and I do speak the language pretty well. But it was completely worth the effort for me. Your mileage may vary. But this merchant made it happen for me, at a reasonable price for my personal indulgence, and I am a very happy customer.

Hope this helps someone else who is looking for hard-to-get stuff...

Sidenote - if you've never had high-quality gentian root liqueur (Grassl is the smoothest and best, bar none, in my opinion) then you should know that the flavor is very unique. Definitely very "earthy" in a very good sort of way, and it may lend itself to some sort of tiki cocktail although I havent tried yet. It has a pleasant aftertaste which develops and lingers in the mouth for an amazing length of time. It can strike you as a bit strange the first time you taste it, but if it does capture the attention of your palate, you're probably going to be hooked for life. I know I am...