[jahloon]

A subject we may have missed.

For normal everyday Scotch I find (Famous) Grouse to be one of the best, certainly better than Teachers or Bells, that are in the same price / quality bracket.

Last week I'd run dry, and normally get Scotch in litres at Costco - its a fair saving.

However Saturday rolled by, I felt too ill to make the journey to the Cash & Carry so it was Morrisons supermarket.

WHAT! £14.99 for a 70ml bottle of Grouse, I was grumpy.

Then I saw this BNJ stuff for the same price, never seen it before, but the label promised a blend of 8 year old malts.

Well I love trying new stuff and despite me always telling the missus that fancy bottles and labels only sell stuff people don't want to drink, I put it in the trolley.

What a surprise! A really top class blend, smooth smooth smooth, and I think you could well fool a lot of people into thinking it cost twice the price, certainly on a par with some single malts.





Rose to fame amongst officers in the Boer War, no less.

I do hope it lasts till Saturday.

Highly recommended.

[rob]

That is certainly a cheezy label. Forget what I've said about British marketing. Maybe you could mix that scotch with some "American Premium Cola" from Tesco.

Seriously though, I'm envious. You can buy hard liquor without having to venture into a low grade hole of an establishment fighting your way through the 10 deep cluster of begging drunk junkies. I can't even buy wine with groceries (alcohol is evil - it might even lead to sex). Meanwhile the price of Scotch has just gone insane here in the last couple of years. I had converted over to brandy - cheap brandy is better than cheap scotch. Then, I discovered this stuff called Lisemore. It's drinkable and I can get it for $16.00. Link

[jahloon]

rob, on May 19 2009, 05:37 PM, said:

I can't even buy wine with groceries (alcohol is evil - it might even lead to sex).

Last week on the way out to our big customer party night I was off on the "Pubs won't serve alcohol in Ten Years Time" rant.

The quick come-back when challenged is "Ten Years ago you would not have believed it would be a criminal offence to smoke in a pub."

We arrived at the music venue "The Jam House" (previously owned by Jools Holland) only to find the strongest beer on draught was only 4%, a new policy, so all the strong stuff had been relegated to 330ml bottles. (for our friends from the USA - 5% is considered the minimum)

Its the thin end of the wedge, but it is the wedge.

[Kai]

rob, on May 19 2009, 12:37 PM, said:

Seriously though, I'm envious. You can buy hard liquor without having to venture into a low grade hole of an establishment fighting your way through the 10 deep cluster of begging drunk junkies. I can't even buy wine with groceries (alcohol is evil - it might even lead to sex).

One of the things I missed when I moved back to New England from California was beer & wine in supermarkets. Thankfully, Québec is a civilized place - many supermarkets and corner stores sell at least beer and wine, though the province has a semi-monopoly on liquor sales in its SAQ stores. And though there are vestiges of the Catholic version of New England-style blue laws, most Québecois have had quite enough, thank you, of moralizing clergy (the Church, in an arrangement dating back to the Anglo conquest of the 1760's, ran most provincial-level institutions up until the Quiet Revolution of the 60's, when schools and hospitals, etc., were "nationalized"), and things have slowly loosened up and will continue to.

Though our pubs and bars also follow the worldwide trend of no smoking (since '06), you won't find any restrictions on alcohol percentages (then again, Québec isn't known for binge drinking, "puke on yer neighbours' steps" problems, outside of McGill undergraduates - and they're usually from Anglo Canada.) You may recall the La Terrible beer from the Unibroue company in Chambly here that I posted about a couple of years ago, 10.5%. Sadly, discontinued, but there are others to take its place...

[rob]

Kai, on May 19 2009, 09:20 PM, said:

... most Québecois have had quite enough, thank you, of moralizing clergy (the Church, in an arrangement dating back to the Anglo conquest of the 1760's, ran most provincial-level institutions up until the Quiet Revolution of the 60's, when schools and hospitals, etc., were "nationalized"), and things have slowly loosened up and will continue to.

Must be nice. Colorado has just now, finally, gotten rid of the ban on the selling of alcohol on Sundays. Personally, I can't think of a better reason for a drink than it being Sunday.

Speaking of alcohol units, I just read an interesting claim that it was the British governments focus on weekly alcohol units that lead to the binge drinking explosion in Britain.

[jahloon]

rob, on May 20 2009, 06:49 AM, said:

Must be nice. Colorado has just now, finally, gotten rid of the ban on the selling of alcohol on Sundays. Personally, I can't think of a better reason for a drink than it being Sunday.

Speaking of alcohol units, I just read an interesting claim that it was the British governments focus on weekly alcohol units that lead to the binge drinking explosion in Britain.

Wales used to be like that on a Sunday, all the pubs shut, you could drink in a hotel if you were a resident or eating a meal.

I can believe that about alcohol units, the Govt. limit of 21 units per week is unrealistic. So when nanny tells you to drink no more than one pint of Stella per day....

[Bapman]

I don't drink anymore. I don't drink any less either.

My fav. is Bowmore Single Malt 12 Y

but being born in sweden where's there's a monopoly
on alcohol and the only store u (even today) can buy alc. used to be close sat-sund.
and 10.00-18,00 weekdays ( now they've expanded to sat and later hours on weekdays)
had no problems with that and still doesn't even after living abroad so many y in places where u can buy
spirits wherever.
i'd still vote for a monopoly and short opening hours.

[Bapman]

about 40 Euros for a liter

[jahloon]

Not far off the UK price

[rob]

Speaking of whisky, anyone try this one from Wales yet? I need a report.

[Kai]

rob, on May 26 2009, 08:42 AM, said:

Speaking of whisky, anyone try this one from Wales yet? I need a report.

My ancestors made whisky? Stuff me!

[jahloon]

Kai, on May 26 2009, 08:00 PM, said:

rob, on May 26 2009, 08:42 AM, said:

Speaking of whisky, anyone try this one from Wales yet? I need a report.

My ancestors made whisky? Stuff me!

Somehow I doubt it.

They were too busy at chapel or singing down pit.

[Kai]

jahloon, on May 26 2009, 05:19 PM, said:

Kai, on May 26 2009, 08:00 PM, said:

rob, on May 26 2009, 08:42 AM, said:

Speaking of whisky, anyone try this one from Wales yet? I need a report.

My ancestors made whisky? Stuff me!

Somehow I doubt it.

They were too busy at chapel or singing down pit.

Or pulling taffy?