Hey George (cheap) scotch question
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https://malt-review.com/2021/02/04/trader-joes-scotch-whiskies/
Finlaggan at Trader Joe’s is approximately $20. It BURIES other Islay bottles well into the hundred dollar price range, which makes it the best dram for your buck. I adore it. While the two closest TJ’s to me were out of Finlaggan, I tracked it down in Toluca Lake, where I guess no one knows anything. Finlaggan is one of the best pro tips I can give.
Last week, I purchased the four different TJ private label Scotches they had in stock. “The Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled and bottled for Trader Joe’s” reads their labels. I bought the sherry cask finish, the bourbon cask finish, the rum cask finish, and the 19 year. The first three are all NAS, and roughly $20. To say they are “acceptable” would be to damn with faint praise. Can you say, “monumentally just fine? Exuberantly adequate?” I have been nipping on them for days, and I can’t find one unpleasant note in any of them.
The 19 year old was $49 so: right away, awesome. You’ll be paying a lot more if you want that number on the label of any other brand. I’ll admit the 19 year was my favorite. It had more surprises than the others. It had a dried honey nose, Nestle coffee creamers on the palate, and the finish was a warm clementine lilac.
https://thewhiskeywash.com/reviews/whiskey-review-trader-joes-whiskey-whisky/
Despite their bottom-shelf prices, none of the Trader Joe’s whiskey was bad – and in fact, several were quite good. But most importantly, and perhaps remarkably, all were spot-on in terms of stylistic accuracy. The only release that deviated even slightly from exactly what a casual consumer would expect to find in the bottle was the Irish Single Malt, and that may be simply because the Irish Single Malt category in general is quite small.
There should be no shame in including any of these bottles on your shelf, particularly for casual drinking or cocktails. But in my experience, where these whiskies really shine is at parties. At a recent barbecue, I left a bottle of the Trader Joe’s Speyside 13 and Highland 12 out on the bar. Sitting around the fire, I watched one of my guests bring a drink to his neighbor and say, in hushed and meaningful tones, “This is 13 year old Scotch.” Why ruin the appearance of being a generous host by crudely advertising that it only cost you $30? It’s enough to make Kingsley Amis, one of the world’s great drinkers and great cheapskates, smile in his grave.
Here's a review that was not as charitable to the blend:
Trader Joe's Blended Scotch total score: (4.8/10)
The lowest scoring Scotch in our taste test comes on strong from the get-go with an alcoholic burn that tasters described as "like hot tequila," "sweet mesquite smoke," and "creosote." Once the burn faded away, a few more pleasant aromas emerged—sweet pineapple and spiced rum, a touch of figs. But those flavors quickly fade when you take a sip. The overwhelming impression is one of smoky wood and gasoline with just a hint of vanilla and black pepper. Big and oily on the tongue, this is not a whisky designed for easy sipping, though for $10 a bottle, it's a cheap way to get certain jobs done.
I could see stocking a bottle of it in my bar for parties or perhaps for mixing with Coke. Just stay away from the whisky-forward cocktails. Got a friend who likes to order Long Island Iced Tea? This should be their whisky of choice.
Dewar's 12 Year Old Blended Scotch total score: (6.4/10)
Coming in at a very reasonable $20, this bottle is one of the better deals on the Trader Joe's rack. Deep amber in color, it has plenty of vanilla with some mild, rounded spices on the nose along with a touch of sea air. Some tasters described it as closer to honey, while others detected the deeper, more bitter notes of molasses. Of the whiskies we tasted, it has the richest, most mouth-filling flavor with a light oiliness and an almost briny savoriness. The finish is mild and short-lived, but pleasing. It's a whisky we'd be happy to mix into our drinks or take with a bit of water as an inexpensive night-cap.
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@doctor-phibes if you read the article, you’ll see that Trader Joe’s gets their whiskey from the same independent bottler as Costco. So it’s probably the same juice, just cheaper at Costco.
More than one reviewer is convinced the Kirkland 25 YO Speyside is Macallan...
@lufins-dad said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
More than one reviewer is convinced the Kirkland 25 YO Speyside is Macallan...
I love Kirkland (in general).
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The Trader Joe's stuff is dirt cheap already - is Costco that much cheaper?
@doctor-phibes said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
The Trader Joe's stuff is dirt cheap already - is Costco that much cheaper?
Don't know. Our Trader Joe's can't sell Liquor, though I imagine the ones in DC can. I'll have to compare. My guess would be yes. Costco is very aggressive with negotiating with their vendors for pricing, but they are worth dealing with due to the volume... And there's no question that Costco's volume is orders of magnitude higher than Trader Joe's. Plus, they run on a much lower margin. TJ's runs about 30 points if I remember correctly and Costo runs 12.
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@doctor-phibes said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
The Trader Joe's stuff is dirt cheap already - is Costco that much cheaper?
Don't know. Our Trader Joe's can't sell Liquor, though I imagine the ones in DC can. I'll have to compare. My guess would be yes. Costco is very aggressive with negotiating with their vendors for pricing, but they are worth dealing with due to the volume... And there's no question that Costco's volume is orders of magnitude higher than Trader Joe's. Plus, they run on a much lower margin. TJ's runs about 30 points if I remember correctly and Costo runs 12.
@lufins-dad said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
Our Trader Joe's can't sell Liquor,
A few years ago I went into a Costco in Florida and wandered into the liquor section.
I was floored, it was beautiful.
Giant bottles stacked floor to ceiling with cheap whisky.
The Virginia Costco doesn't have alcohol, I wasn't expecting it. I told my wife to go home and sell the house, I'm staying here. But she wouldn't go along with it.
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@doctor-phibes said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
The Trader Joe's stuff is dirt cheap already - is Costco that much cheaper?
Tell me more about the TJ's stuff (I've never been to a Trader Joe's). Name? Price?
Perhaps I'll take a run out that way.
@george-k said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@doctor-phibes said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
The Trader Joe's stuff is dirt cheap already - is Costco that much cheaper?
Tell me more about the TJ's stuff (I've never been to a Trader Joe's). Name? Price?
Perhaps I'll take a run out that way.
I've had a 10-year old Highland single malt for $20, and a Speyside for about $25, but this was a few years ago. I've cut right back on my whisky intake, so I haven't had anything recently.
Both of them were good value - they were never going to be confused with the good stuff, but I liked them a lot more than the cheap blends I've tried.
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@lufins-dad said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
Our Trader Joe's can't sell Liquor,
A few years ago I went into a Costco in Florida and wandered into the liquor section.
I was floored, it was beautiful.
Giant bottles stacked floor to ceiling with cheap whisky.
The Virginia Costco doesn't have alcohol, I wasn't expecting it. I told my wife to go home and sell the house, I'm staying here. But she wouldn't go along with it.
@copper said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@lufins-dad said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
Our Trader Joe's can't sell Liquor,
A few years ago I went into a Costco in Florida and wandered into the liquor section.
I was floored, it was beautiful.
Giant bottles stacked floor to ceiling with cheap whisky.
The Virginia Costco doesn't have alcohol, I wasn't expecting it. I told my wife to go home and sell the house, I'm staying here. But she wouldn't go along with it.
The DC Costco is absolutely mind-boggling. They have everything from gallons of cheap rockgut to $30,000 per bottle special reserve scotch... I've posted pictures a few times. I understand that liquor represents over 20% of their revenue in that warehouse and that revenue is over 150 million per day...
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Enjoying a Macallan 12 right now.
Good day at work and being a dad, so May as well drink “Dad’s scotch”.
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@mik said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@jolly said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@copper said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
You might want to think about some Jim Beam Bourbon.
This is my every day whiskey now. It is cheaper than Grant's and , if memory serves me, it is smoother.
I keep Canadian, Scotch, Irish, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia whisky on the shelf now. And I rotate through them, but Jim Beam price/performance is ok.
Evan Williams Black Label.
Around the same price, but better.
Evan Williams is my go to bourbon.
I guess it’s more but I go Buffalo Trace. Then Elijah Craig when it’s slightly more festive. From there it could anywhere. Blantons but you gotta ration because it’s hard to get.
@loki said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@mik said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@jolly said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
@copper said in Hey George (cheap) scotch question:
You might want to think about some Jim Beam Bourbon.
This is my every day whiskey now. It is cheaper than Grant's and , if memory serves me, it is smoother.
I keep Canadian, Scotch, Irish, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia whisky on the shelf now. And I rotate through them, but Jim Beam price/performance is ok.
Evan Williams Black Label.
Around the same price, but better.
Evan Williams is my go to bourbon.
I guess it’s more but I go Buffalo Trace. Then Elijah Craig when it’s slightly more festive. From there it could anywhere. Blantons but you gotta ration because it’s hard to get.
I should have clarified Evans Williams Single Barrel.
Learned something this week..my uncle, retired cop who lives upstate NY on his game preserve makes not only some pretty good moonshine, but some damn fine barrel aged bourbon as well. Which is funny because his taste in drink, which he hardly ever does at all, is to the sweet stuff.
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I once bought a bottle of Evan Williams with honey whiskey. One of the few times a bottle has entered the toilet before it entered me.
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A couple of times, I have go to the scotch bar in the basement of the Grand Hyatt in Bangkok. Cheap for me, as I dont drink it, but the people I was with impressed with the selection. LOL
