Welly well well my faithful drogues.... (Yeah, that's a Clockwork Orange reference), have I got news for you. A little email arrived on my shoulder a week or so back from Okanagan Spirits, notifying me that Taboo Absinthe (LCBO SKU #162099) is back in stock. I am a huge fan of absinthe since first taste. It's a fantastic spirit that hold a dear place in the heart of many of the great writers and painters of the modern age. Want to try something from distilled in the traditional French method? Lucid Absinthe is also recently available from the LCBO (SKU #225938)
Onto bigger and better things! I missed my deadline (thank procrastination!), and am now posting this after the fact, but am pleased to present the newest spirit release from the LCBO. Actually, I take that back. Pleased is too good, appalled at the highway robbery that the LCBO get away with for premium spirits. Without further adieu, the lineup.
Get Dad something special this year with 2 fine showings in the world of premium Scotch. Glenfiddich 21 Year old and The Macallan 25 Year old Sherry Cask.
The Glenfiddich 21 was my first major indulgence at the LCBO. It's a rich and sweet single malt. Featuring wonderful creaminess and rich malt, vanilla and caramels, with a distinct rum and banana leaf notes in the finish. Very very good stuff! I'm a little sad to only see a 40% label on this bottle, but I'll excuse it, and there is not statement of colour on the label. I'm willing to allow this to go as Glenfiddich is the most commonly drank single malt and one of the most awarded single malts on the face of the planet. Someday I'd like to see no colour and 46%, but these seem to be pipe dreams in the world of big Whisky. The LCBO has this priced at $164.95 (LCBO SKU #981381), which is a bit steep, but comparatively its a fantastic dram for that special occasion. I'd defiantly suggest that you grab a bottle of this as it really is a special malt and a relatively well priced for a bottle of this age. Take that overtime shift or spoil your dad and thank him for putting up with you.
The second offering is a real cracker! The Macallan 25 Year old Sherry Oak Single malt. Take that sentence in a moment, and let that image roll around in your head. This is a richer than life malt with a heavy sherry influence and wonderful honey, almond and creme caramel overtones. This is real connoisseur's territory now, especially with the criminal pricing of the LCBO. This is where I'm freely allowed to rant about a government controlled monopoly on alcohol. The LCBO has graciously allowed you to procure this bottle at the measly sum of $769.95 (LCBO SKU #179150). Nope, that's no typo! That's just shy of $800 bucks! Now I'm not a rich billionaire or a lucky recipient of a trust fund, and I'd like to think I have good money sense; but even if I was, that's a hard pill to swallow. I know that this bottle is a worth indulgence for the real collector or serious drinker, but pricing out of the hands of every one but the Bay St. fat-cats is unacceptable! I know full well that this bottle routinely goes for about $200 less in the Calgary, and south of the border it goes for even less! It boggle my mind how the bottle has now traveled 2700 Km further and is magically $200 lighter in the price tag! Ranting aside, this is a fantastic representation of the Macallan! This is a rich reddy-caramel colour with a heavy and heady nose of citrus, caramel, sherry and oak. The palate is divine with rich body full of dried fruits, honey and gentle smoke. If you happen to have $800 dollars to spare, spend it on something else! My suggestion is the Glenfarclas 21 year old $119.95 (LCBO SKU #315614)
All ranting aside, the LCBO is the only place to get any kind of spirit in Ontario, and I'm sure that my ranting is a little hard on them. I'd just like to see a fair pricing scheme for buyers/collectors.
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