Generous Pours
Saturday night in Boston, celebrating with the boys' after Soso's breakout performance the night before, we stopped into the Last Hurrah for a nightcap. The bar was crowded, with tourists and regulars; classic cocktails were being whipped up behind the bar. I remembered the diverse selection of great whiskies, but what I didn't recall was how reasonably priced they were.
It took Mike no time at all to decide on a glass of Hirsch, for around $14, a remarkable price for the bourbon that many consider to be the best whisky one can find, certainly the best bourbon; in fact, if one takes into account the finite supply of Hirsch, the fact that no more of this whisky will ever be produced, that price is just about astounding. John complimented Mike's pick by selecting Rittenhouse 21, a straight American rye whisky with a deep complex flavor, and a smooth long finish. The Rittenhouse was just about the same price, near $14, an especially good buy because a bottle of this great whisky retails for close to $200. I ordered a Laddie 15, nothing unusual, but a wonderful malt whisky, nonetheless. The Laddie was under $10.
But the really great thing about our round at the Last Hurrah was the size of the pours. It wasn't enough that the boys were drinking two of the finest American whiskies at very reasonable prices; but the owner gave them both big generous pours, easily three ounces of whisky. There was so much whisky that we only had a single round, and we sat for more than an hour enjoying the old school ambiance of this exceptional whisky bar. I had enough to drink also, but couldn't resist ordering a sample size pour of HP 30, thought by many to be the world's greatest malt whisky. (The Last Hurrah offers full pours of its whiskies, or small tasting size pours at a fraction of the regualr price.) I had tasted the 30 only once before, also at the Last Hurrah; on that occasion, the taste came courtesy of the bar's owner, who had taken a liking to all of us, and our obvious enjoyment of his inventory. But on that first occasion, I was already so loaded when we drank the HP 30 that I couldn't really remember much about it afterward. This time, I was sufficiently sober to notice how the finish of the 30 was so long that the flavor never left my palate. We passed the tasting around the table, and everyone sampled it, and throughout that process I continued to taste the deep rich malt flavor, with a hint of smoke, but mostly malt, thick and rich and chewy; and I still had that taste in my mouth when the glass returned after a few minutes' time. Too bad this whisky costs more than $500 a bottle. But, I should point out, if you're inclined to spring for the five large, you can find a bottle at Federal, up on a high shelf to the left of Joe, just waiting for some appreciative buyer with a few extra bucks in his pocket.
On our way up to Boston we had stopped for the night at the Glen Sanders Inn, a small inn with a couple dozen rooms, located in Scotia NY, across the river from Schenectady. Now one would not expect to find much in the way of good malts in Schenectady, but the Glen Sanders has a pretty good tap room in the basement, with a decent selection of beers on tap, not too bad a collection of malts, and a nice menu to complement the beverages. They had Macallan 18 on the menu for only $15, much cheaper than one would pay at most of the fancy places where one ordinarily expects to find the 18. So I ordered a glass for dessert, and was pleased to find that our young barmaid, Candace, served the Macallan in a snifter the size of a small fish bowl. This pour had to be four ounces, at least. I enjoyed it for a good while after dinner, watching Pedro try to keep the Cubs from knocking the Mets out of the post-season, and fortunately didn't have to drive anywhere that night. All we had to do was walk upstairs and fall asleep in front of the TV. (The Mets ended up winning in the bottom of the ninth, on Beltram's walk-off single.) The 18 is a great whisky, with a rich, almost chocolate flavor, and another long finish. I rarely drink it, mainly because it's overpriced. It just isn't worth the big price (now over $150) that it lists for on the retail shelf. But on vacation, for $15, for a huge pour in a fish bowl, I was happy I had ordered it.
John says that the blog performs a public service by informing readers of just exactly where they might find good buys on great whiskies. So then, if that's what you're seeking, drive up to Boston with a stop in Schenectady.
It took Mike no time at all to decide on a glass of Hirsch, for around $14, a remarkable price for the bourbon that many consider to be the best whisky one can find, certainly the best bourbon; in fact, if one takes into account the finite supply of Hirsch, the fact that no more of this whisky will ever be produced, that price is just about astounding. John complimented Mike's pick by selecting Rittenhouse 21, a straight American rye whisky with a deep complex flavor, and a smooth long finish. The Rittenhouse was just about the same price, near $14, an especially good buy because a bottle of this great whisky retails for close to $200. I ordered a Laddie 15, nothing unusual, but a wonderful malt whisky, nonetheless. The Laddie was under $10.
But the really great thing about our round at the Last Hurrah was the size of the pours. It wasn't enough that the boys were drinking two of the finest American whiskies at very reasonable prices; but the owner gave them both big generous pours, easily three ounces of whisky. There was so much whisky that we only had a single round, and we sat for more than an hour enjoying the old school ambiance of this exceptional whisky bar. I had enough to drink also, but couldn't resist ordering a sample size pour of HP 30, thought by many to be the world's greatest malt whisky. (The Last Hurrah offers full pours of its whiskies, or small tasting size pours at a fraction of the regualr price.) I had tasted the 30 only once before, also at the Last Hurrah; on that occasion, the taste came courtesy of the bar's owner, who had taken a liking to all of us, and our obvious enjoyment of his inventory. But on that first occasion, I was already so loaded when we drank the HP 30 that I couldn't really remember much about it afterward. This time, I was sufficiently sober to notice how the finish of the 30 was so long that the flavor never left my palate. We passed the tasting around the table, and everyone sampled it, and throughout that process I continued to taste the deep rich malt flavor, with a hint of smoke, but mostly malt, thick and rich and chewy; and I still had that taste in my mouth when the glass returned after a few minutes' time. Too bad this whisky costs more than $500 a bottle. But, I should point out, if you're inclined to spring for the five large, you can find a bottle at Federal, up on a high shelf to the left of Joe, just waiting for some appreciative buyer with a few extra bucks in his pocket.
On our way up to Boston we had stopped for the night at the Glen Sanders Inn, a small inn with a couple dozen rooms, located in Scotia NY, across the river from Schenectady. Now one would not expect to find much in the way of good malts in Schenectady, but the Glen Sanders has a pretty good tap room in the basement, with a decent selection of beers on tap, not too bad a collection of malts, and a nice menu to complement the beverages. They had Macallan 18 on the menu for only $15, much cheaper than one would pay at most of the fancy places where one ordinarily expects to find the 18. So I ordered a glass for dessert, and was pleased to find that our young barmaid, Candace, served the Macallan in a snifter the size of a small fish bowl. This pour had to be four ounces, at least. I enjoyed it for a good while after dinner, watching Pedro try to keep the Cubs from knocking the Mets out of the post-season, and fortunately didn't have to drive anywhere that night. All we had to do was walk upstairs and fall asleep in front of the TV. (The Mets ended up winning in the bottom of the ninth, on Beltram's walk-off single.) The 18 is a great whisky, with a rich, almost chocolate flavor, and another long finish. I rarely drink it, mainly because it's overpriced. It just isn't worth the big price (now over $150) that it lists for on the retail shelf. But on vacation, for $15, for a huge pour in a fish bowl, I was happy I had ordered it.
John says that the blog performs a public service by informing readers of just exactly where they might find good buys on great whiskies. So then, if that's what you're seeking, drive up to Boston with a stop in Schenectady.
posted by pops | 10:29 PM
3 Comments:
Big pours are good. Since I now have a back up bottle of HP 18 I have been treating myself to the remainder of a bottle I have been holding.
A great whisky. I think a trip to Boston is justified for the HP30. Having said that we have a date at Keens in less than 6 weeks. Certainly with 6 at the table will give us opportunity to explore high priced and otherwise unavailable whisky.
Looking forward to the gathering.
G-man
To the bourbon drinkers,
I get sent Men's Journal magazine at no charge. There is a one page article 'Investment Bourbon'. They highlight 6 but clearly Hirsch 16 is the big dog.
They say just 3 years ago could be found for $40 now selling for $280 and experts expect a $500 price tag over the next few years.
I need to taste this whiskey.
G-man
The only spot I can recall stocking Hirsch is the Last Hurrah. I have a vague recollection that John found it at Blue Smoke in NY, but that it cost an arm and a leg.
Mike, let G-man know where he can find a glass of Hirsch.
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