Just 35 dollars? Canadian? Really?
[NOTE: At time of writing, this converts to approximately $26 USD]
Bargain Hunting 101
Yard and or gar(b)age sales, flea markets and antique stores are all places I check out with little expectation going in. It’s like sticking your hand into a bowl of Nuts & Bolts (or Bits And Bites for you less, old-farty types than me).
You just never know what you’re going to get.
If you’re looking for saltshakers, old hand saws, those dainty coffee mugs that one sips tea with a pinky raised, Archie or Casper comics or even VHS tapes, then chances are you’ll be rewarded with a fine bounty.
Once in a while, you do come across stuff that really piques your interest because you’re somewhat of an amateur collector disguised as, in my case, a 59-year old kid. Stuff like: Hot Wheels Red Baron model or maybe Rush’s Hemispheres album in red vinyl.
Thing is, most of the time, those items are priced for “collectors” in mind. Meaning – not cheap.
But, but, every once in a while, when the universe’s tumblers align just so, the cosmic vault briefly opens and reveals a true treasure that is, wait for it, priced for what – a twoonie?
[CUE THE ANGELIC CHOIR]
You coyly ask to have it for a loonie so as not to give away the treasure you found. The bartering keeps the price steady at 2 bucks and then, it’s yours: a true unicorn: a 1918 Inverted Jenny US postage stamp; an original 1903 Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, or an unused-in-bike-spokes Marcel Dionne or Guy Lafleur rookie card [NOTE – FOR NON-CANADIANS: A ‘loonie’ is a 1 Canadian Dollar coin. A ‘twoonie’ is a – yup you guessed it – 2 Canadian dollar coin].
That got me thinking: Can a “treasure finding” instance happen at your local whisky dispensary?
[NOTE: Apologies for the rather circuitous way of getting to this point but I get paid by the consonant]
I’m sure there are plenty of other cost-conscious hobbies we could have started. Sometimes we choose not to buy rather than to buy based on the price.
But, it’s not just about using the more-expensive-is-better heuristic. Granted, I’m not going to compare a 1926 Macallan to a bottle of Uncle Angus MacFunk’s Blendorama. However, the same could go for the reverse heuristic of the-cheaper-it-is, the-more-cough-it-back-up it becomes.
So, ommm your mind out of any expectations and peruse:
5 Whiskies Under $35
Wild Turkey 81 Proof
Laurenceburg, Kentucky USA / 41.5% ABV
Straight bourbon. Just like the 101 Proof in flavour but without the cask strength-ish cheek pinch like your Aunt Bea would give you.
[Note: you do not have to have missing teeth to purchase this bottle]
The Famous Grouse Ruby Cask
Glasgow, Scotland / 40% ABV
Blended scotch. What is it with whiskies named after game birds? Anyway, this one is finished in port casks. The others in the series include wine, bourbon and toasted casks.
Centennial 10 Year Old
High River, Alberta Canada / 40% ABV
Canadian whisky. Soft spoken, friendly and approachable.
How else would you expect a Canadian to behave?
Bowmore 12 Year Old
Islay, Scotland / 43% ABV
Islay single malt.
Brine, iodine, smoke and ash. To some, that may not sound delicious, but for performing peathead initiation rites, this is a reasonably priced, lightly peated dive.
Peaky Blinder
Skibbereen County, Cork Ireland / 40% ABV
Irish blended whiskey.
Named after an urban street “collective of entrepreneurs” from 19th century Birmingham, England. I wrote this under my own free will and without my hands being tied behind my back – much.
Oh, And One Last Thing…
There are a lot of whiskies under the $35 mark.
The above wasn’t about choosing ‘just five’ among all of them; rather, just a few suggestions to try five more (sneaky, eh?). Some, you may feel are ‘Goldilocksy’ priced just right. Some you think you still overpaid.
Then again, you may also feel you like you found a treasure in the delete bin that everyone else overlooked.
“Wow! A bootleg single of Irish Blues Band Skid Row featuring Phil Lynott…”
Cheers everyone.
– Renaud Timson
Renaud Timson resides in Ottawa, Canada and likes to refer to himself as a “whisky enjoyist”. He is a certified Whisky Ambassador, accredited by the Scottish Whisky Association and his wallet has membership cards to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada, Ontario Whisky Quarterly and The Ottawa Whisky Guild.
On the non-whisky side, he’s a dad of six adult kids: three with two legs and three with four legs. He has some whiskies that are older than his kids.
He can be reached at renaudtimson@gmail.com.
