"I Love Scotch. Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch."
- By Hannah Spraker
- Dec 31, 2017
- 5 min read
No Anchorman fans? Just me? I know someone laughed at that. I digress....
One of the things I love about the knockout collective is that it is an umbrella. You don't have to like anything specific, you don't even really have to like fitness to be a part of the collective, you just have to be a woman, or a dude, hey we welcome everyone here. That being said, scotch is not normally the "drink of choice" for a woman, especially at 25 years old.
"I'll have a scotch on the rocks, with a twist."......I have had one too many bartenders or dudes ask me what a twist is. But that is my drink order and I own it. (for those of you who don't know, a twist is a lemon peel, it is such a little addition but it makes a worlds difference in the taste)
"That drink order will put hair on your chest", "Oh so you're like a dude", "Way to make me look bad with that drink order." Whatever, if you're embarrassed by your drink order compared to mine, that sounds like a "you problem". I can't meet anyone new without someone telling me that I am Robin Scherbatsky from "How I Met Your Mother"...I drink scotch, I'm Canadian, I like cigars, I'm a journalist, I play hockey, etc. Whatever label I'm given, I like that I might not fall into the category of "Rosé all day". Don't get me wrong, I love a good rosé, but you'll never see me wear a hat or shirt that says that.
Although, I wasn't always a scotch lover. I used to only drink tequila. *pause for the face most of you are making right now*
I've never been a fan of sweet drinks so I typically will stick to wine, beer or liquor on the rocks or with club soda. Tequila on the rocks was my go-to. Then the nectar of the gods hit my lips. I was in Vegas with my now ex-boyfriend, we got invited into bottle service, and got handed a bottle of Macallan 18 Scotch. (By the way, I will be sharing my favorite Vegas tips later on)
From that night on, all I wanted to order in a bar was Macallan 18, but obviously, that doesn't work on my budget. I'm not one of those girls who likes to get wasted and drink just to drink. I actually enjoy my drink and like the taste of it, so I won't simply take any drink or shot you order me. So in efforts to continue to drink scotch without breaking the bank, I have discovered a few different bottles that taste more expensive than they are. But lets start with the obvious....
Hands down the best Scotch I have ever had is Macallan 25. Oh man, that stuff is smooth. Scotch is one of those liquors where "the more expensive, the better the taste" is actually true. (I'll share my bartending secret knowledge later on) Teaser: Patron and Grey Goose are dirt.
Macallan 25 and 18 are probably the only bottles that I can have a glass neat and enjoy it more than on the rocks. You can taste every bit of flavor from the citrus to the vanilla and spices like clove and cinnamon. They are matured in sherry oak casks, which are the creme de la creme of casks, and believe me--you can tell.
Now the 25 in particular has a smokey taste to it, and when someone said that before they gave me a glass I was skeptical of how overpowering it would be, but it was perfect. This bottle is ridiculously expensive, but if you taste it--you know why.
Macallan 15 and 12 are great as well, still expensive, but I prefer those on the rocks with a twist. The 12 is a double cask, American oak meets European oak, resulting in a warm citrus and spice flavor.
Of the two, I prefer the "fine oak" 15, it has a bit more of a vanilla flavor to it and it is noticeably more smooth, tastes closer to the 18. Macallan 10, I am actually not a fan of---I think for the price, you could find a much better 10 year scotch.
Sooo....how does one drink Macallan on a "I just graduated college" budget?
What is the answer to basically everything for an Orange County girl: Trader Joes.
Trader Joes is the Mecca for us, we know this. Walk into a bar, say "Trader Joes" and girls won't stop talking for an hour about their favorite TJ's finds.
Trader Joes has a 10 year scotch, that tastes more like a 12 or 15 year scotch for twenty, yes TWENTY dollars. This is my go-to, household bottle. This is the casual, come home from a long day of work, and sit in a bubble bath glass of scotch.
Going more fancy, maybe a birthday or special occasion, you want to buy a bottle worth a little more, but still don't want to pop over a hundred dollars on a premium brand? No problem at all. Glenlivet 12 is an amazing bottle and can typically be found for roughly $35 dollars.
Glenfiddich is also a great one, but I would go with a higher year for them. Their 18 year can be found for under $80, which, for an 18 year old scotch is pretty damn good when you're on a budget.
I know the first scotch that comes to mind for people is Johnnie Walker, I'm not really a fan. It tastes either like gasoline to me or too watered down-- I gave it a shot many times. Just didn't do it for me.
Often times if you're in a bar the lower level of scotch will have Dewar's which is not bad either, but if I am drinking Dewars, I use a lot of ice--- it is really overpowering right out of the bottle.
The last Scotch I would recommend is Money Shoulder, and not just for the funny name. I will admit, I bought bottle because the name intrigued me. Well played marketing team. Well played. But I was pleasantly surprised. Drinking it on the rocks, you would not think that a bottle costs only $32, but keep in mind it is a blend so you will not get that incredibly smooth finish to it.
That's it for my scotch reviews for now....as life takes me up to Toronto, I will be sure to check out what Canada has going on in the scotch department. Stay tuned Knockouts!
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