Spoiler Alert: this article has got absolutely nothing to do with fish.
And this will probably be the last reference to fish.
However, the article has got quite a bit to do with the price of whisky or whiskey and what you can expect to pay for a palatable drop without breaking the bank.
Think back to the now long-distant memory that was the 2020 Christchurch Dramfest. Running through the lists of drams in the Dramfest catalogue, there were 321 whiskies on display. Remember, too, that the lists did not include the “special” bottles that were hidden from view under the tables.
There were 321 drams listed in the catalogue. 120 were priced at under NZ$100 a bottle. That’s 37% of the offerings.
And, for those who elected to sample a dram or twelve at the event, quite a few of that 120 were very nice whiskies indeed.
From my own experiences, I include (in no particular order):
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- the Loch Lomond Single Grain 46% (NZ$57),
- the Glen Scotia Double Cask (NZ$83),
- four of the Wemyss offerings (Flaming Feast, Hive Batch Strength, Spice King Batch Strength, and Blooming Gorse. ABV ranging from 46 to 58%, price NZ$90 to 97), and
- Teeling Stout Cask 46% (NZ$89)
Outside the delightful Dramfest selection, I have also recently either tasted or come into possession of these interesting items:
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- The South African Bain’s Single Grain 43% at NZ$43 a bottle,
- Stoke IPA – tasting report in my Christmas Cheer blog. The IPA is cask-strength 59%, Pinot Noir-matured, coming from McCashin’s Brewery out of Nelson.
- West Cork, an Irish distillery producing Irish single malts and blends ranging up to 62% ABV. The most expensive available in NZ is a selection of quite nice 12yos (your pick of Port Cask, Rum Cask, or Sherry Cask), each for the massive output of NZ$74.99.
I decided to do some remarkably amateur on-line research to see if my theory about whiskies that don’t break the bank could stand scrutiny.
I picked the websites of two retail outlets. Shop 1 is a predominantly whisky-oriented one, Shop 2 could be regarded as more alcoholically generalist (although it does keep some pretty good stuff to select from).
In my search parameters I selected “whisky” (all types, including those with an “e”) and sorted them by price. I was not interested in pricing miniatures or other small bottles, so I ignored bottles that contained less than 700ml.
Shop 1 had 182 offerings that were priced at less than NZ$100, Shop 2 had 59.
Obviously, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that there would be some double-ups on the two lists. My research was not of rocket scientist quality – sadly not even a Guy Fawkes day one!
It was certainly not scientific enough to remove drams that both shops offered. But, assuming a 10% “overlap”, that is still more than 210 whiskies to get into!
A lot of the offerings came from “big” distilleries, names that are well known and talked about in reverent tones. A lot of them are standard bottlings – 10- or 12-year olds, varietals that have been around for a while and not to be ignored.
Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood here.
I am certainly not advocating chucking out all your $200-$300 (or more!) sherry bombs, your esoteric orange-flavoured Amrut, your careful husbanded Batch 35 A’bunadh or your entire Glendronach collection.
As a part of running this website, there is a lot of tasting to be tasted. I have sampled some whiskies that were good, some not so good, and some absolutely spectacular!
But the more I get involved in the world of whiskies, the more I understand that whisky selection, taste, and choice is an exceptionally personal thing. What I have found personally is that sometimes I would just like to relax with a whisky, rather than to be challenged by it.
So, there are two stalwarts in my cupboard. A bottle of Jamieson’s Irish Blend, and a bottle of Glen Grant’s Major’s Reserve. On the nights when I just want to sit in front of a good TV programme with a relaxing dram, one of these two is a perfectly admirable companion for the evening.
I am certainly not advocating chucking out your sherry bombs or your entire Glendronach collection.
I came across a quote recently in Ian Buxton’s 4th edition of his book “101 Whiskies to try before you die” [i]. In the introduction, he says “… you don’t have to spend a lot of money to find really great or interesting whiskies.”[i]
I totally agree.
As a side note, if you are thinking of chucking your Glendronach collection please let me know about an hour or so in advance and I’ll be around with a big box to help you.
Happily.
[i] “101 Whiskies to try before you die”, 4th edition, Ian Buxton. Headline Publishing Group, London, 2019