Scotch on a budget

Here at The Hedonistic Bar we are big fans of all types of whisk(e)y. Among our favorite types are scotch whisky. While we thoroughly enjoy a good single malt, we don't enjoy the sizable portion of our paycheck that is often required to purchase these scotches.  Recently, while having dinner at a friends house, we became aware of scotch at a place we would have never thought of, Trader Joe's. Most are familiar with Trader Joe's large selection of discount wines, but as we discovered this week, they also carry a small but quality selection of spirits.

We choose to purchase two scotches  from Trader Joe's and give them a try for you. The first scotch we tried was Lismore Speyside single malt scotch whisky. Being huge fans of scotch from the Speyside region, we were excited to try this malt. At only $17.99 for a 750 ml. bottle, it did not disappoint. Lismore was a nice amber color with rich caramel aroma and smooth mouth feel. Like many scotches from this region, the Lismore had a briny iodine characteristic that we greatly enjoyed. On par with scotch that cost 3 or 4 times as much, we highly recommend this as both a go to whisky to sip neat or as a mixing scotch for cocktails such as Godfathers and Blood and Sand. 

The second scotch that we purchased to try was Islay Storm single malt scotch whisky. At $19.99 for a 750 ml. bottle, this scotch is a terrific deal. While more of an acquired taste, we did enjoy this malt as well. With strong aroma of smoke, peat, and antiseptic, and a long finish, this scotch reminded us very much of the well known Islay scotch Laphroaig.  Definitely not for everyone, this scotch is still great on its own, or mixed in a cocktail. We are are excited to experiment more with this whisky.