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That is all scotch, Ladies and Gentlemen
One could never tell from the restaurant reviews, but work is definitely interfering with CA Scotch Chix play time this week. An obstreperous individual on the other side has made what should have been a straight forward deal much more complicated than it needed to be. So much so, that CA Scotch Chick was forced to decline a generous invitation for a drink at the Brandy Library with the distinguished Scotch Gent who created www.forscotchlovers.com and was despairing of wiggling any Field Trips into her time in New York.
Consequently, when one of the clients suggested a drink after a hard day of slogging, CA Scotch Chick was prepared (a Scotch Chick is aways prepared!). She consulted her list gleaned from chowhound.com and various other reviews of good whisky bars in NYC, and used her powers of negotiation to steer the little group to the closest one, the pub attached to Keens Steakhouse. What a wonderful Field Trip it turned out to be.
| Establishment | Keen's Steakhouse (the pub side) |
| Address | 72 West 36th St New York, NY 10018 www.keens.com |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 11:45 am -10:30 pm Sat 5pm - 10:30 pm Sun 5 pm - 9 pm |
Keens oozes testosterone from every panel. Originally part of a literary and theatre club in what was once the thriving Herald Square Theatre District, Keen's has been around forever by US standards. While the pub itself has a business person ambiance, light touches such as a trivia board make it a bit more relaxed. What makes Keen's truly special is their three page scotch menu and their magnificent scotch flights.
A Scotch Lover's Centerfold
A scotch flight is basically a mini-tasting session. The bartender pours 1 oz samples of a number of whiskys for the patron's drinking pleasure. While a standard serving is 1.5 oz in a bar, and the bartender at Keens said that their standard serving size is 2 oz, 1 oz is just right for sampling. If one is sharing the flight with another scotch lover, as CA Scotch Chick was, one still has at least two opportunities to evaluate the nectar. Flights provide a budding Scotch Chick with an introduction to new tastes for a percentage of the price one would pay if one purchased the drinks individually or as a bottle.
Keen's does not let one chose one's own whiskys for the flights, but rather offers a prix fixe menu type of approach. There were four offerings in each flight. Those offerings included:
Dinner Flight: $29
| Whisky Sample (1 oz each) | Region | Cost for a Glass at Keens (2 oz) | Cost for Bottle on Internet |
| Tobermory 10 Year | Island of Mull | $10 | $29.99 |
| Springbank 10 Year | Campbeltown | $13 | $62.99 |
| Glenlivet 18 Year | Speyside | $17 | $51.99 |
| Glen Garioch 21 Year | Highland | $19 | $112.99 |
After Dinner Flight: $44
| Whisky Sample (1 oz each) | Region | Cost at Keens (2 oz) | Cost for Bottle on Internet |
| Bruichladdich 20 Year "Flirtation" | Islay | $29.00 | $199.99 |
| Macallan Cask Strength | Speyside | $14 | $60.99 |
| Edradour Ballechin | Highland | $24 | $94.99 |
| Talisker 25 Year | Isle of Skye | $32 | $199.95 |
Great Scott's! $52
| Whisky Sample (1 oz each) | Region | Cost at Keens (2 oz) | Cost for Bottle on Internet |
| North of Scotland 40 Year | Highland | $29 | $149.95 |
| Port Ellen 21 Year | Islay | $29 | $199.15 |
| Bladnoch 20 Year | Lowland | $29 | Not Found |
| Glen Grant 26 Year | Speyside | $29 | Not Found |
The Rockefeller Flight $140
| Whisky (1 oz each) | Region | Cost at Keens (2 oz) | Cost for Bottle on Internet |
| Glenmorangie Margaux Finish | Highland | $76 | $500.00 |
| Balvenie 30 Year | Speyside | $75 | $533.99 |
| Highland Park 30 Year | Orkney Island | $55 | $406.99 |
| Bunnahabhain 1971 35 Year | Islay | $80 | $746.81 |
All the tables were full, so the party headed to the bar, not a good arrangement for general client development but an excellent one for a little intimate sampling. CA Scotch Chick had vetted her playmate among the clients earlier in the week (a Scotch Chick is always prepared), so she made sure the seating arrangements were conducive to scotch sharing. She then threw down the gauntlet by suggesting that she would splurge on the Rockefeller Flight. Her sampling companion met the challenge by ordering the Great Scott's flight.
What followed was two hours of bliss. While the other members of their party proceeded to become intoxicated, CA Scotch Chick and her new found friend had their own little tasting party. It was an evening of truly memorable scotches.
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