Pub Saint-Alexandre

Establishment	Pub Saint-Alexandre
Address	1087, rue St-Jean Québec, QC G1R 1S3 1 418 694-0015 www.pubstalexandre.com
Type	Pub
Single Malt	Hart Brothers Glenlivet 23 Hart Brothers Highland Park 20

Our first stop on the tour of Québec was Pub Saint-Alexandre, an establishment right on the main drag in the Upper Town section of Old Québec reputed to have a decent single malt whisky menu. The CA Scotch Couple arrived bright and early as the doors opened at 11 and bellied up to the bar.

The Field Trip started out promising. The menu while a bit pricey (CA Scotch Chick had been warned by a member of the Whisky Mag forum that it would be), had a pretty decent selection. And, while the wait staff was a bit unorganized that early in the morning, they were friendly and relatively attentive. The CA Scotch Couple chose what was billed on the menu to be Original Distillery Bottlings (OB's) of a Glenlivet 23 and a Highland Park 20 for their tasting pleasure. 

The Whisky Menu at Pub Saint Alexandre – Note the pictures of the OB bottles for each of the whiskys.

Things got a bit interesting, however, when the young woman behind the bar pulled out two identical looking bottles. She was kind enough to allow the CA Scotch Couple to take a look (and a couple of pictures). Turns out that what was billed (and priced) on the menu as an OB, was, in fact, an Independent Bottling (IB) – a Hart Brothers version of Glenlivet 23 and Highland Park 20. 

The Hart Brothers Glenlivet 23 and Highland Park 20

Now, as recent posts have indicated, CA Scotch Chick does not have a prejudice against IB's. And, Hart Brothers is a relatively high end IB, specializing in rare single casks. However, an IB will not necessarily taste like the OB, especially if it is a single cask, and CA Scotch Chick had been anticipating the taste of the OB – particularly the Highland Park. Moreover, there is just something wrong about touting (and pricing) an IB as an OB. Nevertheless, CA Scotch Chick was on vacation, so she decided to just enjoy the experience and resist the urge to consult the manager in order to explain the error of his or her ways. 

When the whisky was served, it was evident from the color that neither single malt had artificial coloring. These were perhaps a couple of the palest single malts the CA Scotch Couple had sampled. The CA Scotch Couple also hypothesized that they were perhaps un-chillfiltered, although a little research back at the hotel indicated that this was the case only for the Highland Park 20.

The Whisky Reminded CA Scotch Chick of Real Lemonade

There was an additional surprise for the CA Scotch Couple. When they were served their whisky, they noted that there was about 1/3 less liquid than the amount to which they had had grown accustomed over the years. This was a startling revelation. While the CA Scotch Couple have traveled extensively, they have never really noticed that the size of a dram varied from country to country. Considering the dear price of these particular drams, this discovery was a bit dismaying. A post on the Whisky Mag forum yielded the information that while a US pour is 1.5 - 2 oz, a Canadian pour is only 1 oz - ouch. 

The tasting yielded no surprises either way. While the glass was inappropriate for a decent nose, both whiskys were pleasant enough. The Highland Park possessed a cream that reminded CA Scotch Chick of the toffee flavor she has come to associate with Highland Parks of all ages, but it lacked the chewiness of the older Highland Parks she loves so much. The Glenlivet 23 reminded the CA Scotch Couple just a bit of the OB of The Glenlivet 18 - it had a bit the fruitiness, but it lacked the full flavor and roundness. Neither had the smoothness that one associates with an older single malt whisky.

All in all, it was an interesting Field Trip. With the steep prices and the skimpy servings, the CA Scotch Couple had no problem resisting the urge to order another round from the menu just to see what they would get. They paid their bill, thanked their servers, and headed out for further adventures. Below, please find CA Scotch Chick's review of Hart Brothers Glenlivet 23 and Highland Park 20.