SAQ Classique

Establishment	The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ Classique)
Address	853, rue St. Jean Québec, QC G1R 1R2 1 418 643-4337 1, rue des Carrières - Château Frontenac Québec, QC G1R 4P5 1 418 692-1712 www.saq.com
Type	Government Run Liquor Store
Hours	Sun 11 am-5 pm Mon-Wed 9:30 am-5:30 pm Thurs-Fri 9:30 am-9:00 pm Sat 9:30 am-5:00 pm
Single Malt	Glenmorangie 15

The Scotch Chix never pass up an opportunity to open somebody's eyes to the beauty of single malt whisky. In a way, they are a bit like those born again religious folk – they have seen the light, been saved from mediocre alcohol, and they want others to share in this single malt epiphany. 

Consequently, when CA Scotch Chick learned that the CA Scotch Couple had been invited to dinner at the home of one of CA Scot Gent's colleagues, and that they would arrive at the airport too late to hit the Canadian duty free for a gift for their host on their way into town, she gathered all the information she could on purchasing a bottle of single malt whisky in Québec City. 

What she discovered on the web was encouraging. While Québec is one of those places where the government has a monopoly on the liquor stores, the web site for Sociétés des alcools du Québec (SAQ), reminded her of the one for her local Bevmo. There were 51 single malt whiskys, including Highland Park 12 (CA Scotch Chick's first choice for a conversion experience), and there were numerous SAQ's in Québec City. CA Scotch Chick located the two closest, one near her hotel and one near the Château Frontenac and was ready to buy her gift.

She started her search at the branch closest to her hotel (pictured above), and was shocked and dismayed to find almost no single malt whisky. They had The Macallan 12, The Glenlivet 12, an Aberlour, and that was it. It was a sad sight. This selection was nothing like what had been advertised on the web site.

She put on her walking shoes and waded through the tourists to the Château Frontenac, where she discovered, under lock and key, the same small selection plus a Glenmorangie 15 for almost double what she would have paid for it in the United States. She snatched it up. 

Back at her hotel before dinner, CA Scotch Chick shook her head at the folly of allowing governments to run liquor stores and engaged in a little research on the SAQ site. Seems there are four "banners" for SAQ: the SAQ Express (think Quickie Mart), the SAQ Classique (where CA Scotch Chick was searching in vain), the SAQ Selection – Diversity (with a larger selection), and the SAQ Selection – Exclusivity (with a more high end selection). 

There actually was an SAQ Selection – Diversity down by the river, but CA Scotch Chick had not known that when she was searching. Moreover, a query on the Whisky Mag forum produced the information that one can order a product from a different SAQ and have it delivered to one's local SAQ if one has enough lead time, valuable information for future trips.

The Glenmorangie 15 at dinner was a hit. Turned out CA Scotch Chick's host needed no convincing. She was preachin' to the choir. He was already a fan of single malts, and he appreciated the Glenmorangie 15. CA Scotch Chick was not quite as impressed with it as her host claimed to be. It just didn't open up the way Glenmorangie 10 does. Still, it was a pleasant evening, made even more pleasant by the presence of a single malt whisky. Below, please find CA Scotch Chick's review of Glenmorangie 15.