The only time I find it now is when we travel to Michigan and I cross the border to buy some. Last time, in the spring, I was detained for 45 minutes returning to the US, just so I could pay $12 duty on 5, 750 ml bottles. It was well worth the wait and the hassle by border guards.
Yesterday we had lunch at a new British pub here, Pete's Pies, and the owner came by to introduce himself. He's a Brit, with the accent and good pub food to prove it, and we were discussing British pubs in general, and beers and Scotch in particular. When I mentioned Bell's his face lit up and he went on to tell me where and how it was made to make it so good.
During the conversation Lynn mentioned that the Bell's box was still under the bed in the trailer and there might be a bottle left in it. "No, that couldn't be", I said . A friend had brought me 2 fifths from Canada in early fall and they were long gone. There was just no way I could keep a big bottle for that long. But I wondered....
Upon returning home we went straight to the trailer and lo and behold! There it was! A huge bottle of nectar from the Gods! I was so excited I nearly wet my britches!
When I brought it into the house, I poured a small amount in a snifter and just sniffed it for a long time. Finally I took a wee sip, swirled it around with my tongue and finally let it slide down. My oh my! Surely one of the best sips of Scotch I've ever tasted!
So, it was as if Santa came early, the Gods smiled upon me, I outsmarted myself again, or any one of a number of explanations. Whatever, it's an even Merrier Christmas to me! Oh yeah!
