It was the Christmas of 2006. December was unusually cold and

the holidays week was unusually busy. That one night was my only night off. I remember the scene vividly.

          

Bathed in the light from bulbs set in the ceiling, Rahul’s living room looked nothing short of a luxury hotel’s lounge. Yanni’s symphony was playing softly in the background. We were the four of us sitting around the centre table. Four glasses, half full with the deep amber elixir from the bottle kept in the centre, stood next to an ice bucket. Rahul tipped three cubes of ice in my drink and we lifted our glasses. The austere air diluted a little with our "Cheers!". The came magic.

          

The warmth that spread gently across my whole body as the whiskey made its way gently down my throat. My first real encounter with adulthood.

          

Enough. Now, for the review.

          

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Royal Stag is not "scotch". It’s just plain whiskey. It’s not the kind you’d drink to celebrate. It’s not the kind you keep right up front in your bar in the lounge. It’s the kind you stow away so nobody can see it, then retrieve it late night when you’re alone and take generous swigs of. It’s the drink for those who drink to tone things down. Like the cliched dialogue of Devdas... to "endure"...

          

But for a low cost whiskey it’s ideal. I don’t know how many evenings I must have spent, after long, ardous hours at the MWTO headquarters, relishing how the whiskey slowly muted the loud noises of thoughts and ideas in the head. Although now I’ve changed my drink to Haig, there was a time when I’d decline my uncle’s offer for Blue Label for a Royal Stag. There’s something about the rustic roughness of the taste. Ladies, don’t think much about it. It’s a man thing.

          

My favorite ways to have Royal Stag-

          

1) Neat, with ice. Lot’s of ice.
2) Tampered with just a little bit of Coke and huge blocks of ice floating on it.
3) Rich coffee blended with whiskey and whipped cream. I know it sounds a little sassy. But it continues to be a man thing.

          

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One more thing.

          

I realized that most lectures in college are far more interesting and you can pay attention much better if you’ve chugged half a bottle of Royal Stag neat 40 minutes before lectures commence.

          

Try it.

Purchase Price (INR):	90 Rs for a quarter
Reason for Purchase:	Cheaper than others
Occassion best suited for:	While getting bored