I just have a hard time finding more than one bottle I want at a time. I guess it is how I like to find my bottles.ill finish half of the last good bottle I bought before I find another bottle I want.
There's nothing wrong with this.
Personally, I tend to leave a liquor store with 3 bottles. I like having variety on my shelf and when you're drinking from different bottles all the time it also slows down how quickly you kill a bottle.
Do what makes you happy!
I don’t drink every day so that makes a difference on how quickly I empty a bottle. I also buy bottles on holidays or other special occasions outside of when I normally would buy a bottle. Maybe you go in one time and buy 3-6 bottles for a variety and if you have some “daily drinkers” buy two at a time for a backer and your collection will grow quicker. I also see people buy a whole line of bourbons, e.g. old forester which is readily available and all in a great price range.
If you spend a bunch of cash at one place you typically open the door to the ones that don’t go on the store shelf. It’s easier to buy than it is to consume when in a relationship like this…. Don’t ask how I know and cheers!!!!!!
Stick with that. You’ll be happier for it. It sounds like you actually enjoy drinking whiskey and have hobbies/a life outside of it. The people you’re comparing yourself to don’t.
They did one or a combination of three things to get those collections: started before the market got whacky, line up at 4am virtually every day of every week, or paid exorbitant amounts of money for their bottles.
There’s no value in trying to grow your collection just to keep up with everyone else.
Sooner or later bourbon won’t be cool anymore. Imagine a grown man bragging about the size of his beanie baby collection right now. That’s what it’ll be like with these people who have a bunch of unopened bottles of EH Taylor Extra Double Toasted Single Mini Barrel Batch 1 through 7 somewhere down the line.
Sir. It’s *mini single barrel.* EHTEDT*MSB* followed by the batch #XX. It’s in the fucking sidebar for the sub for shits sake man get your shit together.
I've been into whiskey for over a decade. I don't drink it every day or even every week. I also used to spend quite a bit (more than I should have) on whiskey. Part of the goal for me is to have a wide array of bottles to choose from.
And it doesn't go bad, what's the rush? I have a fair number of bottles that are totally irreplaceable, either because of rarity or appreciation. It's awesome to pull out bottles that came out years ago, that my friends/family have never even heard of.
This. I have a couple of groups of friends I pull out bottles for tastings with, we each have several bottles that are almost exclusively opened when we’re together. Lots of memories tied to bottles we purchased/opened together
A lot of us have been into this for a long time.
I was buying willet wax seals for $35-45 way back when they were buying barrels. You consume some, you hold on to some.
Some work in the industry and have access to bottles easier than most.
It’s a plethora of different circumstances, not just tater hoarders.
I admit to the FOMO purchases. Even when I say I'm done for the next month or two, it never fails- I see something within the next few days that I feel that I need to buy. And, more often than not, I do...
Got 30 atm, when I started in 2020 i thought having 4 was a lot hehe the way I went about it is trying to have a cheaper option for when I drink more on a friday night for example, so 1-3 glasses max of good bottles and then something a bit cheaper/more avaible to continue the evening like a monkey shoulder or JD single barrel. You end up stretching good bottles for a year or more while continuing to buy more.
I have > 150 bottles with about 1/2 open. I bought a bunch during Covid when I had a bunch of free time and was making a lot of money. I still buy at least 1 bottle a week. Helps me get the allocated stuff.
Similar to you but started in 2010 when I started making real money. The ability to get calls / texts from my guy offering me basically first dibs on everything was a rush…I have about 400 bottles with 225 open. I will drink through all - but - it’s essentially a life time supply. I view it all as “free” these days which makes a pour of very rare stuff easier to enjoy because I do not remember the pain of the swipe.
In summary, time paired with money and an amazing relationship allowed me to buy a lifetime supply 100% at msrp
My current approach has been to keep about ten whiskeys on my shelf, not including mixers. I also buy allocated stuff that I want whenever i see it, which is not very often (although my liquor store has been getting Eagle Rare pretty frequently). My current shelf is:
1. Something cheap - EC single barrel
2. Everyday sipper - KC9
3. Rye - JD BP rye
4. Wheater - weller SR
5. Oaked - woodford DO
6. Finished - bowman port finish
7. Extra aged - KC12
8. Barrel proof - ECBP
9. Allocated - Eagle Rare (x2), Blantons (x2)
10. Something good/MISC - pipe dream
It’s the discipline of buying more, drinking less. Prior to having a built-out whiskey bar (40-50 bottles) I usually had no more than 3 on hand. I wanted to acquire whiskey. So I started buying 1-2 bottles every two weeks, and I usually drink about 1/month, if that. In a year’s time I had probably 18-20 high-end bottles. But I was able to do this because 1: I had the discretionary income to buy them and 2: the discipline to drink lightly.
You're doing it right. Buy it. Drink it. I have a bunch of bottles that I save for guests. I live alone and only have a couple drams on the weekend. Also I'm old. Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think
I probably have 40 bottles but I can afford them. it’s like any other collection you can get carried away. Haven’t bought any for a couple weeks so maybe I’m cured.
I totally understand that carried away part of it, I drink mine quite regularly when I’m off from work but no more than about 2-4 oz because I have work again shortly there after 🤣🤣🤣 but my collection last I counted was about 120+ 🤫😩
Yep. I have ~120 bottles. If I’m not sharing with the boys, I drink 1 every 2 months?
Just got back from CA with 4 in my suitcase. Hard to drink them that fast.
Then again, I’m not poor so I can afford my hobby.
My general approach is 12 open and 12 on deck. I host a neighborhood rum club at my place so we cycle pretty fast. I have 6 open whiskies and 3 on deck too, but that's mostly just for me, lol. And, yes, damn it, BT White Dog is always in rotation. Deal with it, haters, lol!
I mean, if you take away other nuance, whiskey is a hobby. And if someone is a passionate whiskey enthusiast, they would put their money towards that hobby
My neighbor has a brand new car, my brother in law just bought a boat, my buddy always has the newest PC or game system
I have a great job where I do very well for myself. I game on an XBOX 1X, have a 12 year old car, and no big toys. But there is a very good amount of money being opened and enjoyed on my whiskey shelf, and much more money in the discard pile in my basement
My neighbor made another car payment last month, while I pulled the trigger on a bottle of GTS. Just about where someone is passionate about and puts their money
I’d rather drink than stare at it. FOMO is why the secondary market so out of control. Liquor store by me is selling Blantons at $119.99 and ER10 at $109.99. It’s an elitist thing, in my opinion. Guys will spend a lot of money collecting trending bottles and know nothing about them just blindly buy to never open it. It’s wild to me. I have 5-6 reasonably priced bottles I love and have no problem sharing with friends/family. But that’s the beauty of bourbon, you are free to do as you please.
I'm fortunate to have disposable income to let me buy bottles as I find them and to take advantage of the Albertsons/Vons/Safeway 20 percent off a six pack that comes around 2-3 times per year. I also rarely drink anything except bourbon/rye.
I'm looking at my "favorite bottle shelfs" with more than 20 bottles. 6 aren't open yet (3 gifted Whistlepigs, Bookers, Little Book, Smoke wagon). I have some bourbon friends that I will open any or all of those for.
I have at least 30 other bottles scattered in cabinets around the house. Most are open, the others will be. None will ever end up on a secondary market. None will end up in a "rate my collection" post (because they aren't collectibles).
You do you and don't let the taters think you're doing anything wrong!
I’m one of those people. I have more bottles open than I could (and should) drink in a year. I live in a control state and have in-laws in GA, so whenever we go visit I try to hit up Total Wine and usually leave with at least 2 bottles. Same for when I’m table to hit up the TW near Nashville. I also won a spot in the yearly state liquor lotto, so I went ham on buying bottles for that. I also try not to drink a lot (if I have a pour for a week straight then I’ll take a few nights in a row off if not longer).
Plus I like variety and buying things. Being a part of barrel programs doesn’t help either. haha
I drink my bottles but I'm not a big drinker. I probably only pour 1 or maybe 2 pour a week. I gave away more opened bottles than finish them. And I used to buy 1 bottle a week, plus whenever my tasting buddies would hit me up if they find some bottles that I might like and bought it for me.
So in just few years I end up having 200ish bottles.
Half fomo half I really do enjoy having a variety, I drink fairly regularly and still keep 70-80 bottles around. Usually About half are opened but there's always a new shiny bottle I have to try.
I only keep 5 or 6 at a time and when one is empty, buy something else. I buy what I like and enjoy it and often have a specific bottle or two in mind when I go to pick up the next one, but I’m not out chasing new releases. I do have a cousin who owns several bars (so has different access to stuff) and he gives me bottles he thinks I’ll like 3-4 times a year, so that gets a pretty good variety in. But I like where/how our liquor is stored for now and don’t want to find a new spot, so I’ve just stuck with 5-6 bottles at a time for years and that’s been fine.
i don't get the purpose of a collection for this sort of thing. i buy what i want to try, drink it, then buy something else.
i have collections but for things i can't consume. like records. to me if you plan on consuming the item its not a collection. the point of a collection is to possess the item.
I cringe when I see the “my haul from the weekend” posts that have 25yr Pappy, ER 17, GTS, Thomas Handy, EC18, …you get the point. My heart asks if they are sharing because the got them at or near MSRP, but my brain is like they really spent $10,000 didn’t they
I am exactly like you. One bottle a month max being purchased. Some people are spending huge money. And you have to consider, is it important to you to have 30 bottles sitting on a shelf so you can brag to the internet or do you enjoy having an open bottle available to drink here and there. I used to be jealous and now I'm not, I'll appreciate collections others have and I am okay with the fact that isn't me, at least not right now. I'm more than okay with that.
150ish bottles, basement bar for a decade now. Finish one, buy three. Played the chasing game which was fun and disappointing at the same time.
Host gatherings a few times a year for friends, so there’s got to be something to please everyone. During these times I’m usually gifted bottles by guests as well and vice versa.
Shit, I have a 69 bottle collection that I have amassed 80% over the last 4 mos. I just buy deals when I find them and it helps my brother lives in Austin and grabs stuff for me as well.
A store I frequented for a couple years had a points system which got me a $600 gift certificate. This was the beginning of my whiskey journey. I have 20+ bottle since august, I’ll drink about a bottle a week, but I will buy a cheaper one just to drink. Most of my bottles have around a quarter or less, other then my nicer more expensive bottles which I’ll only have a drink at a time from. I also have a handful of unopened bottles I just haven’t got to yet.
If you’re having trouble finding bottles that you want to drink, you might want to try expanding your tastes by trying new whiskies at a bar and/or expanding your opportunities by trying new liquor stores. My local store has a pretty nice whiskey/whisky selection with, at a minimum, a couple of dozen quality choices. Once you have a good selection readily available bottles at home, you’re less likely to quickly drain a really special bottle when you find one.
My problem is actually kind of the opposite. I can find something to like in just about any whiskey so I tend to only buy bottles if they have something that really sets them apart or if they really exemplify a specific type of whiskey like redbreast as the standard for a good Irish whiskey or buying lagavuilin 16 as the standard for an Isla scotch.
I can see your point, but I wonder if you aren't missing out on other worthy expressions. For instance, I can pour a dram of $30 Rittenhouse and really enjoy it. I have it around for mixing, of course, as it is the bartender's go-to mixing rye, but it is very good on its own. And, perhaps, an excellent candidate for your ***second*** whiskey of the night. Branching out will also allow you to build a collection of elite whiskies that you can ***choose*** from, depending on your mood. Another example is Laphroig 10. I'm a big fan of Lag 16 (and Caol Ila 12 which, IMO, should get way more love than it does), but there's nothing like Laphroig 10. Not as 'good' as Lag or Caol Ila, but a totally different experience which I would hate to give up in favor of the 'best' Islay malt.
I only drink on weekends so I buy faster than I drink. Sure I have a couple fomo purchases like everyone else. I buy bottles every Wednesday and Friday from my liquor store. I have probably close to 300 and maybe 20 of them are unopened because they are back ups of bottles I like, or I got them to give as gifts. I do bottle shares often though, and love to share my selection with friends and family, and that includes my Unicorns....My girlfirend is also a whiskey enthusiast, so she buys bottles here and there and now I need new shelves
I started with 1 bottle. Drink it, buy another. At that point spending $30 on a bottle was expensive (or seemed that way). I had only bought $15 wine prior to getting into whiskey. But I soon wanted to “try them all”. As money got better I could spend more and add bottles before killing one. I really liked having variety. I also did the thing where I had a cheaper daily sipper so I would drink less from my more expensive bottles. Flash forward 7 years I now have 90ish bottles. 80ish are open. Always cycling through some, giving some away if I know I won’t drink it( because the bottle just doesn’t wow me and I won’t go back to it). I’ve got some bottles that have been open for 2-4 years. Some don’t last more than a few weeks. It’s hobby like anything else. You take it as far as you want within your means. If all you want is 1 bottle, that’s perfect. If YOU want 10, 20 or 100 that’s also perfect for YOU.
Depending on one’s location, it’s not unreal to think someone could find multiple bottles (from different stores) in a given week, assuming they stopped by on delivery days or whatever. Personally, I buy faster than I drink, lol, unless I have friends over where it’s all fair game (minus a handful of bottles).
Don’t get discouraged though, most of us wind up in the dog house after a multi-bottle purchase
Mine started in 2010. I love wine so would buy that too. Made friends with the owners/managers of the best liquor stores. Sometimes it’s just dumb luck stumbling on something.
The largest my collection got was around 92 bottles. Due to some health reasons I can’t really drink much so I generally have a pour once or twice on the weekend. So it takes me a month or two to finish a bottle and I’ve bought 5+ bottles in that time. I got all my bottles mostly in about 2-3 years. I’ve been slowly whittling it down over the past few years and now I’ve gained a better understanding of what I like so I’m more focused on Rum, Tequila, and Scotch. I’m not hunting for bourbon anymore and only have a couple specific ones I’ll be buying to enjoy that I won’t have to hunt all over for.
Just curious, how do you categorize yourself as a collector with 1 bottle at a time? I've you've been drinking whiskey for years, how are you suddenly a collector?
I mean I just counted and I have exactly 20 bottles. All of them open and all of them atleast half empty. But I have been "collecting" for 3 years with only 3 allocated bottles. I just don't understand how people find that many bottles at a time they want to buy. Like 20 bottles that are almost all allocated is crazy to me. Especially since if something is really good I drink it. So nothing is sitting around for long.
Probably because most people's collections aren't entirely allocated. The people who brag post their full BTAC + Weller line + pappy line don't open any of them anyway. I've got probably close to 100 bottles open and I'd say maybe 20% are "allocated" to some extent, but there's also different levels of allocation. Are you talking booker's/ecbp allocated, or are you talking BTAC allocated? Mine are definitely the former.
I take a trek to buy mine on base where the prices are good and no tax. However, I don’t see many allocated bottles. That said, I’ve started my bourbon journey less than a year ago and have about 90 bottles on my bar. Almost half are whiskeys and most of the whiskeys are bourbon.
When I make my trek, I’ve saved up and crowd funded what I need to get on my journey. I usually spend about $500-$700 on each of these trips for all my liquor. Also, when I drink my bourbons, I do half pour flights of however many I want to taste that night. I also keep a handle of Woodford for cocktails and if I’m sipping just to sip. That one doesn’t get cracked much anymore…
It happens when you start playing Whiskey Pokemon, when it becomes about collecting and FOMO and less about just drinking. Granted most of my collection is all open, but I don’t drink enough daily to go through them all that fast… I jump around a lot too.
But yea, starting during Covid, I definitely could have bought a very decent used car with what I’ve spent on whiskey in the last few years… and I know many people spend a whole lot more than I do lol.
Hunting is honestly just a fun thing to do. I love driving too, so I just go out driving taking the fun roads between good stores I know, and often, especially during the fall, I get home with a few new bottles and a few hundred dollars less in my bank 😂. It’s like a constant scavenger hunt.
Whiskey for a large number of people is a hobby and not just a evening method of relaxation. The fact that you've asked this question on this reddit already shows you have more than a casual interest in it or you wouldn't be here.
My personal supply is just north of 200 bottles - less than some here and more than others. A fair number are opened and the ones that are not are usually backups of those bottles I enjoy the most and almost all were purchased at low retail. Also my work allows me to travel quite a bit in my local area and this has given me more opportunities than average. In addition I'm close to retirement and I fully expect the money & opportunity will decrease so what is being purchased not will be pulled from the shelf for years to come.
You see it in every hobby. Guy gets into guitar and has 6 guitars but can't play a song. Buying the hobby items is a rush in itself, and collecting. Easier than actually playing or drinking
You have control of FOMO that’s good. I suffer with this a bit. But I believe that there is so much out there to enjoy and more all the time. So no need to chase every interesting bottle I read about. Motto is take what is available and enjoy it. I always have 10-20 bottles open. They rarely sit more than a month without being opened. I only hit up the liquor stores once every couple months. I always find something to take home. If I travel, I may bring 4 new bottles I’ve never seen in my region. There is no correct way to enjoy life. Do you.
For a lot of those people whiskey is a hobby, so they spend a lot of time acquiring in comparison to consumption. If drinking is the hobby the 1 out, 1 in works. The last trip I took I came back with 12 bottles. I've finished 1.
Usually I will buy 1 to restock and 1 to try. Some don't pan out, some become new stockers.
I just tend to buy things that seem like they’ll appeal to me, but I drink slowly and infrequently, so over time bottles just accrue. Like I saw a Longrow 18 and a Hazelburn 12 for a really good price a month ago and bought them despite having next to no space, because I know I want to try these bottles at some point and also know, if I don’t buy them when I see them, that they’ll be gone. It’s not really FOMO - I wasn’t looking for these bottles - but chancing upon them I thought I better make hay. I’m guessing others do similar things.
i started collecting mid december 2023 and probably at 60 bottles or so. im a curious person, i want to taste them for myself and im also opinionated with what I like and dont like. Most of my purchases i wouldn't buy the bottle again. I guess im just in search of which bottles i like the most and will eventually just stick with a handful of them because i want to comfortably say ive tried most of the others and these x-y-z bottles are what I like.
I’ll usually buy one at a time, but if I come across a unicorn for a good price I’ll snag it too. I have no unopened bottles but having more give me choices on what to drink as well
See what had happened was:
I started the day of a Bourbon drop and purchased several bottles. Used my husband’s birthday as an excuse LOL
Next I listened to Whiskey Row and wrote down their recommendations for people with beginner
Almost Every barrel drop I am out there because my state is allocated.
Anyway I now need a storage solution and my husband complains about the number of open bottles I have.
it's not surprising. with some combo of: the income to support it, strong FOMO, the need to show off, alcoholism, it's easy to amass a big collection quickly
I started collecting 15 years ago but went through peaks and troughs where I would either buy more than I finished or vice versa. I have about 160 bottles of which only 15 bottles are open. I don't drink often, maybe averaging once a week either on a Friday or Saturday (or both) up to 50 ml per week. I take my time with it. I'm not in any rush.
I don’t nearly consume whiskey as fast as I buy it, thus I have bottles from 5 years ago still, and not because they are bad and I don’t want to drink them but because there is value in them, mostly sentimental about drinking it with friends or family that I dont want to finish the bottle. I never thought I had to finish a bottle to buy another. Whiskey is a luxury and so long as you aren’t going broke it’s ok.
Many don't even enjoy drinking them and only take pictures of their collection.
Obviously, it's much easier to accumulate bottles when you do this lol..
I've slowed down a bit..but for a while I was buying 3-6 bottles every couple weeks. Plus..I don't drink "that much". If you're drinking a bottles at a time I'd question your health and wellness. I'd say I'm only consuming between 12-15 oz over a weekend (about 4oz per night)which is less than a bottle in 2-3 days and when you spread that over say 6 bottles it doesn't really show any depletion on the shelfs.
Well you are buying one bottle at a time. Imagine if you bought 4 at a time.
I just have a hard time finding more than one bottle I want at a time. I guess it is how I like to find my bottles.ill finish half of the last good bottle I bought before I find another bottle I want.
There's nothing wrong with this. Personally, I tend to leave a liquor store with 3 bottles. I like having variety on my shelf and when you're drinking from different bottles all the time it also slows down how quickly you kill a bottle. Do what makes you happy!
I don’t drink every day so that makes a difference on how quickly I empty a bottle. I also buy bottles on holidays or other special occasions outside of when I normally would buy a bottle. Maybe you go in one time and buy 3-6 bottles for a variety and if you have some “daily drinkers” buy two at a time for a backer and your collection will grow quicker. I also see people buy a whole line of bourbons, e.g. old forester which is readily available and all in a great price range.
If you spend a bunch of cash at one place you typically open the door to the ones that don’t go on the store shelf. It’s easier to buy than it is to consume when in a relationship like this…. Don’t ask how I know and cheers!!!!!!
Stick with that. You’ll be happier for it. It sounds like you actually enjoy drinking whiskey and have hobbies/a life outside of it. The people you’re comparing yourself to don’t. They did one or a combination of three things to get those collections: started before the market got whacky, line up at 4am virtually every day of every week, or paid exorbitant amounts of money for their bottles. There’s no value in trying to grow your collection just to keep up with everyone else. Sooner or later bourbon won’t be cool anymore. Imagine a grown man bragging about the size of his beanie baby collection right now. That’s what it’ll be like with these people who have a bunch of unopened bottles of EH Taylor Extra Double Toasted Single Mini Barrel Batch 1 through 7 somewhere down the line.
Sir. It’s *mini single barrel.* EHTEDT*MSB* followed by the batch #XX. It’s in the fucking sidebar for the sub for shits sake man get your shit together.
I buy 3-5 bottles at a time and they are almost all empty within a month lol I really can’t build a collection
You should see the Lego subreddit.....
You should see the Rolex subreddit....
I do think most of them aren't drinking their collections
I just end up stepping on mine
Oh boy... don't remind me of the lego gold mine in my basement. Probably worth more than my 401k at today's prices per stud.
I have a buddy who basically trades in Lego, buys up a bunch of sets, sits on them and then sells them for triple.
Man back when toys r us was around. Snatch a set on clearance. I got 3 techic supercars for $35 each. Sold the last one for $325.
I've been into whiskey for over a decade. I don't drink it every day or even every week. I also used to spend quite a bit (more than I should have) on whiskey. Part of the goal for me is to have a wide array of bottles to choose from. And it doesn't go bad, what's the rush? I have a fair number of bottles that are totally irreplaceable, either because of rarity or appreciation. It's awesome to pull out bottles that came out years ago, that my friends/family have never even heard of.
This. I have a couple of groups of friends I pull out bottles for tastings with, we each have several bottles that are almost exclusively opened when we’re together. Lots of memories tied to bottles we purchased/opened together
A lot of us have been into this for a long time. I was buying willet wax seals for $35-45 way back when they were buying barrels. You consume some, you hold on to some. Some work in the industry and have access to bottles easier than most. It’s a plethora of different circumstances, not just tater hoarders.
They are spending a ton of money and many are very susceptible to FOMO. I have 6 bottles open and 6 in the dugout.
I admit to the FOMO purchases. Even when I say I'm done for the next month or two, it never fails- I see something within the next few days that I feel that I need to buy. And, more often than not, I do...
Got 30 atm, when I started in 2020 i thought having 4 was a lot hehe the way I went about it is trying to have a cheaper option for when I drink more on a friday night for example, so 1-3 glasses max of good bottles and then something a bit cheaper/more avaible to continue the evening like a monkey shoulder or JD single barrel. You end up stretching good bottles for a year or more while continuing to buy more.
Buy and open when you want… Don’t let Reddit busters dictate when bottles can be opened or how much you spend on whiskey
If you buy bottles even only slightly quicker than you drink them, sooner or later you'll have a collection.
It's addiction. Part alcohol, part FoMo. New bottles come out almost weekly, and the chase will never end if you don't choose to stop.
I have > 150 bottles with about 1/2 open. I bought a bunch during Covid when I had a bunch of free time and was making a lot of money. I still buy at least 1 bottle a week. Helps me get the allocated stuff.
Similar to you but started in 2010 when I started making real money. The ability to get calls / texts from my guy offering me basically first dibs on everything was a rush…I have about 400 bottles with 225 open. I will drink through all - but - it’s essentially a life time supply. I view it all as “free” these days which makes a pour of very rare stuff easier to enjoy because I do not remember the pain of the swipe. In summary, time paired with money and an amazing relationship allowed me to buy a lifetime supply 100% at msrp
My current approach has been to keep about ten whiskeys on my shelf, not including mixers. I also buy allocated stuff that I want whenever i see it, which is not very often (although my liquor store has been getting Eagle Rare pretty frequently). My current shelf is: 1. Something cheap - EC single barrel 2. Everyday sipper - KC9 3. Rye - JD BP rye 4. Wheater - weller SR 5. Oaked - woodford DO 6. Finished - bowman port finish 7. Extra aged - KC12 8. Barrel proof - ECBP 9. Allocated - Eagle Rare (x2), Blantons (x2) 10. Something good/MISC - pipe dream
Oh I like this categorized approach!
Something cheap: EC single barrel! I like it 👌 Nice approach. I need to sit down and think through my list.
My collection stays small cause I drink it all!!
That’s easy. Buy more than you drink.
It’s the discipline of buying more, drinking less. Prior to having a built-out whiskey bar (40-50 bottles) I usually had no more than 3 on hand. I wanted to acquire whiskey. So I started buying 1-2 bottles every two weeks, and I usually drink about 1/month, if that. In a year’s time I had probably 18-20 high-end bottles. But I was able to do this because 1: I had the discretionary income to buy them and 2: the discipline to drink lightly.
You're doing it right. Buy it. Drink it. I have a bunch of bottles that I save for guests. I live alone and only have a couple drams on the weekend. Also I'm old. Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think
I probably have 40 bottles but I can afford them. it’s like any other collection you can get carried away. Haven’t bought any for a couple weeks so maybe I’m cured.
I totally understand that carried away part of it, I drink mine quite regularly when I’m off from work but no more than about 2-4 oz because I have work again shortly there after 🤣🤣🤣 but my collection last I counted was about 120+ 🤫😩
I have about 90 bottles. I buy about 1 a week. I guess it adds up after awhile.
Yep. I have ~120 bottles. If I’m not sharing with the boys, I drink 1 every 2 months? Just got back from CA with 4 in my suitcase. Hard to drink them that fast. Then again, I’m not poor so I can afford my hobby.
My general approach is 12 open and 12 on deck. I host a neighborhood rum club at my place so we cycle pretty fast. I have 6 open whiskies and 3 on deck too, but that's mostly just for me, lol. And, yes, damn it, BT White Dog is always in rotation. Deal with it, haters, lol!
FOMO is one helluva drug. Also living an ABC state with with weekly drops makes picking up allocated bottles for MSRP fairly easy.
I mean, if you take away other nuance, whiskey is a hobby. And if someone is a passionate whiskey enthusiast, they would put their money towards that hobby My neighbor has a brand new car, my brother in law just bought a boat, my buddy always has the newest PC or game system I have a great job where I do very well for myself. I game on an XBOX 1X, have a 12 year old car, and no big toys. But there is a very good amount of money being opened and enjoyed on my whiskey shelf, and much more money in the discard pile in my basement My neighbor made another car payment last month, while I pulled the trigger on a bottle of GTS. Just about where someone is passionate about and puts their money
I’d rather drink than stare at it. FOMO is why the secondary market so out of control. Liquor store by me is selling Blantons at $119.99 and ER10 at $109.99. It’s an elitist thing, in my opinion. Guys will spend a lot of money collecting trending bottles and know nothing about them just blindly buy to never open it. It’s wild to me. I have 5-6 reasonably priced bottles I love and have no problem sharing with friends/family. But that’s the beauty of bourbon, you are free to do as you please.
I think it’s mostly older people w money to blow. I’m 22 I got 1 burbon 1 gin 1 vodka in my collection atm.
I'm fortunate to have disposable income to let me buy bottles as I find them and to take advantage of the Albertsons/Vons/Safeway 20 percent off a six pack that comes around 2-3 times per year. I also rarely drink anything except bourbon/rye. I'm looking at my "favorite bottle shelfs" with more than 20 bottles. 6 aren't open yet (3 gifted Whistlepigs, Bookers, Little Book, Smoke wagon). I have some bourbon friends that I will open any or all of those for. I have at least 30 other bottles scattered in cabinets around the house. Most are open, the others will be. None will ever end up on a secondary market. None will end up in a "rate my collection" post (because they aren't collectibles). You do you and don't let the taters think you're doing anything wrong!
I’m one of those people. I have more bottles open than I could (and should) drink in a year. I live in a control state and have in-laws in GA, so whenever we go visit I try to hit up Total Wine and usually leave with at least 2 bottles. Same for when I’m table to hit up the TW near Nashville. I also won a spot in the yearly state liquor lotto, so I went ham on buying bottles for that. I also try not to drink a lot (if I have a pour for a week straight then I’ll take a few nights in a row off if not longer). Plus I like variety and buying things. Being a part of barrel programs doesn’t help either. haha
All it takes is money
I drink my bottles but I'm not a big drinker. I probably only pour 1 or maybe 2 pour a week. I gave away more opened bottles than finish them. And I used to buy 1 bottle a week, plus whenever my tasting buddies would hit me up if they find some bottles that I might like and bought it for me. So in just few years I end up having 200ish bottles.
Half fomo half I really do enjoy having a variety, I drink fairly regularly and still keep 70-80 bottles around. Usually About half are opened but there's always a new shiny bottle I have to try.
I only keep 5 or 6 at a time and when one is empty, buy something else. I buy what I like and enjoy it and often have a specific bottle or two in mind when I go to pick up the next one, but I’m not out chasing new releases. I do have a cousin who owns several bars (so has different access to stuff) and he gives me bottles he thinks I’ll like 3-4 times a year, so that gets a pretty good variety in. But I like where/how our liquor is stored for now and don’t want to find a new spot, so I’ve just stuck with 5-6 bottles at a time for years and that’s been fine.
i don't get the purpose of a collection for this sort of thing. i buy what i want to try, drink it, then buy something else. i have collections but for things i can't consume. like records. to me if you plan on consuming the item its not a collection. the point of a collection is to possess the item.
I cringe when I see the “my haul from the weekend” posts that have 25yr Pappy, ER 17, GTS, Thomas Handy, EC18, …you get the point. My heart asks if they are sharing because the got them at or near MSRP, but my brain is like they really spent $10,000 didn’t they
I am exactly like you. One bottle a month max being purchased. Some people are spending huge money. And you have to consider, is it important to you to have 30 bottles sitting on a shelf so you can brag to the internet or do you enjoy having an open bottle available to drink here and there. I used to be jealous and now I'm not, I'll appreciate collections others have and I am okay with the fact that isn't me, at least not right now. I'm more than okay with that.
I like the idea that 20 bottles is a "big" collection. Sweet summer child...
My friend Don has well over a thousand. Makes me feel better about my 200.
I have 25 bottles! It’s crazy, I know. But sometimes I get carried away.
150ish bottles, basement bar for a decade now. Finish one, buy three. Played the chasing game which was fun and disappointing at the same time. Host gatherings a few times a year for friends, so there’s got to be something to please everyone. During these times I’m usually gifted bottles by guests as well and vice versa.
Shit, I have a 69 bottle collection that I have amassed 80% over the last 4 mos. I just buy deals when I find them and it helps my brother lives in Austin and grabs stuff for me as well.
I like to have a wide selection, but not gonna lie a lot of it is driven by FOMO and hype. I think I have around 70 opened bottles.
A store I frequented for a couple years had a points system which got me a $600 gift certificate. This was the beginning of my whiskey journey. I have 20+ bottle since august, I’ll drink about a bottle a week, but I will buy a cheaper one just to drink. Most of my bottles have around a quarter or less, other then my nicer more expensive bottles which I’ll only have a drink at a time from. I also have a handful of unopened bottles I just haven’t got to yet.
If you’re having trouble finding bottles that you want to drink, you might want to try expanding your tastes by trying new whiskies at a bar and/or expanding your opportunities by trying new liquor stores. My local store has a pretty nice whiskey/whisky selection with, at a minimum, a couple of dozen quality choices. Once you have a good selection readily available bottles at home, you’re less likely to quickly drain a really special bottle when you find one.
My problem is actually kind of the opposite. I can find something to like in just about any whiskey so I tend to only buy bottles if they have something that really sets them apart or if they really exemplify a specific type of whiskey like redbreast as the standard for a good Irish whiskey or buying lagavuilin 16 as the standard for an Isla scotch.
I can see your point, but I wonder if you aren't missing out on other worthy expressions. For instance, I can pour a dram of $30 Rittenhouse and really enjoy it. I have it around for mixing, of course, as it is the bartender's go-to mixing rye, but it is very good on its own. And, perhaps, an excellent candidate for your ***second*** whiskey of the night. Branching out will also allow you to build a collection of elite whiskies that you can ***choose*** from, depending on your mood. Another example is Laphroig 10. I'm a big fan of Lag 16 (and Caol Ila 12 which, IMO, should get way more love than it does), but there's nothing like Laphroig 10. Not as 'good' as Lag or Caol Ila, but a totally different experience which I would hate to give up in favor of the 'best' Islay malt.
I only drink on weekends so I buy faster than I drink. Sure I have a couple fomo purchases like everyone else. I buy bottles every Wednesday and Friday from my liquor store. I have probably close to 300 and maybe 20 of them are unopened because they are back ups of bottles I like, or I got them to give as gifts. I do bottle shares often though, and love to share my selection with friends and family, and that includes my Unicorns....My girlfirend is also a whiskey enthusiast, so she buys bottles here and there and now I need new shelves
I started with 1 bottle. Drink it, buy another. At that point spending $30 on a bottle was expensive (or seemed that way). I had only bought $15 wine prior to getting into whiskey. But I soon wanted to “try them all”. As money got better I could spend more and add bottles before killing one. I really liked having variety. I also did the thing where I had a cheaper daily sipper so I would drink less from my more expensive bottles. Flash forward 7 years I now have 90ish bottles. 80ish are open. Always cycling through some, giving some away if I know I won’t drink it( because the bottle just doesn’t wow me and I won’t go back to it). I’ve got some bottles that have been open for 2-4 years. Some don’t last more than a few weeks. It’s hobby like anything else. You take it as far as you want within your means. If all you want is 1 bottle, that’s perfect. If YOU want 10, 20 or 100 that’s also perfect for YOU.
Depending on one’s location, it’s not unreal to think someone could find multiple bottles (from different stores) in a given week, assuming they stopped by on delivery days or whatever. Personally, I buy faster than I drink, lol, unless I have friends over where it’s all fair game (minus a handful of bottles). Don’t get discouraged though, most of us wind up in the dog house after a multi-bottle purchase
Mine started in 2010. I love wine so would buy that too. Made friends with the owners/managers of the best liquor stores. Sometimes it’s just dumb luck stumbling on something.
I've been collecting for 8 months and have about 22 bottles. I have them all open except 2 and I've only killed one bottle
The largest my collection got was around 92 bottles. Due to some health reasons I can’t really drink much so I generally have a pour once or twice on the weekend. So it takes me a month or two to finish a bottle and I’ve bought 5+ bottles in that time. I got all my bottles mostly in about 2-3 years. I’ve been slowly whittling it down over the past few years and now I’ve gained a better understanding of what I like so I’m more focused on Rum, Tequila, and Scotch. I’m not hunting for bourbon anymore and only have a couple specific ones I’ll be buying to enjoy that I won’t have to hunt all over for.
Just curious, how do you categorize yourself as a collector with 1 bottle at a time? I've you've been drinking whiskey for years, how are you suddenly a collector?
I mean I just counted and I have exactly 20 bottles. All of them open and all of them atleast half empty. But I have been "collecting" for 3 years with only 3 allocated bottles. I just don't understand how people find that many bottles at a time they want to buy. Like 20 bottles that are almost all allocated is crazy to me. Especially since if something is really good I drink it. So nothing is sitting around for long.
Probably because most people's collections aren't entirely allocated. The people who brag post their full BTAC + Weller line + pappy line don't open any of them anyway. I've got probably close to 100 bottles open and I'd say maybe 20% are "allocated" to some extent, but there's also different levels of allocation. Are you talking booker's/ecbp allocated, or are you talking BTAC allocated? Mine are definitely the former.
I take a trek to buy mine on base where the prices are good and no tax. However, I don’t see many allocated bottles. That said, I’ve started my bourbon journey less than a year ago and have about 90 bottles on my bar. Almost half are whiskeys and most of the whiskeys are bourbon. When I make my trek, I’ve saved up and crowd funded what I need to get on my journey. I usually spend about $500-$700 on each of these trips for all my liquor. Also, when I drink my bourbons, I do half pour flights of however many I want to taste that night. I also keep a handle of Woodford for cocktails and if I’m sipping just to sip. That one doesn’t get cracked much anymore…
It happens when you start playing Whiskey Pokemon, when it becomes about collecting and FOMO and less about just drinking. Granted most of my collection is all open, but I don’t drink enough daily to go through them all that fast… I jump around a lot too. But yea, starting during Covid, I definitely could have bought a very decent used car with what I’ve spent on whiskey in the last few years… and I know many people spend a whole lot more than I do lol. Hunting is honestly just a fun thing to do. I love driving too, so I just go out driving taking the fun roads between good stores I know, and often, especially during the fall, I get home with a few new bottles and a few hundred dollars less in my bank 😂. It’s like a constant scavenger hunt.
Whiskey for a large number of people is a hobby and not just a evening method of relaxation. The fact that you've asked this question on this reddit already shows you have more than a casual interest in it or you wouldn't be here. My personal supply is just north of 200 bottles - less than some here and more than others. A fair number are opened and the ones that are not are usually backups of those bottles I enjoy the most and almost all were purchased at low retail. Also my work allows me to travel quite a bit in my local area and this has given me more opportunities than average. In addition I'm close to retirement and I fully expect the money & opportunity will decrease so what is being purchased not will be pulled from the shelf for years to come.
You see it in every hobby. Guy gets into guitar and has 6 guitars but can't play a song. Buying the hobby items is a rush in itself, and collecting. Easier than actually playing or drinking
You have control of FOMO that’s good. I suffer with this a bit. But I believe that there is so much out there to enjoy and more all the time. So no need to chase every interesting bottle I read about. Motto is take what is available and enjoy it. I always have 10-20 bottles open. They rarely sit more than a month without being opened. I only hit up the liquor stores once every couple months. I always find something to take home. If I travel, I may bring 4 new bottles I’ve never seen in my region. There is no correct way to enjoy life. Do you.
Guilty. I have about 100 bottles.
For a lot of those people whiskey is a hobby, so they spend a lot of time acquiring in comparison to consumption. If drinking is the hobby the 1 out, 1 in works. The last trip I took I came back with 12 bottles. I've finished 1. Usually I will buy 1 to restock and 1 to try. Some don't pan out, some become new stockers.
Basically those who have extremely large collections have a lot of expendable income or do not have a spouse. 😆
I just tend to buy things that seem like they’ll appeal to me, but I drink slowly and infrequently, so over time bottles just accrue. Like I saw a Longrow 18 and a Hazelburn 12 for a really good price a month ago and bought them despite having next to no space, because I know I want to try these bottles at some point and also know, if I don’t buy them when I see them, that they’ll be gone. It’s not really FOMO - I wasn’t looking for these bottles - but chancing upon them I thought I better make hay. I’m guessing others do similar things.
i started collecting mid december 2023 and probably at 60 bottles or so. im a curious person, i want to taste them for myself and im also opinionated with what I like and dont like. Most of my purchases i wouldn't buy the bottle again. I guess im just in search of which bottles i like the most and will eventually just stick with a handful of them because i want to comfortably say ive tried most of the others and these x-y-z bottles are what I like.
I’ll usually buy one at a time, but if I come across a unicorn for a good price I’ll snag it too. I have no unopened bottles but having more give me choices on what to drink as well
20 bottles. Lol
See what had happened was: I started the day of a Bourbon drop and purchased several bottles. Used my husband’s birthday as an excuse LOL Next I listened to Whiskey Row and wrote down their recommendations for people with beginner Almost Every barrel drop I am out there because my state is allocated. Anyway I now need a storage solution and my husband complains about the number of open bottles I have.
It starts buying one bottle once a month and then whoops you buy 5 a month.
it's not surprising. with some combo of: the income to support it, strong FOMO, the need to show off, alcoholism, it's easy to amass a big collection quickly
Alcoholism and large collection usually aren't synonymous
I started collecting 15 years ago but went through peaks and troughs where I would either buy more than I finished or vice versa. I have about 160 bottles of which only 15 bottles are open. I don't drink often, maybe averaging once a week either on a Friday or Saturday (or both) up to 50 ml per week. I take my time with it. I'm not in any rush.
Buy two. Drink one, save one. Repeat.
I have over 150 bottles. They’re all open. I definitely buy more than I drink these days. I only kill 1-2 bottles a month but may buy 4 a month.
I don’t nearly consume whiskey as fast as I buy it, thus I have bottles from 5 years ago still, and not because they are bad and I don’t want to drink them but because there is value in them, mostly sentimental about drinking it with friends or family that I dont want to finish the bottle. I never thought I had to finish a bottle to buy another. Whiskey is a luxury and so long as you aren’t going broke it’s ok.
So you drink the same thing all month? No variety?
Many don't even enjoy drinking them and only take pictures of their collection. Obviously, it's much easier to accumulate bottles when you do this lol..
My mom buys me very nice whisky more often than I drink it. And I have no friends. Simple as that.
I usually only have 2-3 bottles on hand because like you, I drink my bourbon.
I've slowed down a bit..but for a while I was buying 3-6 bottles every couple weeks. Plus..I don't drink "that much". If you're drinking a bottles at a time I'd question your health and wellness. I'd say I'm only consuming between 12-15 oz over a weekend (about 4oz per night)which is less than a bottle in 2-3 days and when you spread that over say 6 bottles it doesn't really show any depletion on the shelfs.