Exploration Burnout

[kickert]

It has been an incredible 9 months of bourbon exploration. In less than a year I have been able to try 63 different whiskies!

Many of those were single drinks, smaller bottles, shared bottles or similar experiences. When buying a 750 or larger, I have never purchased the same bottle twice (except for Benchmark b/c it is so freakin cheap and mixes well). But, I gotta say, I am getting burned out. Not on trying new bourbons - far from that, but on purchasing new bottles. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what I like and what I don't like. While experiencing something new is great, I have forgone some great bourbons in favor of mediocre ones just because I had not had them. As I have tried most bourbons in the $20-40 range, most of what is left is either expensive (and not worth risking high dollar on something I may not like) or bottom shelf (and I don't need anymore mediocre bourbon taking up my shelf space.)

From here on out, I make the following vow. I will not purchase an untried 750 or larger bottle of bourbon unless:

• It is currently out of production, -or-
  
• It is less than 66% of regular cost, -or-
  
• It is the only thing available.

At this point I look forwarding to spending my bourbon money on bottles I know I like. It is time to revisit Rittenhouse BIB and buy that handle of Weller 12 I have been eying!!

So what about the rest of you. Have you had similar experiances?

[callmeox]

So what about the rest of you. Have you had similar experiances?

Nope.

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[ThomasH]

I never get tired of looking for new bottles, I just find them less frequently now that I own most of the ones that I want. I still get a kick out of hunting down the occassional dusty. Living in Ohio, I could have given up long ago based on the dismal selection we have to choose from here!

Thomas

[p_elliott]

I have 3 regular purchases when I buy here in town. When I get to Maryville I will usually either pick up a purchase of a favorite or look for something I haven't had before or combination of both. I make the occasional internet purchase of something that I just can't get around here, never had and Curiosity has just gotten the better of me.

[spun_cookie]

yes and no... I am down to buying bourbon from known good producers...

I think I have had aroudn 350-400 diffrent labels or labes from diffrent times (more than that if you cound diffrent bottles).

What I learned at about yout point was, to skip certain bottes adn use others ratings/tastes and judge if I wanted to buy it or not....

by the way, after that point, I have bought far more bottles...

[Attila]

Have you had similar experiances?

Yes, but no. Making rules for myslef that include percentanges and such are beyond me.

[kickert]

A couple additional thoughts.

First, I have a bourbon budget of about $20-30 a month and my bar does not have many offerings (and many of them are near empty). So using my budget to buy a bottle I may not like just because it is new doesn't make sense any more. I have a pretty good idea of what I like and what I don't like. Basically I am planning on spending my budget on things I know I like while continuing to sample new offerings.

As for the percentage things... You don't have to worry about me pulling out my calculator to make sure it fits in under 66%. Instead, if I find a bottle that is normally $30 and is on sale for $20, I cannot pass that up and am willing to take a chance.

[MJL]

kickert,

You are way more organized than I am. I enjoy the hunt perhaps as much as the drink if not more. To that end I have been involved in the hunt about as long as you have if not a bit more and am far from tired of it. I cannot argue with your logic; it is sound. I just like to explore wide and far. The wanderlust has combined with Bourbonlust and taken me to areas of this town that I would scarcely have entered without arms on myself as I felt the imminent possibility of the need to repel boarders at any moment. At the same time I have found some amazing bargains among the rich and famous settlements. It is a funny old world and sometimes I just like to look around. Bourbon gives me a good reason to do so.

[GOCOUGS2002]

I am surrounded by Control states so I only get to explore when I leave the northwest.

I am not limited by a budget per se, but I am limited when the wife :hot:tells:hot: me to slow down:lol:

I say this with only four months of hunting and I am sure it will change, however nothing is better than spending an afternoon combing though liquor stores looking for a dusty or something that I can't find in Washington. Sometimes it doesn't cost a thing and other times:eek:

[kickert]

I say this with only four months of hunting and I am sure it will change, however nothing is better than spending an afternoon combing though liquor stores looking for a dusty or something that I can't find in Washington. Sometimes it doesn't cost a thing and other times:eek:

I still do this looking for dusties... but as for in production stuff... I can get most anything here in the bluegrass.

[Stu]

I still do this looking for dusties... but as for in production stuff... I can get most anything here in the bluegrass.

For me, like many other things in life, the joy is in the pursuit.

[funknik]

I still do this looking for dusties... but as for in production stuff... I can get most anything here in the bluegrass.

Before reading through this post this morning, I have to admit, I felt I may be getting bored....

I like bourbon and I haven't tried everything available by a longshot, but I feel like what is available around here does not really include a lot of my favorites....also, like MJL said, I enjoy the dusty hunting and finding cool old stuff which has really been a wild goose chase mostly.

So, my initial intention of trying to find out what I like has broadened my horizons so much (beyond what I imagined possible) that I'm not satisfied with what I can get locally. What's funny is that my horizons haven't really been broadened that much, there is just precious little available here. In a lot of ways, I have worked against myself in this respect and it's frustrating knowing there's so much good stuff out there that I can't get.

Maybe that's why I want it so much.

I will continue my journey, but I don't think I'll ever be happy popping into another Maine liquor store.

I have something else to add to this....knowing myself to be a rather obsessive, stockpiling individual, I tend to get carried away with the act of collecting rather than enjoying. A few months ago I was thrilled to try new pours and savor them...now I'm in a feverish collection mode. I've done this with my music collection, also, which is out of control to the point that I don't even know what I have or what I've listened to yet. I think it's time for me to sit back, put the tasting notepad away and enjoy some of the quality bourbon I've acquired -- and while I'm at it, I'll throw on some good tunes that I haven't listened to yet....

[TBoner]

I've gone through exploration burnout; in some ways, I'm still going through it. For a while, I bought every dusty I could find, tried every label on the shelf, and stocked up on favorites like there was no tomorrow (or, maybe, like tomorrow the bourbon would dry up).

A few months ago, I found I'd lost my taste for whiskey, all whiskey: scotch, Canadian, Irish, bourbon, rye...nothing tasted good. I quit drinking spirits for a while, and when I came back, I found that there were many things I didn't like as much as I'd thought. I'm unloading some of them now, along with a few dusties I could never bring myself to open. I love a handful of bourbons and a couple of ryes, and I have ample supply to drink these regularly for years. The other day, on a whim, I stopped into a liquor store to see what was there. Not a single bottle called out to me from the shelf. I consider this a good thing, given the stock at home and the current financial situation. But I think it's symptomatic of the fact that I'm done, for now, tasting everything I can find. I'll still try new bottlings, maybe a few of the dusties I've never come across (Old Taylor BIB, I'm looking at you), but I'm content now enjoying my favorites, and far less often than I used to.

Regards,

Tim

[Stones]

but I feel like what is available around here does not really include a lot of my favorites....

So, my initial intention of trying to find out what I like has broadened my horizons so much (beyond what I imagined possible) that I'm not satisfied with what I can get locally. What's funny is that my horizons haven't really been broadened that much, there is just precious little available here.

If i lived over there i would seriously consider moving to Kentucky if my favourite bourbons weren't easily acquired. Since Oz is where i reside this isn't an option unfortunately, but if i lived in your country i would. Seriously... :cool:

[Lost Pollito]

single malts. The varieties are endless. They eat up cash faster than Detroit's big three.

You speak the sad truth.

[gothbat]

I get the same way but I wouldn't call it burnout so much as a combination of laziness and feeling temporarily content with what I have. Sometimes I get tired of all the driving involved in checking out new stores and just want to enjoy what you have, it's nice because during this time I don't spent much money but still have some great stuff to drink! One other factor that drives me to stop acquiring new bottles is space, this stuff takes up a lot of room after a while! Of course all this goes on temporary suspension should I happen upon a store I've never been in before that either has dusties or other hard to find bottles that I want but the number of these bottles on my list is shrinking... I think...

[unclebunk]

I have something else to add to this....knowing myself to be a rather obsessive, stockpiling individual, I tend to get carried away with the act of collecting rather than enjoying. A few months ago I was thrilled to try new pours and savor them...now I'm in a feverish collection mode. I've done this with my music collection, also, which is out of control to the point that I don't even know what I have or what I've listened to yet. I think it's time for me to sit back, put the tasting notepad away and enjoy some of the quality bourbon I've acquired -- and while I'm at it, I'll throw on some good tunes that I haven't listened to yet....

[kickert]

single malts. The varieties are endless. They eat up cash faster than Detroit's big three.

I started getting into scotch, but then realized bourbon is cheaper and produced mainly in my home state. If I was going to invest in something (money and time) it makes more sense to be bourbon.

Don't get wrong... I love a good scotch... I just can't afford to sample around like I can with bourbon.

[ggilbertva]

For me the process has been one of fine tuning. When I first started collecting, it was pretty much everything I didn't have. I'll admit I bought more than I should have. When I started dusty hunting, I went through the same process of buying pretty much every dusty I could find (which was a lot). I'm at the point now where I'm into fine tuning my purchases to those things I know I love and focusing on things I know I want but can't find. In the recent past, I've left SW Old Fitz BIB, ND OGD, Old Charter 7 year, Old Forester BIB, etc.... all dusties, on the shelf because I have them or have had them. Not to say at some point I won't go back and pick up one or two as the bunker goes down but space being what it is, the economy being what it is, wife's patience being what it is, I've scaled back the purchasing and enjoy the fact that my bunker contains some really fine bourbons that I'll enjoy today and tomorrow.