Theories on Organizing your Bourbon?

[bgageus]

I was inspired by the show us your stash thread to ask this question to get some guidance. I have now over 100 bottles unopened and built shelves to hold them behind my bar. I have gone through a couple different organization schemes, and though I would ask for input from you all on how you keep your organized.

Currently I have basically 2 sections, dusties and current productions. They are sub sorted by distillery. I also keep boxes in a bunker of duplicates, because well, I ran out of shelf space The Questions I have are:

Do you keep you other whiskey with bourbon from the same distillery?

Do you keep Limited editions mixed in with regular production?

Do you keep opens separate from sealed?

Do you keep a separate bunker stored?

Is there a recommended method for storage/display that bars use, like a standard guide to bar organization?

[sku]

I use the Dewey Decimal System.

[bgageus]

I use the Dewey Decimal System.

I did think of going alphabetically, or by ascending UPC code, or by height, but since my father in law is dean of a university library he may help with DDS.

[AaronWF]

I keep a spreadsheet and sort it by opened/sealed status, then type of whiskey then alphabetically by product name. If I were to physically organize in a bar, though, I'd go by bottle height instead of alphabetically.

[PaulO]

I keep anything open in my cabinet. I don't usually have more than a half dozen or so open at any time. The rest I keep in case boxes. I store the difficult to replace, and the easier to replace items separately. I try to put bottles from the same distillery, wheated bourbon, or rye together with their own kind. I like to have a box with several decent daily pour type bourbons around, for when I want something for the cabinet, and don't want to search through everything. I suppose if I was really organized, I would take inventory, and make a list.

[StraightBoston]

I have a shelf of tall and/or limited and/or both (e.g. BTAC) bottlings, two half-height shelves for minis, then everything else is segmented by distillery -- open, closed, new, dusty all mixed together. Non-bourbons (ryes, corn, moonshine) have their own shelf.

Decanters are decanted into empty wine of whiskey bottles and the empty decanters displayed on the top of the cabinet.

[barturtle]

Stuff it all in boxes and leave it there long enough to forget what you have.

Nothing like the joy of opening a box to find something you thought you were out of.

[mosugoji64]

On the shelf, it's short to tall from the front. From there, the bottles are roughly categorized by type in that wheaters are together as are ryes and the different EW bottles, but there's no strict organization.

[dridge11]

I can currently fit everything in one cabinet. Stacked them one behind the other, open ones in front (if there is one). My cabinet determines how I organized them cause the tall (BTAC and Taylor Tornado types) will only fit up top, so my Weller/ORVW type bottles land on the bottom shelf.

[callmeox]

Alphabetical by height.

[Tico]

All of my sealed bourbon is hiding in boxes. I just try and keep like bottles together and where they will fit. Finding boxes that will fit tall BTAC bottles or funny shaped bottles like JPS is a pain.

Number the boxes and link the box number to the bourbon in my bunker spreadsheet.

[sutton]

Bourbon on the left, rye in the middle, Scotch on the right :grin: .

[Trey Manthey]

I am 6'8", so I organize my liquor vertically in increasing order of my perceived value. For example, Pappy/BTAC is highest up, with mixers and cheaper stuff within easy reach.

[White Dog]

UPC numbers, largest to smallest.

[fishnbowljoe]

For the most part, I just put 'em where they'll fit. :grin:

I do have them separated a little. I have a Buffalo Trace bottle glorifier that I have on the top shelf of my cabinet. I keep my open bottles in it. Also on my top shelf, I keep my odds and ends stuff like my Canadians whiskeys, Jack Daniels, and some taller bottles. My middle shelf is where I keep my 750's that aren't too tall. The bottom part of my cabinet that has doors, is for handles, liters, and taller bottles. The small cubby holes of the lower part of my cabinet is where I keep really short 750's, 375's, 200's, and assorted glassware and paraphernalia.

All of my bottles are on a spread sheet. Whenever I open something, I mark it on my spreadsheet accordingly. The same goes for when I buy something, or finish a bottle. It works pretty good for the most part. The only problem I have is when I get lazy and forget to update my spread sheet.

[bigtoys]

By distillery. Makes sense to me.

[steeltownbbq]

Sort by price -- value brands on the left better stuff to the right

[tommyj1986]

Bourbon on the left, rye in the middle, Scotch on the right :grin: .

My display at home is the same for opens, except wheat/corn misc in the middle as well. All my sealed are in a cabinet or case box. My wife suggested getting an old style tall bank safe or gun safe, and use that for whiskey. Then I would probably organize by height to determine the shelf, but not sure beyond that.

[bllygthrd]

I only display what I want my son and sons-in-law to drink. The others I keep under lock-and-key in one of my wife's many side-boards.

[Rutherford]

Open bottles are arranged by style (rye vs. bourbon), then by distillery, with older products behind younger products.

Handles are separated from the rest since they don't fit on the shelf where I store bourbon.

My other liqour (rum, scotch, brandy) is similarly arranged by style then geographic location

[bad_scientist]

I would build one really long shelf that goes through several rooms, and place each bottle in single file along it. Then you can do your own Bourbon Trail every time you go from the nursery to the living room

[bgageus]

I find it comforting that there seems to be no consensus from SB Brethren about storing bourbon, I guess we can all just agree that the best place to put it is down my gullet.

Thanks for all the ideas.

[JayMonster]

I have 3 sections. 2 for open bottles, the cabinet, based soley on what fits in there, and then the overflow on top of the microwave. Then I have the bottles that are buried and stashed so the wife can't find them.

[soad]

I have a three level shelf and try and stick to top/middle/low shelf system (at least as I consider them) of all my open bottles.

Top: OWA, Weller 12, WTRB, Blantons, Old Ezra 101

Middle: OGD 114, Mellow Corn, Ritt, AAA, WTRye, Knob Creek

Low: OGD BIB, Ezra 90, Makers, Woodford, Jim Beam Rye.

Then I keep a bunker downstairs of all the unopened bottles.