When do you decide a bottle needs to be finished off?

[MtnDew]

Ok, this question may not apply to many here, but for me I tend to have a lot of whiskeys open at any given time and I go through them very slowly. My typical week will involve pouring myself a dram 3-4 times in total but each of those tend to be 1oz or less. This, combined with my cravings to try things all over the spectrum, means that it takes me a long time to polish off a bottle unless I import some help (AKA poker night). I was checking my bar tonight and I have several bottles that are at or below the 25% mark, including a 2012 Stagg. Now, I hit all my nicer bottles with a few squirts of private preserve to try and stem the oxidation but still, I know these have to go.

So, all that being said, I'm curious how people are here treat their nearly empties and when they decide it's time to put the final nail in. Does it occur naturally as you move through bottles or do you chose to drain one on purpose?

Thanks!

[GaryT]

I'm a lot like you in having a ton open at a time, and probably only dispensing with 3-5 oz a week on average (and from 3-5 different bottles typically!) I've got over 50 bottles (750s or bigger) open, but only a handful down to 1/3 or less fill. I don't have one rule to go by necessarily, but some things I consider include:

1. Is it something easily replaceable retail? If so, I'm not in a big rush to kill it off

2. If not easily replaceable, do I have at least one in the bunker? If so, I may target it when it gets down below 1/3 depending how long it has been open. I have a THH from 2011 that is down to the last 2 oz, and when it got down to the last 5 a month ago, I put it in the rotation more frequently (and I have one waiting behind it).

3. If not easily replaceable AND none in the bunker, I'll decant into something smaller and nurse it until I can replace it. I like having a lot of variety.

Of course, if it is something I don't intend to replace (something I tried but wasn't crazy about), I'll probably target it for cocktails to make room for something I prefer.

Then again, I'm a geek (spreadsheet of my inventory that I updated regularly, etc). I certainly don't think there is a wrong way to do it or a right way. This is just how I do it.

[petrel800]

I'm finding at this point, there is a lot of good and great whisky out there these days, so I wouldn't say I target bottles, but I become less and less worried about nursing the life out of the bottles. If you love it, drink it, when it's gone, move onto the next one. I have also cut back on the amount of bottles I have open at a given time. I find myself focusing more on a couple bottles at a time instead of a little here and a little there.

I think the good news is, as long as you're drinking it, there is no wrong way to do it.

[Renegator]

I have a small area to keep my open bottles in so I find myself "killing off" bottles to make room for new bottles that I want to open. I agree with petrel800 - as long as you are drinking it - there is no wrong way.

[TunnelTiger]

1. If it's something new and it's not a bottle I would buy again.

2. If there isn't shelf space on the bar on in the bunker.

[portwood]

These are the two factors closest to my decision making, except that on point 2, the bunker always has more space!

[Restaurant man]

1. If it's something new and it's not a bottle I would buy again.

2. If there isn't shelf space on the bar on in the bunker.

[nivto]

My drinking patterns are similar to you, Mtndw. Takes a while to finish off a bottle and so even the ones that are low fill don't go quickly. I just keep drinking them as I would otherwise, when I'm in the mood for that pour. I don't like to "try" to finish off a bottle just for the sake of clearing space... that just makes me feel like I'm drinking for the sake of drinking, and that just seems like a waste to me. If it's low fill and you're worried about the flavor turning for the worse just move it into a smaller bottle. Keep a few spare 200 ml bottles around along with some 2 - 4 oz sample bottles and then you don't have to worry about that any longer.

[chrisg]

I currently have 26 bottles open. 14 of those are in my bunker and 12 are in my upstairs liquor cabinet and part of my current rotation. I am lucky to get in 2-3 drams a week right now so it is taking me a while. Most are replaceable except for an Ardbeg scotch that's off the market. My goal is to have less than 10 open bottles at a time so it will take me some time before I open anything new.

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[Tony Santana]

Still relatively new to bourbon "collecting" (used to have 3-4 bottles at any one time, now I'm up around 30), and I used to open every bottle as soon as I got it. Now I have a number of unopened ones, many of which I haven't tried before. Trying to just open new ones as an old one is finished off. Not usually in any big hurry, but once a bottle gets down to its last 20-25% or so, I start to target it. Won't drink it exclusively just for the sake of polishing it off, but it gets in the regular rotation.

Scarcity/rarity of the bottle doesn't have much to do with it. If I like it, I drink it. It's not like I'm sitting around with one bottle of Pappy 23 and 30 bottles of Kessler's, figuring out how to nurse that one before I resume drinking the crap. It's all good.

[MtnDew]

Thanks guys for all the responses! I assumed there would not be many others who had similar habits to mine, guess I was wrong. I'll admit to sometimes specifically targeting a bottle for completion which, like Nivto said, makes me feel like I'm drinking for the sake of drinking. I've never set a specific limit to how many bottles I can have open at once but I do try to open no more than I can fit on the bottom shelf of my bar, which tends to be 24-28 depending on the type of bottles. My wife is always making something or other around here so we have plenty of bottles of various sizes, I may have to follow Gary's advice and move my nicer bottles that are low into smaller containers to limit air contact, especially since I don't have replacements for most. Consequently this would mean the bottles would take up less space which would allow more to be open... hmmm....

Oh, and to Gary, I recently completed my own spreadsheet with all my bottles on it. In addition to all the normal stats I added columns on availability and my taste ratings. I even built several pivots for the front tab to show how many bottles of each category I have (scotch is currently winning), how many of each category are open, how many of each category have been finished off, etc... The last tab has links to bottles I'd like to add to my collection for the benefit of the wife when she shops for presents

So, I guess the general lesson here is worry less about finishing off a specific bottle and just enjoy the experience. I guess I could have figured that one out on my own, plus there is always the empty bottle thread to come to when I have a particularly painful separation.

Thanks!

-Brad

[TunnelTiger]

I'll be honest and say sometimes I'm drinking just to be drinking. :grin:

[DrBob]

i keep about 20 bottles open, and its more shelf space than anything. Pretty new as well, so buying lots faster than i can drink it and my bunker is getting full as well, with about 100 bottles total. Once a bottle gets around a quarter full i usually take it to a weekly bourbon/cigar get together and share it with my friends.

I also don't nurse a bottle to make it last. I collect bourbon because I like to drink it and mood really determines what bottle i hit.

Edited October 5, 2013 by DrBob

[GaryT]

My pivot table is mostly on volume, which I try to use as a reminder that I have YEARS of whiskey left if I didn't buy another drop, so just because something new comes out - I don't have to have it (until I try it at least and make some excuse for NEEDING it ) I like the idea of a wish list. I've started using Amazon.com for that since they allow you to add products that they don't sell to your wish list.

[sutton]

I wouldn't fret too much about it (or go get yourself some small bottles to decant into if you need the peace of mind). I had a Glen'mo Nectar d'Or opened at least 4 yrs and a Lag 16 opened longer than that - probably closer to 7. Probably had them down below the 25% mark for at least 2 yrs+ and they still seemed OK to me. Maybe would have been noticeably different in a side-by-side with a fresh bottle, but I didn't find them "off" in any way.

[suntour]

I wouldn't fret too much about it (or go get yourself some small bottles to decant into if you need the peace of mind). I had a Glen'mo Nectar d'Or opened at least 4 yrs and a Lag 16 opened longer than that - probably closer to 7. Probably had them down below the 25% mark for at least 2 yrs+ and they still seemed OK to me. Maybe would have been noticeably different in a side-by-side with a fresh bottle, but I didn't find them "off" in any way.

I'm a bit of a sentimentalist and kept a bottle of Lagavulin open from our wedding 8 years ago. I just got around to finishing it this past June. There was like 2oz or something left in the bottle. As delicious as the first day. Smoke may have helped hide any oxidized or cardboardy flavors.

[PaulO]

I usually like to have only a half dozen or so open at a time. I try to have several distilleries represented. My liquor cabinet is the top level of the pantry, so it can easily get crowded. When a bottle gets down to maybe the last two pours, it seems like it's time to think about finishing it off. This is no chore, as I don't get anything that isn't quality (even the less expensive stuff like JTS Brown and VOB).

[theglobalguy]

My mantle fits 10-12 bottles depending on shape, so i limit open to that range. I will say, maybe it's purely mental...but unless it's a bottle i'm saving for an occasion i tend to attack once they're really low. It allows me to open a new choice which is always fun.

[MauiSon]

I decide a bottle needs to be finished off when there is 2 pours or less left. Otherwise, there's no urgency.

[bjbronwyn]

interesting topic! Id like to know if many of you use this private preserve in their open bottles of bourbon? I have about 35 bottles open, and the expensive ones that are hard to replace (PHC, EHT WLW ect..), I rarely drink, except on special occasions. Does this product work? I haven't noticed any of my bourbon going bad, just changing slightly. I target bottles that are easily replaced, but I seem to open twice as many as I finish!

[Flyfish]

I wouldn't fret too much about it (or go get yourself some small bottles to decant into if you need the peace of mind). I had a Glen'mo Nectar d'Or opened at least 4 yrs and a Lag 16 opened longer than that - probably closer to 7. Probably had them down below the 25% mark for at least 2 yrs+ and they still seemed OK to me. Maybe would have been noticeably different in a side-by-side with a fresh bottle, but I didn't find them "off" in any way.

That's my experience. Some SBers, though, have really, really sensitive palates. I have never had a bourbon long enough to go bad. For that matter, despite all the bitching about bad corks, I have never had a cork go bad either. Some of us are just lucky that way.

[sutton]

For that matter, despite all the bitching about bad corks, I have never had a cork go bad either. Some of us are just lucky that way.

It's funny you mentioned that - up until tonight, I would wholeheartedly agree. Never had a bad cork. The first one ever sheared off in my hand tonight. Of course, it was a bottle I've had for at least 15 years that I had forgotten about! Anything can happen but likely more of a dusty problem I'd guess ... certainly gave me an incentive to finish off this bottle and one or two others that have been hanging around far too long.

[squire]

When I see it on a shelf at the store.

[MtnDew]

As I mentioned earlier, I use private preserve on my nice bottles but I have no idea if it actually works or not. However, it's worth the cost for my piece of mind :-)

[DBM]

Until recently I had been hesitant to finish limited edition and bottles I don't have a backup because I find myself revisiting, sometimes years later, and finding that my palate and/or memory has changed and thus my opinion. A recommendation from ChainWhip led to a purchase of 2oz glass bottles from specialtybottles.com which solved that problem. I don't even wait for a bottle to get low, I open a fresh one and transfer 2oz, then I don't mind killing it. There will always be more good stuff out there and I don't mind evolving with the industry, I just want to maintain a glimpse of the past.

Now I look forward to an empty bottle because it opens up room for more.