To open or not to open?

[393foureyedfox]

I have one friend who's wife got Elmer Lee to sign a bottle and gave it to him as a gift, and shortly afterward, Elmer passed. Upon receiving the bottle, he planned to drink it like any other, but now he has decided to just hold onto it. I cant really blame him on that......plus, it seems everyone gave him a bottle of ETL for his birthday later anyway, so he'd pretty stocked on that.

[callmeox]

I can see myself putting a specific bottle aside for sentimental reasons, but not as an investment.

[Tony]

I agree with the other folks and that bourbon was meant to be consumed and enjoyed.

I was at the Festival a couple years ago and Craig Beam was signing bottles and I said to the woman who was in front of me that the PHC was really good stuff and I hoped they enjoyed it. She said to me that they never open their signed bottles. Seemed kind of odd but to each their own.

Best regards, Tony

[mosugoji64]

I'll echo what others have said here in that I have a few bottles that I consider collectible display pieces and will likely never open, but nothing is purchased with the intent to sell. I've been a collector of other things as well and learned long ago that you should collect what you enjoy, not what you think will be valuable later. Just look at Beanie Babies and a host of other "investment" opportunities - those will only bite you in the ass (and wallet) later.

[B.B. Babington]

a friend of mine has a Virginia Gentleman bottle signed by old man Bowman. It would be hard to get him drunk enough to open it.

[393foureyedfox]

learned long ago that you should collect what you enjoy, not what you think will be valuable later.

Edited January 11, 2014 by 393foureyedfox

[black mamba]

He didn't sign the bourbon, he signed the bottle. Drink the bourbon, save the bottle.

[393foureyedfox]

He didn't sign the bourbon, he signed the bottle. Drink the bourbon, save the bottle.

simple and to the point. well said

[mbroo5880i]

Actually, I think it is possible to identify old bottles and currently produced bottles that will have value as collectibles. Whether the value is financial or intrinsic is a different story. It is still likely that S-W bottles or old dusties from days gone by will still be sought after in the future. It is also likely that bottles of rarer releases produced today will be sought after in the future (e.g., PHC, FR LEs, etc.), maybe as a collectible or out of curiosity.

While I have bottles that I like for sentimental reasons or because the bottle is cool, every bottle I have is open or will be opened. My preference is for the conversation to be about the contents and what makes it special, not the bottle. My friends and I can talk about the empty bottle, if we want, although it will mean less to them if they don't know anything about the contents.

[dmarkle]

This is a great question, and the answer is easy for those of us who don't have a pretty bottle with a signature looking back at us. I personally have a PVW 20 signed by Julian van Winkle that I haven't opened (yet) for sentimental reasons. If I wanted to make money on the bottle, I'm sure I could sell it to an unscrupulous dealer today for at least 500 or 600 bucks, but bourbon is for drinking.

Let me give my answer by posing another dilemma. I often slow way down on my fine opened bottles and don't drink them as much as I should because it may be the only bottle I have. With a "backer bottle", as I call it, I feel free to enjoy, knowing that I have more behind it at the ready.

My suggestion is to buy another bottle, and use the signed bottle to give yourself the mental freedom to drink as much of the other bottle as possible. Then one day when you're ready you will come to the realization that it's time to drink the signed bottle.

[Tony Santana]

Let me give my answer by posing another dilemma. I often slow way down on my fine opened bottles and don't drink them as much as I should because it may be the only bottle I have. With a "backer bottle", as I call it, I feel free to enjoy, knowing that I have more behind it at the ready.

Ultimately all my bottles are for drinking. I don't have any signed bottles, but I certainly have some in the "rarity" category - either ones considered "flippable", a couple of dusties, some that are somewhat more easily found in other locales but not here, etc. But having a "backer bottle" does affect how soon I'll open one of my collection that's on the rarer side, and/or how quickly it will get consumed once I do. Example - I have a couple OFBB '13's and Stagg Jrs. Not exactly unicorns, but not Jim Beam White Label either. Since I have an extra, I don't hesitate to go to them for a pour. on the other hand, I just acquired a Virginia Gentleman "The Fox" via trade. I'm interested in tasting it, and will do so eventually. But it likely won't be the one I break the seal on when I finish my next bottle and decide it's time to open a new one, just because there won't be another one on the bench behind it.

Unless I have a friend over who sees it in the cabinet and says, hey, that looks cool, what does it taste like? Because next to 1) drinking it; and 2) collecting it, I've found I like to share it.

[TunnelTiger]

Since this is my first year of enjoying the Bourbon experience I've decided to leave what BTAC bottles I was able to acquire in the bunker until I get next years for blind tasting. Now since I was able to get 3bottles each of OFBB13 & 4RSmbLE3 I do have a pour at least once a week from each.

[B.B. Babington]

...I just acquired a Virginia Gentleman "The Fox" via trade. I'm interested in tasting it,...

That's a good one. Very well rounded. More interesting than a lot of other whiskeys. When it was on the shelf, it was a lot better than some other whiskeys that sold for twice or three times the money. I try to sip it once a year to remember what it was. And yes, it's way way better than standard Virginia Gentleman.

[nd2005]

Since this is my first year of enjoying the Bourbon experience I've decided to leave what BTAC bottles I was able to acquire in the bunker until I get next years for blind tasting. Now since I was able to get 3bottles each of OFBB13 & 4RSmbLE3 I do have a pour at least once a week from each.

Im at about one year of serious bourbon pursuit as well.

excepting my currently open bottles, my plan is not to open any of the limited release/hard to find stuff until I have a backup in hand.

i drink pretty sparingly/slowly so I plan to milk the expensive stuff for quite a while

[smknjoe]

I understand wanting to wait to open a bottle for whatever reason, but I don't understand acquiring multiples of something you've never tried just because it's considered desirable. Especially, if the brand or distillery profile is new to you.

[nd2005]

I understand wanting to wait to open a bottle for whatever reason, but I don't understand acquiring multiples of something you've never tried just because it's considered desirable. Especially, if the brand or distillery profile is new to you.

I don't think I have any bottles that meet that description. None of the flavor profiles or distilleries are particularly new/foreign to me, even if I haven't sampled one of the exact bottling I'm currently saving.

I guess I just get a lot of enjoyment out of my everyday pours. I have probably 8 or so open "limited" bottlings (Pappy 20, Vintage 17. GTS, etc) which I am working my way through very very slowly. I only sample from those maybe once per month. Most times I'm drinking from a sub $30 dollar bottle and love what I'm tasting. Why open anything more at this point I guess?

[dSculptor]

Hey Guys - in response to my thread - i just opened my signed btl of ec12 bp gs - wow! I am an avid fan of the ec12,18,20, and this is spectacular of course with a touch of water to tame it a bit, and after letting it sit for a while. Next on my list is the ec21 signed also by craig, can't wait!

[tanstaafl2]

Agree

I know next to nothing about the world of collecting bottles of alcohol, but my guess is that anything that defaces the bottle (a signature is not part of the original packaging) also devalues it from an "investment" perspective.

Perhaps, but if the signature is not on the label and instead on the glass an alcohol pad could probably fix that!

I get bottles signed just for fun and probably half the signed bottles I have are already open. Heck, I have gotten open bottles signed!