Bottles that have been NURSED for years

[Oboe Cadobro]

I don't drink the mass quantities that some do here...:grin:

...and I go through a decent amount of ETL, EH Taylor, Weller 12, OGD 114, WT101, etc....

BUT...I have a few special bottles that I have been sipping from (nursing) for many years and spraying with nitrogen to keep them from going downhill even faster than they are!

• Pappy 20 year (open 9 years)
  
• Hirsch 20 year (open 12 years)
  
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (open 9 years)
  
• Weller 19 year (open 8 years)
  
• Olde St. Nick 20 year (open 13 years)
  

Every time I take a taste of one, it thrills me, but it chills me that I can no longer get any more (unless I have a spare body part I agree to donate)...:frown:

What bottles are you nursing? Do you believe in nursing? Do you have a nursing degree? Do you live in a nursing home?

[smknjoe]

Damn Oboe, that's impressive. The longest I've had a bottle open is just under 2 years I believe. Currently, the longest open are:

4RSmBLE 2012

4RSmBLE 2011

JPS 17 Batch 3

PHC 2010 (4th edition)

A couple of these have actually been poured into smaller bottles instead of using nitrogen.

[Richnimrod]

HA! Cute questions, Oboe.

I do not 'nurse' any per se. I have taken a few out of the 'everyday lineup' and make sure not to quaff any of the juice, except when I truly want to savor and slowly enjoy 'em. I think I have about 5-bottles that fit the category. That said, they don't usually last more than a few years or so. The only extra care I give 'em is to decant 'em into smaller containers whenever that seems appropriate.

[dcbt]

Yea, my oldest open is also at just under 2 years right now, PVW 20. And there's not much left in it, a few more pours probably.

Edited February 4, 2014 by dcbt

[squire]

Do you believe in nursing? Do you have a nursing degree? Do you live in a nursing home?

Was engaged to a nurse . . . coupla times.

[PaulO]

Usually I keep maybe no more than a half dozen open at one time. I try to have a variety, different distilleries, different styles. No individual lasts as long as a year (much less time if I like it). There is one exception. I have a bottle of Old Overholt that's been in there like 4 - 5 years. Maybe I should donate it to a nursing home.

[Paddy]

Nurses like bourbon and so do I. Therefore, I generally try to keep enough nurses around to go through my open bottle pretty quickly.:grin:

[DrBob]

Fairly new to bourbon but I am nursing two bottles:

Wild Turkey American spirit, distilled the year my oldest son was born, just shared a drink of it with him on his last birthday, and hopefully for many more to come.

Wild Turkey Tradition, distilled the year my youngest son was born. He just turned 19, so a couple of more years we will be drinking that to toast his birthdays as well.

[Grain Belt]

My lovely wife is a nurse who enjoys bourbon with me. I usually keep 3 open. I always have a high-ender open from the BTAC collection. Currently it is a 2012 GTS that has been open for a year. I then have a bottom shelfer and a mid shelfer open or a mid level bourbon and a rye. Currently I have an AA and a Kirkland 103/7 open with the Stagg.

[393foureyedfox]

I think every guy in my class but one drinks whiskey/bourbon, strange since theres not that many men in that field.

[kjbeggs]

The ones I visit sparingly are my-

Pappy 20

4Roses 125th

Angel's Envy CS

JD Sinatra Select.

I've got a can of nitrogen to help keep them fresh, but i don't know if any of them will be around long enough to need it...

[dcbt]

What's the rule of thumb for when to do the nitrogen thing?

[Oboe Cadobro]

What's the rule of thumb for when to do the nitrogen thing?

With a bottle I am nursing, I will spray for 2 seconds and 4 short bursts then cap the bottle.

[tigerlam92]

What's the rule of thumb for when to do the nitrogen thing?

[squire]

Do you offer the nurse a drink as well?

[B.B. Babington]

friend had a woodford sweet mash he was worried about. 3 of us got together with 3 bottles. one was only third full and been carried about, one was 3/4 full and stored with parafilm, one was 2/3 full and been under nitrogen and parafilm. one of us thought they were all identical; two of us thought just maybe the nitrogen one was tad richer. nitrogen, better from get go, or just imagination, who knows?

[bingstein]

Some ND OGD 86. It was the first dusty I ever found 13 months ago. I still have about 500ml of a 1.75 open. I don't know why. No special occasion. I just forget I have it sometimes and I rarely crave it. Also don't have any more once it's gone. But mostly I just forget it's there.

[Tony Santana]

I nursed a EC 18 for almost two years. At the time I bought it, it was the most expensive bottle I had purchased, and it was bottled on my daughter's first birthday. Plus, I just plain liked it, so I considered it to be special. Only busted it out for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Finally found another one to replace it this summer, so polished it off on its anniversary/daughter's birthday.

[Yeti]

I think I only have a few bottles that have been opened for more than 12 months, and that's only barely. Lagavulin 12 year 2011, 2012, and Lagavulin DE 2012. All were opened when a friend came into town last January. 9 months is a long time for a bottle to survive in the Yeti cave.

[black mamba]

My last Pappy 20 and Family Reserve rye both lasted about 15-16 months, with small occasional pours. I can't make one last any longer than that, nor would I want to, since both exhibited some loss of "oomph" in the last month or so.

[Tony]

I was going to say that I did not have an open bottle over 12 months but then remembered a buddy go me an EC18 a couple years ago and it is just not my favorite thing so it is taking a while to get it gone, maybe I should make some more effort on it soon, or just mix it with some Vernor's ginger ale.

Best regards, Tony

[miller542]

• Pappy 20 year (open 9 years)
  
• Hirsch 20 year (open 12 years)
  
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (open 9 years)
  
• Weller 19 year (open 8 years)
  
• Olde St. Nick 20 year (open 13 years)
  

What bottles are you nursing?

You have me beat, I still have half a bottle of VWFRR originally purchased and opened July 2009. I don't want it to hit 5yrs, just waiting for the warmer months.

As far as nursing goes, obviously I don't have anything against it. Nothing wrong with hanging on as long as you can to something you probalby won't ever see again.

Edited February 5, 2014 by miller542

[WsmataU]

Most of mine are nursed. If they lost any flavor I can't quantify it:

PVW20 from '10 (Opened in '13)

PVW15 from '08 (opened in '10)

ORVW10 Opened in 2010

'09 WLW Opened in '11

AHH16 Opened in '09

I've revisited all of them (except the WLW) in the last two months and still find them all to taste great. :grin:

[dSculptor]

I have about 60 open bottles that I love to filter thru all the time! Rarely do they last more than 2 yrs. tops, only because I have so many open ,so you can bounce around between them, the only problem is they kind of all go at once then!But hey you guys need to drink that stuff more often, I can't imagine leaving a bottle open for 9 yrs. Pure physics.. that stuff is going to change once it makes contact with air! However insignificant it may be! Drink my friends.....tomorrow never comes!

[GaryT]

I have a handful that are open now 2+ yrs, although not from intentional nursing as much as an abundance of open bottles. One exception is my first and only WLW (2010, but opened in April 2011). I don't know why I'm afraid to finish it without another WLW behind it - but fear isn't always rational Others (like a 1792RR) is still there just because I've found more bottles I like better (but I don't dislike it enough to give it away or pour it out). I don't use nitrogen, although things open 2+ years get decanted into 375s when they're less than half full.