Ever feel the need to "purge"?

[upStomp]

My collection of open bottles has been seeming cluttered lately. Some are my standard pours that run from bottom to top(ish) shelf, some I plan to buy again in the future in bulk and keep bunkered for special occasions or for the bourbonocalypse, but many just aren't for me.

I've felt the sudden need to finish most of these open bottles and start over. I just feel like if I keep buying the stuff that will get used regularly, I'll never finish the "little nasties" and they'll just keep hanging around. I don't really have many friends or family that enjoy whiskies and I'm not a big mixer (though I've found that ginger ale and a few dashes of orange bitters fixes almost anything). I'm also not big on waste.

Organized space is at a premium at home (3 young kids and a packrat Wife). I tend to buy 1-2 bottles a week for opening and/or bunkering, but I feel the need to stop buying whiskey for a bit and "power through" the lesser of the open bottles until they're gone to free up some space. Does anyone else ever get this feeling?

[nd2005]

My collection of open bottles has been seeming cluttered lately. Some are my standard pours that run from bottom to top(ish) shelf, some I plan to buy again in the future in bulk and keep bunkered for special occasions or for the bourbonocalypse, but many just aren't for me.

I've felt the sudden need to finish most of these open bottles and start over. I just feel like if I keep buying the stuff that will get used regularly, I'll never finish the "little nasties" and they'll just keep hanging around. I don't really have many friends or family that enjoy whiskies and I'm not a big mixer (though I've found that ginger ale and a few dashes of orange bitters fixes almost anything). I'm also not big on waste.

Organized space is at a premium at home (3 young kids and a packrat Wife). I tend to buy 1-2 bottles a week for opening and/or bunkering, but I feel the need to stop buying whiskey for a bit and "power through" the lesser of the open bottles until they're gone to free up some space. Does anyone else ever get this feeling?

Yes. Especially when I have a lot of open bottles that I'm not super excited about, plus a lot of sealed bottles that I am excited to open. I try my best to be patient...

[tigerlam92]

Before (and now) I found SB members that I trust their judgement on what they like because over time I realize my profile matches theirs. With that I limit my unknown purchases to mostly things that I would like or at worst can tolerate. This has helped greatly.

But I do from time to time go into a phase of actively reducing my open bottles and to reduce clutter and space.

Cheers

[Tony Santana]

Doubt I'll never be in full purge mode, but yeah, I'm trying to work through some of my open bottles, particularly ones I bought in my "try everything" phase - they may not be bad, but they won't be replaced (at least not with one of the same kind). I'm a curler, and have had three bottles at the club for awhile now - a VOB 86 proof, Johnny Drum Private Stock and RR SmB SB. I bring them out after a game and usually they get polished off fairly quickly, but I've either hooked up with more whiskey drinkers or I'm starting to rub off on the ones who didn't used to imbibe, because every night I've been down there lately others have brought bottles along too. Not a bad problem to have, allows for plenty of sampling, but my bottles aren't getting finished. I finally dumped all three into one last night, maybe out of frustration. I'm not sure how they'll taste with a little chance to blend, but at least I've consolidated to one half full bottle, which somehow makes me feel better about it.

Others that are close to finishing - KC (that one I will replace), and some non-bourbons, Ritt BIB (I have several other ryes I prefer) and Glenlivet 12 (in serious need of a mercy killing). If I get rid of all those, plus the 3 I vatted last night, I'll feel better about opening a couple new ones.

[upStomp]

Doubt I'll never be in full purge mode, but yeah, I'm trying to work through some of my open bottles, particularly ones I bought in my "try everything" phase - they may not be bad, but they won't be replaced (at least not with one of the same kind). I'm a curler, and have had three bottles at the club for awhile now - a VOB 86 proof, Johnny Drum Private Stock and RR SmB SB. I bring them out after a game and usually they get polished off fairly quickly, but I've either hooked up with more whiskey drinkers or I'm starting to rub off on the ones who didn't used to imbibe, because every night I've been down there lately others have brought bottles along too. Not a bad problem to have, allows for plenty of sampling, but my bottles aren't getting finished. I finally dumped all three into one last night, maybe out of frustration. I'm not sure how they'll taste with a little chance to blend, but at least I've consolidated to one half full bottle, which somehow makes me feel better about it.

Others that are close to finishing - KC (that one I will replace), and some non-bourbons, Ritt BIB (I have several other ryes I prefer) and Glenlivet 12 (in serious need of a mercy killing). If I get rid of all those, plus the 3 I vatted last night, I'll feel better about opening a couple new ones.

I can't believe I didn't consider that. I think there'll be some vatting going on tonight!

:toast:

[tanstaafl2]

I am a cocktail guy so that helps with some of the bottles that I need to finish up although even that is a slow process. Sprite and ginger ale have also proven to be an excellent way to help some less desirable bottles move on towards their final resting place once they have been tried and are no longer considered a regular sipping bourbon. My problems is that I have too many that I do want to continue to enjoy to make a major dent in the constantly metastasizing whiskey nervosa I suffer from! That said, finding a creative way to share with others also seems like a very noble option and one I use when I can!

[horn1602]

While not a full-on purge, I tend to drink a bottle I don't like faster than one I do like after I open it. Example, I powered through a bottle of Old Overholt in 3 days just to get it off my shelf and make room for something else, leaving alone the Blanton's, Baker's, ER, and BT that I had open at the time. Shelf space for open bottles is at a premium in my house due to lack of space as well as those sideways glances from the Mrs. when I open something new to add to it (though she might stop those if I could find some damn OFBB13).

It pains me to think of pouring something out instead of drinking it. I guess I'm just a rip-the-band-aid-off-quick kind of guy. May need to start experimenting with vatting to help the process out.

[WsmataU]

As a matter of fact I just did this two weekends ago. I was in a vatting mood. I mixed up the SB blend. Then, looking at my shelf, I saw 4-5 bottles that were sitting below the 1/2 way mark. So, I kept the prettiest bottles (Hancock's reserve and an ETL ) and started dumping leftovers. So this weekend I'll tell you what a Hancock/ETL/ Hudson's Baby and a OWA/Makers/Bernheim wheat will taste like. I'm thinking the #2 concoction will be the better of the 2 and better than the sum of its parts, but that could be wishful thinking

[TunnelTiger]

I feel the need to "purge" weekly but I'm loosing the battle. My garage cabinet bunkers are now two in number and soon I will have to expand to the basement.

[AaronWF]

First answer: I work on actively purging whatever I'm in the mood for every night.

Second answer: It's a Catch 22. Good bottles you want to last as long as possible so you can still savor them months from now. Bad bottles you want to get rid of, but why drink a lesser whiskey if you have a cabinet full of whiskey you love?

In the past I'd look to a lesser whiskey when my palate is burnt out but I still want another. Now, though, I just feel like life is too short to struggle through lesser whiskey when you have better options in front of you.

[dSculptor]

Those of you that are pouring all those almost empties into one bottle, I would recommend doing it by pairs first,with a taste in between, you may be missing out on something good,instead of "putting all your eggs into one basket"! Pair 'em up,then add another or a different proportion first,go slowly along the way. Think of 'em as spices,a little of this a little of that, IMHO.And if you do come up with something good,don't forget to add them to the list under my Madvatter thread.

[squire]

Easiest way to purge is quit buying for awhile.

[tanstaafl2]

Easiest way to purge is quit buying for awhile.

There is nothing easy about that!

[Gentleman Racer]

Oh yes, I hate that conundrum. An open bottle that your less than thrilled with, good stuff in the bullpen, and an aversion to waste. I've only crossed the tipping point once and dumped a bottle. Bulleit rye. Awful (IMO, of course).

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[zillah]

First answer: I work on actively purging whatever I'm in the mood for every night.

Second answer: It's a Catch 22. Good bottles you want to last as long as possible so you can still savor them months from now. Bad bottles you want to get rid of, but why drink a lesser whiskey if you have a cabinet full of whiskey you love?

In the past I'd look to a lesser whiskey when my palate is burnt out but I still want another. Now, though, I just feel like life is too short to struggle through lesser whiskey when you have better options in front of you.

We think along the same lines. My conclusion to this is to just stop buying lesser whiskey.

[Tony Santana]

Easiest way to purge is quit buying for awhile.

That's just crazy talk.

[squire]

Oh I admit, the thought can keep you awake nights.

[callmeox]

I have an ongoing task to kill my partials before opening anything new. Only very special acquisitions meet the exception criteria.

At peak, I had well over 50 bottles open which I think is a common situation when starting out in the hobby.

I'm down below 20 now and I owe some of the success to a pair of bourbon drinking neighbors who are eager to help. I would like to keep the open bottles below 15 going forward just for the sake of space conservation.

[Restaurant man]

First answer: I work on actively purging whatever I'm in the mood for every night.

Second answer: It's a Catch 22. Good bottles you want to last as long as possible so you can still savor them months from now. Bad bottles you want to get rid of, but why drink a lesser whiskey if you have a cabinet full of whiskey you love?

In the past I'd look to a lesser whiskey when my palate is burnt out but I still want another. Now, though, I just feel like life is too short to struggle through lesser whiskey when you have better options in front of you.

This is my situation. Only the best and worst bottles remain unfinished

[BigRich]

I've gone through the "purge" several times since I really started getting into whiskey geekery about 14 years ago. It never lasts long. Soon I'm right back where I started.

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[BonVivant84]

I find keeping a good collection of bitters around is the best way to use up stuff you need to get rid of through old fashions. Best though is if i happen 2 different whiskeys (like a bourbon and rye) that i need to clear for more space, i make stiff Vieux Carre's. 2 bottles with one stone, and enough big flavors to be a good vehicle for stuff thats not quite up to snuff

[393foureyedfox]

I went through the purge around new years. I had been in the mode of buying and trying lots of things, and had partials all over my desk. My New Years goal was to purge them and just get down to the half dozen I want to keep around (the ones I enjoy enough to replace when empty). So, for a while there, I just drank the ones I wanted to get rid of and slowly thinned the herd. I usually will have about an ounce a night, but when you have one of those nights where you need to knock an edge off, Id grab one I wanted to purge and have a fatty of it.

I know most guys on here will have dozens if not 50+ open bottles, but that would drive me nuts having them everywhere. I keep 6 open now, and only try new things when out for nice dinners or at friends' houses if they have something Ive not tried. It saves a lot of money and space, and future needs to purge.

[flahute]

25 bottles currently open (I was surprised by this when I actually stopped to count), and many waiting in the wings. Though I haven't stopped buying, I'm definitely in purge mode and am actively concentrating on powering through the bottles I don't plan to replace while saving the ones I want to savor. Because life is short and I don't want to "suffer", I do allow myself to enjoy the favorites on the weekend.

[ebo]

If you get divorced, you don't need to worry about Purging............... you can't afford enough bourbon to worry about it. I wouldn't recommend that option, though.

[fishnbowljoe]

I'm not sure if purge was the right term for me or not. I just needed to find a better way to organize my collection. At one time I had around 250 bottles, with about 30 or so of those open. I wanted to get my bunker, and my open bottles down to a more manageable level. Of course I finished a few bottles along the way, and some others found new homes. I also found a Buffalo Trace bottle glorifier for holding my open bottles. It holds 12 bottles. Perfect! My bunker is now down to a very manageable 134 bottles, of which 17 are open. Besides the open bottles I have in my BT bottle glorifier, I have a couple of Canadians, and a couple of different JD's open for family and friends. I also have one "extra" open bottle right now because I decanted a 1.75 of Larceny.

Below are a couple of pictures of my BT bottle glorifier. The first pic is from when I first got it. The second pic is as it now sits on my cabinet, with the bottles I currently have open.