jvd99 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 What is the best bottle in your bunker? That's a loaded question because "best" is hard to define. If it's in the bunker, it's not opened and there's a high probability you've never tasted the contents anywhere else, so it does not necessarily mean the best tasting single malt in your collection. Best also does not have to mean monetary value, whether retail or secondary. Best could mean the one bottle you covet the most (my precious...), a rare dusty from an epic hunt, the one bottle you'll never part with or open, or a gift from someone near and dear.I'd have to say my best bottle(s) would be my two bottles of 1968/1993 OB Glendronach 25 because they were my first significant single malt dusty finds when I first got into this madness and they were just sitting on the shelf right around the corner from my house at 1993 prices. That find really propelled my interest in searching far and wide for unique bottles. To boot, these bottles fetch quite a lot at auction and Serge rated this one at 97 points, and it ranks as his highest rated Speysider "at normal proof." I'll surely open my best bottle one day for a special occasion, but not sure when that will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Objectively speaking, it's probably the 2013 Brora 35 that I paid way below MSRP for. I'm hoping one of the myriad 25+ year old Caol Ilas I have socked away might match it, though. I love Caol Ila, and older IBs are still semi-reasonable, so it's nice to have some put back before they go up in price too much more. I am considering buying a 1968-2011 Longmorn that I expect will be a knockout, too. I'm really curious to see how some of our folks with deep bunkers reply . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I guess I'd have to say; " I don't know!" My reasoning is thus.....The only way I rate my faves is by their nearness to my 'ideal', or sweet spot, or profile if you like, based upon their physical properties... Color, Nose, Flavor on the palate/complexity, and finish qualities.Without being able to test for any (other than a stab at color) I just have no way to say which would be my 'best'. I guess I don't favor any over the others for emotional reasons, rarity, price or any other quantifiable quality.The enjoyment comes after it's been open and poured.... hopefully sharing with folx who will appreciate (or at least understand) the wonder that they are... or may be at any rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Best is subjective as you note and I have very few in the "bunker" (which I presume to mean bottles as yet unopened) because I tend to open most things right away or soon after purchasing. I also presume you are limiting this to "foreign" whiskey since that is the section you posted it in! In any case I have not been acquiring foreign whisky beyond the relatively routine stuff very long so I don't have many older bottles.I have several bottles of the Barry Crockett Legacy Blended Single Pot Still Irish whiskey with only one open so I have tasted this one and still have more. It is at or near the top for me followed closely by the Redbreast 21yo and the Teeling 21yo Vintage Reserve Single Malt Sauternes Cask finish, all of which I have tried and also have a bottle or two tucked away.I also managed to acquire a 2004 bottling of Talisker 25yo which is from the time when it was still cask strength. I have not opened this one as I have only one but have had the chance to try other Talisker 25's from around this time and so think (and hope) this is just as good or better! I have very few bottles that are older than the Talisker (not that age is important or so we have recently been informed...) that are not already open but I do rather like the Bowmore 16 yo Single Malt cask strength “Port Matured†bottling from 1991 (bottled 2007) and I have got a second one of that thanks to a fellow SBer.Alas, no decades old Brora's or Port Ellen's for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amg Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I don't go too crazy on the dark side. Around $100 is my limit regardless of the origin of a whisk(e)y.The most interesting bottle in my bunker is probably a Talisker 175th Anniversary from 2005 that I found on a shelf just last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Simple, all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Michael Collins Irish Single Malt from the first year the Cooley Distillery bottled it. Bought it on a whim from a "discount" barrel back when few people in the USofA had heard of Cooley, MC or MC's cousin, John L. Sullivan. Liked it enough (even though I've never been an Irish or Scotch fan) to go back and buy all they had - four bottles of each including 4 MC blends. I've finished it all except for a full MC, 3/4 of the last MC blend, and a full JLS. When it became hard to find and for sure after Beam bought it, I set it aside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorvallisCracker Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I can only treat "best" as "favorite" and that would be a bottle of 100 proof Red Breast 12, made by combining RB 12 and RBCS 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The "best" bottle that I have open, and therefore have an opinion on the quality of the actual whiskey, is probably a Balvenie Tun 9. Maybe. I have some samples that I would put above that one, but not entire bottles. I also have an OB Glenfarclas 40 open, and it's close, but i really love the Tun 9 (and 3 and 6).The "best" bottle in my bunker based on all the random intangibles would probably be either Strathisla 1957-2007, Glenfarclas 1974 CS OB, or Signatory CS Bowmore 1970-2005 Sherry Cask. I also have some 29 and 30 year Caol Ila from 1982, and the one bottle I've opened and the samples I've had from other bottles in that era have been exceptionally good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronWF Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 That 1974 Glenfarclas Yeti mentioned is the whisky that really drove me into the dark side. I drank through a bottle years ago and was recently able to acquire another. I also have a Springbank Society 11yo Local Barley aged in a recharred sherry butt, another bottle I drank through years ago and was able to locate another of last year. Those come to mind as being the pride and joy of my bunker, at least on the malt side of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sob0728 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Where'd you guys get all the 1974 Glenfarclas? : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolph Lundgren Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 This is a loaded question. For value, a 1960s Laphroaig thanks to a very generous buddy. For taste, I have an old green stripe, Johnson misprint Laphroaig 10 year Straight from the Wood (1995) that I'm saving for a real special occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaskStrength77 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I've got a Glenfiddich 15yr cask strength from my visit to the distillery last April, and a cask strength Mortlach 16yr McDuff & Bains specialty bottling. Also a MacAllen 18yr, but that's not all that special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Where'd you guys get all the 1974 Glenfarclas? : )You ask a lot of questions, you SOB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 The best bottle in my bunker depends upon what you like. I wish I had some 50's or 60's VVOF or something like that but I don't. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bllygthrd Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 There is no foreign whisky in my bunker ... that's what I have sons in law for ... I drink out of their bunker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotch Neat Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Where'd you guys get all the 1974 Glenfarclas? : )Now, there are different bottlings of 1974 Glenfarclas. Last year in NJ i found two bottles of 31yo 1974 Glenfarclas 57.4% in a large wine store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Port Ellen 3rd Release Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'd have to day a bottle of 'LaFrog' cask strength from a couple years ago. I don't hit often... it's so strongly smokey/peatey.It has to be the last pour of an evening since it kills anything tasted afterward for hours.Still, I really do appreciate it for the unique pour that it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 The best bottle I own (although it's open, so more the "cabinet" than "bunker" area?) is Compass Box The General. Price doesn't always align with flavor/quality/etc, but I just adore this whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numen Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Where'd you guys get all the 1974 Glenfarclas? : ) Got mine a few years ago from an online shop I think that there's an auction/retailer that's got a bottle, but it's sitting there at 500 bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Dot Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Hmmm.. The Macallan 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmallen Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Ardbeg Airigh Nam BeistThat's a delightful pour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bllygthrd Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I have no foreign whisky in my bunker ... that's what sons-in-law are for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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