Do you know whats in your bunker?

[BourbonGuy]

As some of you do, when something goes on sale, or that one pick tastes especially good, I have purchased another bottle or two and placed it in the cool cellar in the dark to bunker. 

 

I was down there Sunday and was looking for something and came across a box with bottles in it.  I opened it and was confused as to the bottles.  There were three E.H. Taylors that were on sale that I had bunkered.   I had totally forgot I had them.  I guess I should have keep an Excel chart or some sort of other record.   I enjoy the surprise come retirement when these get opened. (10 months)

 

Did you keep records?  Do you know what is in your bunker?

[NDN98]

I generally know what is in my bunker.  When it starts getting around 20 bottles, I go on a buying hiatus for a while and start pulling bottles from the bunker to drink.

[CardsandBourbon]

Bunkered to me means things that are stored out of sight.  Everything else is either open or visible and ready to be opened.

 

CEHT x 2

WSR (Handle)

WSR 750

OWA x 2

Basil Hayden Dark Rye

EC (12 yr. age stated on back)

RY 10 y.o. x 2

MM Cask Strength

BT

RR SiB

RHF

WTRB 375's x 2

OC

EC PS x 2

Blanton's x 2

OGD 114 x 2

KC Rye Cask Strength

KC Rye SiB

KC SiB 120 x 3

1792 SiB

Stagg Jr. x 2

 

[0895]

4 hours ago, BourbonGuy said:

 

Did you keep records?  Do you know what is in your bunker?

 

I have vaugue recollections, but self incrimination isn’t something I make a habit of...

Edited October 31, 2018 by 0895
#makingmyowndusties!

[JCwhammie]

This is going off memory since I'm currently out of town, but I know about everything that's in my bunker. My bunker is considerably smaller than may people on here. I think I have roughly 30 bottles open and another 25-30 unopened. 

[Clueby]

I know approximately whats in there.  Most everything I have is visible in a single cabinet but there is one smaller closed cabinet that has maybe another 20 or so bottles in it and I do get surprised every now and then when digging through it for something. Came across an RHF the other day that I forgot I had. There is a single case of Weller Antique 107 from a couple years ago put away in true "bunker" form.  Although even that case might have a bottle or two of WSR in it.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Clueby

[kevinbrink]

Probably 80% of it, I find a surprise every once in a while.

[Masset1982]

[Radioyada]

When you do not have a big bunker it is easy to know what you have in it. There are just a few bottles that I have more than one of, and of those I have no more than 3 unopened at any given time.

[jshleffar]

I've probably got 40-45 unopened bottles half bourbon, the rest mostly rum and rye, few scotch, few armagnac. I couldnt tell you to the bottle what's in there (I don't know specifically what recipes of 4R are in there or the exact vintage of armagnac) but I could certainly get 90% there and wouldnt accidentally get a repeat. 

[dcbt]

This is what the spreadsheet is for from the "do you document your bottles" thread!

[lcpfratn]

Cool! What software or app is this from?

[PhantomLamb]

2 hours ago, dcbt said:

This is what the spreadsheet is for from the "do you document your bottles" thread!

Yeah, I felt kinda jipped but I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

[Masset1982]

27 minutes ago, lcpfratn said:

Cool! What software or app is this from?

Not a software, it’s a website go to whiskybase.com 

Very usulefull and it looks neat. The marketplace is f.....ed up, secondary prices . But I’ve met some great folks, down some trading too. Lots of US folks there. 

 

Will.

[dcbt]

1 hour ago, PhantomLamb said:

Yeah, I felt kinda jipped but I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

You could start a new thread, "How do you know what open bottles you have when you aren't looking right at them?" 

[Richnimrod]

In general I know 'what' is in the 'back-up' (I don't really have a "bunker"). 

I don't necessarily know offhand how many  of each; but, if pressed, could likely name at least ?half? of the brands stored therein.   

Does that count as 'knowing what's in there?  

[BourbonGuy]

21 hours ago, kevinbrink said:

Probably 80% of it, I find a surprise every once in a while.

Yes, I am surprised.   I realize now I have been doing this for more than 10 years.  I have no idea how many bottles I have and like you, probably remember 80%.    My philosophy was that when I retire, I have bourbon, even if I have less spending money that now.  Not knowing will make it a big surprise down the road.

[fishnbowljoe]

Yes, I do. 

 

Biba! Joe

[lcpfratn]

Kinda...sorta. I generally know if I have a bottle of something, but I don’t always remember exactly how many of them that I may have. For instance, I know that I have quite a few different ECBP batches, but I’m not exactly sure how many total bottles of ECBP that I have...at least 8 or 9, but likely 12 or more. There are a lot of mid-shelf Single Barrel and Private Selections that I have multiple bottles of, but in many cases I couldn’t tell you how many of each that I have. I probably have a better handle on the LE stuff, and the quantities of each, but that’s primarily because there are fewer of them, and fewer yet that I have multiples of. Of course, there are likely some things that I’ve also forgotten that I’ve bought buried in a mixed case somewhere in my storage closet stash.

[Darwin]

Every time I go in that room and look around or open a box it's like Christmas.  

[foppa78]

I only have 1 bottle that isn't open so I'm not to a point of having a bunker. Perhaps someday.

 

[jvd99]

I've got about 275 bottles stored out of sight.  Probably 70% bourbon/rye and 30% scotch.  I know pretty well what I have bourbon wise because my collection is pretty focused, but the scotch is all over the place and I actually like forgetting what I have because it's a really nice surprise sometimes when I rediscover an old dusty in the cabinet.  No spreadsheets for me.  BTW - I've basically stopped buying anything except a couple or three LE's my LS offers to me in the fall or really nice looking store selects from the same store.  I've got enough booze to ruin two livers

[elmossle]

On 11/2/2018 at 12:40 PM, jvd99 said:

I've got about 275 bottles stored out of sight.  Probably 70% bourbon/rye and 30% scotch.  I know pretty well what I have bourbon wise because my collection is pretty focused, but the scotch is all over the place and I actually like forgetting what I have because it's a really nice surprise sometimes when I rediscover an old dusty in the cabinet.  No spreadsheets for me.  BTW - I've basically stopped buying anything except a couple or three LE's my LS offers to me in the fall or really nice looking store selects from the same store.  I've got enough booze to ruin two livers

 

While I don't have as many bottles as Jim does, I have to be in the 150 to 200 range in the bunker at this point. I have a really good idea of what is down there. For example, I know I have tons of ECBP stored up. I can't remember which releases I do or don't have or the number of each. But others, I can tell you exactly what it is and how many I have and in some cases, where I purchased the bottles. Sometimes I get surprised, but I have a good idea what I do and do not have.

[GaryT]

For me this is one of the benefits of my spreadsheet; if I'm in a store and see something I can check on my phone.  I don't really bunker much other than private picks, or what I felt were undervalued (like CB Flaming Heart).  Or if I stumble across any dusties, which is pretty damn infrequent these days (actually better luck with dusty scotch the last couple of years!)

[kevinbrink]

4 hours ago, GaryT said:

For me this is one of the benefits of my spreadsheet; if I'm in a store and see something I can check on my phone.  I don't really bunker much other than private picks, or what I felt were undervalued (like CB Flaming Heart).  Or if I stumble across any dusties, which is pretty damn infrequent these days (actually better luck with dusty scotch the last couple of years!)

Yeah at least here in the Garden State if you have the stomach and budget to take a shot on bottles over $80 you can really grab some great dusty scotch.