Do you know whats in your bunker?

[FasterHorses]

I read where in Tennessee or Virginia (can't remember) it's only legal to own or bunker something like 5 gallons. Are there actually laws out there like this, however unenforceable?

[smokinjoe]

9 minutes ago, FasterHorses said:

I read where in Tennessee or Virginia (can't remember) it's only legal to own or bunker something like 5 gallons. Are there actually laws out there like this, however unenforceable?

Of course.  There are all kinds of silly Blue Laws all over the country that are still on the books, but not enforced.  A non-alcohol example of one if these out of touch blue laws is that up until a few years ago, it was illegal to get a blow job in Georgia!!  No wonder Sherman hustled through here...    (Joke shamelessly stolen from Dennis Miller...  )

 

Speaking of Tennessee, I believe there is a limit to how many bottles you can legally transport (9 comes to mind) in your vehicle while driving through the Volunteer State.  Of course I shatter this law every April Sampler and September KBF...     Of course, these laws originally had a supposedly legitimate “purpose”.  This one was to thwart bootlegging, I believe.  

 

 

[BigRich]

This one was to thwart bootlegging, I believe.  
 
 

Now they just want to thwart you. Your reputation proceeds you.

[fishnbowljoe]

On 11/1/2018 at 7:31 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

Yes, I do. 

 

Biba! Joe

But seriously folks.  As long as I keep my spreadsheet updated, I know what I have. Well, I just updated my spreadsheet. 

 

And away we go!  

93-Total number of bottles

17-Number of open bottles

76-Number of bottles bunkered

63-Number of bottles from my favorite distillery, Buffalo Trace

52-Number of wheaters

 

FWIW, there was a time when I had 200+ bottles. I finallly decided to stop buying anything and everything, and began concentrating on buying mostly what I really liked. As y’all can see, BT/wheaters are what’s in my wheelhouse. As if there was any doubt. 

 

Biba! Joe

 

[smokinjoe]

2 minutes ago, BigRich said:

 

Now they just want to thwart you. Your reputation proceeds you.

 

I will use all of the intellect and guile at my disposal to prevent from being thwarted in the future.  Which obviously means keeping Cofer sedated on the trip up and back to keep the risk to a minimum...    

[GaryT]

On 11/5/2018 at 9:39 AM, kevinbrink said:

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. 

Good to know!  Several pick-ups lately have been in the $70 - $100 range, but bottles that based on current market rates (and the insanity that is LE bourbon) should be half again that.  I need to find an excuse for a road trip to NJ!

[Tony Santana]

I have around 400 bottles, roughly 100 of which are open, and there are very few surprises.  The other day I was poking around and found I had more EHTBP than I thought, but I knew I had multiples.  Ask me if I have a certain bottle, and I'm reasonably certain I could accurately respond, and tell you whether it's open or not.

[0895]

27 minutes ago, Tony Santana said:

  Ask me if I have a certain bottle, and I'm reasonably certain I could accurately respond, and tell you whether it's open or not.

 

Got any EHTBP?

[Tony Santana]

8 hours ago, 0895 said:

 

Got any EHTBP?

Quote

Now, I can't tell you off the top of my head exactly which versions I have, but I know how many I have, how many are open (one) and the fact that I possess the latest iteration.

 

 

[camduncan]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 9:52 AM, fishnbowljoe said:

FWIW, there was a time when I had 200+ bottles. I finallly decided to stop buying anything and everything, and began concentrating on buying mostly what I really liked.  

Biba! Joe

 

Amen Joe!

[camduncan]

I used to keep a list, but not anymore.  Every 9-12 months I have to pull apart my bourbon room, clean it down and spray for insects and re-assemble it.  I'll often re-arrange the room at the same time to add a bit of change and variety and to make different bottles the focal point.  This is a picture from a cleaning day a couple of years ago when I'd pulled out all the bottles to start cleaning and had them sitting in our media room.  I like to think that since then I'm getting through them slowly, but truth is I probably have just as many as I'm now on the same path as Joe - only buying what I enjoy most, and mostly what I can find locally on the Australian market.

[Harry in WashDC]

On 11/5/2018 at 6:52 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

   * * * * *

I finallly decided to stop buying anything and everything, and began concentrating on buying mostly what I really liked.

 

   * * * * * 

 

Biba! Joe

 

Thanks to SB.com and all you members, THIS is now my Rule.  I don't always follow it, but I sure feel a lot better about my purchases over the last two years or so.  Yes, the bunker is growing, BUT, upon reflection just now while watching "Shetland", I don't feel "guilty" or "hesitant" about opening ANYTHING in there - except a 2014 GTS @ MSRP, and I don't know why I'm saving it, either.

[CUfan99]

12 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Thanks to SB.com and all you members, THIS is now my Rule.  I don't always follow it, but I sure feel a lot better about my purchases over the last two years or so.  Yes, the bunker is growing, BUT, upon reflection just now while watching "Shetland", I don't feel "guilty" or "hesitant" about opening ANYTHING in there - except a 2014 GTS @ MSRP, and I don't know why I'm saving it, either.

You told me you were saving that GTS for my eventual visit to DC. You remember, right?

[JoeTerp]

I log everything and think even without the log I have a pretty decent idea if someone was to ask about a certain bottle.  I count the bunker as everything that not currently on the bar (most on the bar, but not all, are open).  Bar currently has 83 bottles and let's just say the bunker has more than that.  

[Harry in WashDC]

20 hours ago, JoeTerp said:

I log everything and think even without the log I have a pretty decent idea if someone was to ask about a certain bottle.  I count the bunker as everything that not currently on the bar (most on the bar, but not all, are open).  Bar currently has 83 bottles and let's just say the bunker has more than that.  

This thread did encourage me to REALLY take a look at what I have on hand so I can figure out what to pull out OR to stop buying. Thinking about it, I realized my most consumed are OGD BIB, WT 101, and several HH products, most of which are readily available here.  Hence, I've been ignoring my bunker.

 

I was surprised to find my stash is heavily weighted to Beams - Booker's, age stated KCs, JB BIB, DistCut, and OGD 114 dominate with a few recently purchased Baker's now sitting up front.  Saz/BT was second.  I have a few bunkered HHs, mostly HMcK SiB BIB as I found a barrel I REALLY liked last year (or in 2016?) and spent quite a bit of time driving from one VA ABC store to another buying every HMcK with just that barrel number.  Every few months, I open one and am glad I did all that driving.

[FasterHorses]

I saw the pics of the shelf that collapsed with one of yalls thousands of $ worth  of LE’s a few years ago. Valuable lesson in those pics. I keep most of my bunker on floor level in padded storage. I think I know most of whats in there but every now and then I recall something I forgot about. I dont look in there often but will need to take inventory over the winter. 

[ThirstyinOhio]

I have probably 700+ bottles of whiskey at this point with 600 or so being bourbon or rye with 60 or so open I think at this point.  While I have probably 20 or so upstairs in the kitchen and morning room most are stored in the basement in cabinets, book cases, and industrial shelving units and covering just about any flat surface that I can find.  Despite the number, I usually know if I have a bottle of a specific brand but like others, I may not be able to tell you which release it is.  I had created a spreadsheet a few years ago but never kept up with it but I know I should probably take a weekend and create a new one. 

[FasterHorses]

Just did an inventory. About 105. Found about 5 or 6 I forgot I had .  

[CardsandBourbon]

I'm at 150 bottles, including duplicates/spares.  It's pretty easy to keep up with since I have a bourbon list that I give to people when we have our Christmas get together.

 

 

BOURBON LIST.pdf

Edited August 26, 2019 by CardsandBourbon

[FreddyC]

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

Hoooly Smokes!!!  LOL....my little shelf (aka bunker) is pathetic.  

 

McKenna BiB (4)

EW single barrel

Weller SR

OGD

Wild Turkey 101

VOB BiB

EW 1783

Beam Repeal

Elijah Craig

 

 

 

 

 

[ebo]

Do you know whats in your bunker?

 

Yeah....... a bottle of WT101 and half a jar of shine.

[bayouredd]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 5:52 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

FWIW, there was a time when I had 200+ bottles. I finallly decided to stop buying anything and everything, and began concentrating on buying mostly what I really liked. As y’all can see, BT/wheaters are what’s in my wheelhouse. As if there was any doubt. 

 

Biba! Joe

 

While this is a typical milestone, at some point, novices like myself, have a bit of work to do to get here. I would say that 60% of my purchases fit this, but I am still searching and adding...

 

To answer the post, yes I do; however, give me a month or two & I promise to forget something. My mind doesn't necessarily hang out with me, everyday...

[Bob_Loblaw]

I probably have somewhere between 100-130 unopened bottles and roughly 30 open ones.  No spreadsheet, but I pretty much know exactly where everything is and what I have.  

[Marekv8]

I just found out that I've got to move the bottles (or have one hell of a party) by the end of 2019-- so it's a good time to start an inventory spreadsheet. Other than bottles earmarked for gifts, I've only got a single example of each-- which eliminates a wee bit of confusion. The good thing is that the new space will allow for a single secure room to house everything together (including the physical bar)-- at least that is the hope.

[fishnbowljoe]

Do I know what’s in my bunker?

 

Well................er!  

 

Biba! Joe