Who here has given up on buying every bottle you come across?

[Theantiquetiger2]

I decided after this past bourbon season that I’m tired of chasing unicorns, buying everything, etc. 

 

I’ve decided to stick to sub-$40 bourbons, mainly store picks.  My favorite bourbon I picked up this year was a $19 bottle of Buffalo Trace store pick, a $30 ER10 store pick was my second favorite. 

 

There is only one bourbon over $40 that I will buy, it’s EHT single barrel. 

 

Now don't get get me wrong, I will still go to raffles, try to win some antique collections or Pappy, but no more dropping money on the next bottle I come across. 

[flahute]

Most of us. 
When you see one of the board veterans talk about bourbon zen, this is what they mean. 
Looks like you found it faster than most of us so well done!

[Harry in WashDC]

Um, I don't buy every bottle I come across.  I hit, maybe, two stores a week "just in case" and leave PLENTY of bottles on the shelves when I leave.  That "two stores" does NOT include the one or two stores a month I hit while looking for something specific.  It also does NOT include online searches, performed at least weekly, of online inventory of stores in Virginia, Montgomery County Maryland, and five WashDC stores with online search features.  OTOH, I often buy at least ONE something whenever I enter a store that knows me.  F'rinstance, I picked up a Babyback WP 6YR while walking from a restaurant to a CVS "just in case".  It was marked down 10% from $50.99.  Such a deal.

[GaryT]

What Steve said  

 

I'll bet that aside from trips where I am going to buy someone in particular, I only leave a store with a bottle in 10-20% of my 'Let me just see what they have' - and usually that's a dice roll on a private pick or something that's attractively priced (like Bakers for $40).  When I started, I'd buy damn near anything I hadn't tried before but heard something about on SB.com (spread out to avoid having the house foreclosed upon).  But now I have a pretty good idea of what I like.  Even new releases, I'll actively seek the opportunity to try them before buying them to see if I think it is something I want to have a whole bottle of.  

[Richnimrod]

^^^^What Gary said!^^^^    A true bargain spotted (on a known fave), or an unexpected 'dusty' or semi-dusty gets my attention, as well as the (very few...or one) annual releases that may come my way, is about all I seek or succumb to.   This isn't to say a new product doesn't peak my interest.   But nowadays, I wait for some reliable confirmation of it striking my particular palate well ( a taste? or several reviews here by folx with known similar likes), and some semblance of a decent price/value estimation.

[yobber76]

I stopped buying everything in sight also. I now have it down to about 4 stores I go to, and I'm starting to narrow the bourbons I want to have around all the time. There's a few I would buy if I find them, and a few I wouldn't buy again.

I will take a chance with store selects at 2 stores, if the owners give it a great review.

[GeeTen]

2 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

^^^^What Gary said!^^^^    A true bargain spotted (on a known fave), or an unexpected 'dusty' or semi-dusty gets my attention, as well as the (very few...or one) annual releases that may come my way, is about all I seek or succumb to.   This isn't to say a new product doesn't peak my interest.   But nowadays, I wait for some reliable confirmation of it striking my particular palate well ( a taste? or several reviews here by folx with known similar likes), and some semblance of a decent price/value estimation.

 

Like father, like son???   

 

[Kane]

Agreed with all that, and I also feel like I enjoy the banter at the liquor store more than shopping for the juice these days. Staff that likes to discuss details of their store picks, steer you away from the shiny stuff toward new good finds, share samples and personal bottles, and overall enjoy talking about spirits is the draw. At those times I pick up a bottle or two, otherwise I'm content with my solid collection.

[AndyD]

I really only drink turkey, 4r and mgp bourbon/rye.  But now on a scotch kick.  But yeah, I’m done with the allocated chase.  It’s more that I’m annoyed with the people and their awful attitudes, rather than the bottles and hype.  
 

I reached bourbon zen a few months ago when I really got into 4r, and now I never need to buy more of it, but if I do it’s infinitely easier to get than most allocated/LE stuff.

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

Agreed with all that, and I also feel like I enjoy the banter at the liquor store more than shopping for the juice these days. Staff that likes to discuss details of their store picks, steer you away from the shiny stuff toward new good finds, share samples and personal bottles, and overall enjoy talking about spirits is the draw. At those times I pick up a bottle or two, otherwise I'm content with my solid collection.

You are truly blessed, at least in my admittedly narrow experience, to find such a place(s?).    I know of none in my area.    I do know of a few that will do the opposite, though.   

The one and only store that I routinely shop for liquor, set-ups, mixers, etc. used to have a person such as this; but, it turned out he had sticky fingers, or at least the owner thought he did.   

The owner however, is a good guy, and has asked for my help among a select few others with private picks for the store on several occasions, and almost always will call if something he thinks might be interesting comes his way.   Problem is, he doesn't really have much of a palate, and is easily swayed by the hype of the distributors, so his recommendations must be taken with several grains of salt.    I enjoy banter; but, more often than not with other customers, who occasionally ask for assistance, or explanation, if they know me.   The selection/tastings are always fun, of course.  In fact we have a couple coming up 'soon' (if the distributor is to believed... a questionable idea at best): Buffalo Trace, and a Woodford product (not sure what yet).   Looking forward to those!  

[smokinjoe]

I don’t think anyone can/would buy “every” bottle they come across.  That said, I’ll pretty much buy every legacy bourbon/rye distillery release that comes down the pike, at least once.  Unless...the pricing is so high that it impinges on my wallets comfort zone.  But, I usually end up getting it eventually.  . Fortunately, the itch to buy every craft whiskey released, either sourced or self distilled, has not needed too much scratching.  I’ve blown enough cash and tasted enough bad whiskey from them to allow me to just say no (New Riff not withstanding)
 

Whereas, I eschew Bourbon Zen from the legacies (Keep em comin’, boys and girls, I’m in.), I’ll also eschew the narrative of a Bourbon Xanadu from the crafts...

[JCwhammie]

I'm also at the point that when I go to a store I'm in search of a particular bottle. My favorite local has a whiskey bar where you can buy 3/4oz pours for much better prices than restaurants. Plus the whiskey manager will sit and bs with you. During the evenings there is almost always a few souls having a few drams. 

[BourbonJoe]

ME.

[Bob_Loblaw]

Bourbon releases are still accelerating at a rapid pace not to mention that base costs are up across the board as well.   I started in 2017 and just in the last 3 bourbon seasons prices have increased significantly.  Eagle Rare and Henry McKenna 10 were routinely on shelves for $26.99. Recently bought an ER and its now $34.99 and I think McKenna is the same or $39.99.  EH Single Barrel went from $52.99 to $69.99.  4R BS from $52.99 to $65.99 and of course Weller antique went from $19.99 to $46.99, an increase of nearly 235%!  Overall that's generally about a 25-30% increase across the board.  All these prices are at the same LS.   Taken alone it significantly impacts my buying habits and how quickly the wife pays attention to them.

 

And then you have to add in the ever increasing number of limited editions also with increased price tags.  Pappy/BTAC aside in 2017 there was what?  A 4R LE, the Al Young, OFBB, PHC maybe a couple more.  WT Masters Keep, but at that time they languished on the shelf at a bloated $150 price tag.  Kentucky Owl rye came out as well and was another one that sat with its $140 pricing.   So I won't count either as true LE because you could have picked them up at any time.  Point is the total umber of $100ish bottles to chase was not the high.

 

2019 off the top of my head had ETL100, Bakers 13, 2x OF BiB, 4R LE, WT Cornerstone, LB3, PHC Rye, Cream of Kentucky, King of Kentucky, EH Amaranth, Weller Full Proof, Weller CYPB, Mister Sam Tribute, Remus Volstad 14 yr, OFBB.  I'm sure I am missing a few.  Again not counting stuff that sits like Woodford Masters or Whistle Pig Boss Hogs.  Not to mention several of the 2019 bottles are above $200 and another large number $150 plus so I think the overall average of the limited editions also increased significantly.  

 

It's just too much!  So yes, I very much limit the limited editions I will chase/purchase.  This year I was offered and passed on CoK, Mister Sam, Remus Volsted, and KO bourbon/rye.  And no regrets about doing so, even knowing how well the Volstad was received. 

 

I did miss the OF BiB 15 year (lost in shuffle, would have bought for sure) and was ok with it until @smokinjoe and @WhiskeyBlender came out singing its praises.  I tried briefly to find a bottle to trade for in a public forum and holy shit show batman.  I literally went through a 10 email exchange on valuation, finally agreed to use the source he preferred, then his the trade offered was SIGNIFICANTLY unbalanced and he is defending because his bottle is undervalued on the site and mine are overvalued!!!  No thanks. 

[flahute]

11 minutes ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

I tried briefly to find a bottle to trade for in a public forum and holy shit show batman.  I literally went through a 10 email exchange on valuation, finally agreed to use the source he preferred, then his the trade offered was SIGNIFICANTLY unbalanced and he is defending because his bottle is undervalued on the site and mine are overvalued!!!  No thanks. 

We are all familiar with FOMO (fear of missing out). In those secondary groups there's a corollary - FOMOOMP (fear of missing out on maximum price) in which some jabroni comes along right after you close the deal and tells the seller they let it go for too little. Hence the email exchange you experienced. The other factor is everyone wanting to win a trade. A friend of mine once described one of those sites as a "cesspool of toxic fuckery" and he could not have described it any better.

[Double C's]

18 hours ago, JCwhammie said:

I'm also at the point that when I go to a store I'm in search of a particular bottle. My favorite local has a whiskey bar where you can buy 3/4oz pours for much better prices than restaurants. Plus the whiskey manager will sit and bs with you. During the evenings there is almost always a few souls having a few drams. 

That sounds awfully similar to the store I try to visit once a week. Their tasting bar is a great way to explore various whiskeys before committing to the cost of a whole bottle. A perfect example of this would be the Larceny Barrel Proof I tried their last week. After spending a few $ on a pour I was glad I did not try and chase one down at the $50 price tag.

[ebo]

Divorce and alimony has pretty much killed stocking bottles for me. I just stay with the tried and true mid shelfers and buy a bottle or two at a time.

[Bob_Loblaw]

54 minutes ago, flahute said:

 The other factor is everyone wanting to win a trade. 

 

All so true.  I recognize that I will generally be the one giving away some value on any trade.  But that is because when I am desperate enough to brave the shit show it is usually for a specific item I want to drink and all the flippers just care about max secondary pricing.   However, this is where W12 and ETL are fantastic at bridging that gap. 

 

I recently traded a W12 for a 4R PS that I specifically needed.  Yes, NEEDED! lol.    Pretty sure dude is just a low level flipper (was trying to sell the 4R at $125, and had similar semi-allocated items).  I offered W12 knowing that in his mind I am giving a $150-160 hot ticket bottle for his $125 less popular one.  But, as we know, the secondary value is meaningless if you are never going to sell right?  So, to me I just paid $35 for an $80 4R bottle!   

[ccleve23]

I usually shop at one store anymore.  I have developed a good relationship with the store owner and if there is something I am looking for he usually sells it to me when it comes in.  Though that is usually a bottle of OWA or ECBP.  I do ask for some of the more limited stuff time and again if a release seems interesting but I do pass on a lot of stuff.  In the fall he holds back all the limited stuff and then sells them to his best/most frequent customers so you are able to get one nice fall release.  I don't go hunting for others.  I will hit up some other local stores if they have some neat store picks or an event going on but that is about it. 

[JCwhammie]

2 hours ago, Double C's said:

That sounds awfully similar to the store I try to visit once a week. Their tasting bar is a great way to explore various whiskeys before committing to the cost of a whole bottle. A perfect example of this would be the Larceny Barrel Proof I tried their last week. After spending a few $ on a pour I was glad I did not try and chase one down at the $50 price tag.

Do you frequent the west or east location? If it's the west one, maybe I'll run into you soon. 

[Not_That_Fancy]

If the deals right I just can’t pass!!!

 

when I first started exploring boutons and whiskeys I caught myself buying every new bottle I came across. Now I’ve narrowed my must have on the shelf bottles and get sucked in.

 

RR 10yr is one of my favorite bottles. My local shop still has them at $19 otd if you buy six. So I find myself sitting on a dozen or so and when I go by... I have to get another few. 
 

[Double C's]

19 hours ago, JCwhammie said:

Do you frequent the west or east location? If it's the west one, maybe I'll run into you soon. 

the west location. It is only a small detour for me when heading home from work, whereas the east location is the opposite direction of my travel route to/from work. I wish their tasting bar was as extensive as the east location however. 

[0895]

5 hours ago, Double C's said:

the west location. It is only a small detour for me when heading home from work, whereas the east location is the opposite direction of my travel route to/from work. I wish their tasting bar was as extensive as the east location however. 

It used to be... I drank a lot of it over the past year.  

[fishnbowljoe]

Hello. My name is Joe, and I have Whiskirexia Nervosa. Do you have it?????    

 

This thread started by Chuck back in 2008 is still relative today.

 

 

Biba! Joe

[Kepler]

5 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Hello. My name is Joe, and I have Whiskirexia Nervosa. Do you have it?????    

 

This thread started by Chuck back in 2008 is still relative today.

 

 

Biba! Joe

Infected!  Put this man into quarantine immediately!