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50ml Mini Bottles


PaulO
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It has been my experience that 50ml mini (a.k.a. airline) bottles are almost always bottom shelf brands.  There are a few mid shelf brands.  The most expensive I've seen in person is Woodford.  In the early 1990s the Bourbon Heritage Collection had minis, but that was like a one off deal.  I'm also aware that at one time there were some Blanton's minis.

How about if limited or allocated stuff went into 50ml bottles?  For some reason no one seems to want to do this.  I'm not sure why.  Instead of one 750ml bottle it into fifteen 50ml minis. 

It would go a lot farther.  More people would get to try stuff.  Imagine a set of all the BTAC for a given year in mini bottles, or a set of all ten Four Roses recipes together.  How about a flight of all the VW brands. 

This could be great for small or craft distillers too (at least for those making something good). 

Even with some additional costs for packaging, I bet a 750ml bottle that retails for $200 could be sold at $15 or less as mini bottles.

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Ha ha!  Just finished a 1oz sample of EC18 that I got from MoM back in the day (absolutely delicious, BTW!).  Next up is a MoM sample of Dalmore 18.  SWMBO says it's time to clear out these little beauties.  I say "OK!"  I've learned from over 40 years of marriage to do whatever she says!  ?

 

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I have never found those airline bottles to be particularly helpful because a sample that small is far too little for me to reach a definitive judgment either pro or con.

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19 minutes ago, GeeTen said:

SWMBO says it's time to clear out these little beauties.  I say "OK!"  I've learned from over 40 years of marriage to do whatever she says!  ?

 

As someone who's been married 41-1/2 yrs to a woman who is waaaay above my pay grade, I agree completely! Besides, she really is always right (dammit :D)

 

Back on topic. I too would like to see more 50ml. bottles, but I doubt it'll ever happen. I don't see the distilleries wanting to screw around with the packaging of their mid-upper shelf items. Plus, how many liquor stores are going to want to buy case quantities of so many items? (not sure what a case qty would be, but it wouldn't be a dozen or two) Maybe asking distilleries to do like what HH did with 5 - 200ml in a set would stand a better chance.

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Over the holidays, Costco had a 3 bottle "Generations of Proof" set.  It had three 375-ml cask strength bottles - MMCS, MM46CS and a MMPS.  It was $69.99 which was a relatively good price.  

 

I have always thought it would be great if BT would offer a BTAC set or a Blanton's set.   All of the major distillers could potentially offer some great sets.

 

 

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I'm a fan of minis, and when I was in Scotland bought a couple that weren't low-end (like a Glendronach 21yr Parliament - which I liked well enough to buy a whole bottle then).  Even here I've seem the Beam small batch in minis (Bookers, KC, etc), and I've bought a couple of Blantons that were 50 mL (so cute).  I wish more would do 200 mls.  While it is overpriced as shit, I do tip my hat to Peerless for putting their 2yr rye in a 200 mL  - which is enough to have a few drinks from to evaluate (and at a cost that, based on what they charge for a full bottle, would likely only get you a 1oz pour in a bar).  

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It would be pretty cool if they would do a full BTAC set in minis of each, 50s or maybe something a little bigger like

200s. That would make it a lot easier for a lot more of us to get to try them all each year, even if it was more expensive on a price per pour basis than the regular bottles

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All good points.

MoM bottles their own samples of some pretty high end stuff.

Sure, a larger sample is preferable.

200ml sample could work.

Good deal on 375ml set is interesting.

Some high end Scotch available in minis.  If you like it enough, get the full size bottle.  That may be a better solution than bar pours.

Smaller bottles mean more people can try it.

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I've thought about picking up a 50ml Johnny Walker Blue for $20 out of curiosity since I'll never buy a bottle. That's cheaper than a bar pour would be.

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This is the highest end mini I've found.  And the price works out to be about the same as for a 750 so I grabbed a handful... 

wp 10.jpg

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I think the Easter season is perfect for Malort. It could quite possibly raise the dead. 

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I'm deep in Scotch and liqueur mini replica bottles of all sizes-- but unfortunately 50mL glass bourbon pickings are slim to say the least…

 

 

IMG_4168.thumb.jpg.0b22486ef5f55751e4b6a937a8b67900.jpg

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Online I had seen some old RHF minis. Those would be cool as crud.

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1 hour ago, Marekv8 said:

Look no further…

 

Jeppsons-Malort.thumb.jpg.ddc178aa1c578c310e8b1a53f7f98563.jpg

You’re one sick puppy M. I used to.......uh oh. Gimme a few minutes. I have to visit the bathroom. ?
 

Bib! Joe

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Not quite as high end as the Pigwhistle, but here’s the somewhat obscure Baker’s 50ml.

Also, the 100ml AE that I haven’t seen in awhile, 

and of course bonus points for the European 4RYL

:)

 

58BE116C-7EC6-43D9-BD74-F9FEC5F939BB.jpeg

E9A41D18-9C96-4396-BAEF-0559F1A56021.jpeg

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Today I was in Meijer.  I saw Johnnie Walker and one other Scotch brand (Glen something) has small bottle four different expressions in a box.  It's basically the same format as the dusty Bourbon Heritage Collection minis.  I guess our friends on the other side of the ocean still think it's a good idea.

 

And Frank, your wife orders you to drink high end Bourbon and malts?  Man, that's got to be rough. ?

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11 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

Look no further…

 

Jeppsons-Malort.thumb.jpg.ddc178aa1c578c310e8b1a53f7f98563.jpg

ONLY 6?

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14 hours ago, fosmith said:

This is the highest end mini I've found.  And the price works out to be about the same as for a 750 so I grabbed a handful... 

wp 10.jpg

This is the one I've never seen.  Piglets! 

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6 hours ago, 0895 said:

Not quite as high end as the Pigwhistle, but here’s the somewhat obscure Baker’s 50ml.

Also, the 100ml AE that I haven’t seen in awhile, 

and of course bonus points for the European 4RYL

:)

 

58BE116C-7EC6-43D9-BD74-F9FEC5F939BB.jpeg

E9A41D18-9C96-4396-BAEF-0559F1A56021.jpeg

 

I've purchased the Angel's Envy and Blanton's mini on occasion.  Love those little guys.  Four Roses single barrel too.  Something tells me I've seen the Baker's 50 ML somewhere but for the life of me I can't remember where.   I've never bought one, but man, if I passed on that little guy in the past, I definitely regret it now.   It's  pretty damned cute.

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6 hours ago, PaulO said:

And Frank, your wife orders you to drink high end Bourbon and malts?  Man, that's got to be rough. ?

 

Well, I think that's the nice lady that hangs around my house all day - I just do what she tells me to do.  Every once in a great while she even cooks dinner!   ?

 

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23 hours ago, BDanner said:

I've thought about picking up a 50ml Johnny Walker Blue for $20 out of curiosity since I'll never buy a bottle. That's cheaper than a bar pour would be.

 

In 2003 I was part of a small group on a site visit to see a lab automation system in Chicago, after dinner the salesman took us to some high end bar that didn't have any decent bourbon so he suggested Johnny Walker Blue, the bar wanted $50/drink, $200 for a round of 4.

 

It was OK but for a Scotch, I'd much sooner have Ardbeg 10.

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I've been collecting them, off & on, since the late 70's. My Dad was stationed in Naples, Italy back then, so I collected miniatures,  from all of the countries that we visited.  It was easier,  and less tacky than little Tower of Pisa's & Roman Colosseum's.  There are some pretty cool, and unique bottles, (Corvoisier cannon, baby bottles w/vodka, bullfighters, and weirdly shaped bottles.

 

The collection has survived a few moves, and 15+ years in the attic.  We painstakingly dipped the necks in paraffin, back in '82, to help prevent evaporation.  Frankly,  I'm surprised that the collection survived.

Imagine my surprise when I dug through it, and found this little gem.  

 

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I have a selection on "higher end" minis, including a few Scotch and some old tax stamped minis. We also keep a random selection on hand for cocktails and to hand out to mailman/trashman/etc.

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20200404_141416.jpg

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7 hours ago, Special Reserve said:

 

In 2003 I was part of a small group on a site visit to see a lab automation system in Chicago, after dinner the salesman took us to some high end bar that didn't have any decent bourbon so he suggested Johnny Walker Blue, the bar wanted $50/drink, $200 for a round of 4.

 

It was OK but for a Scotch, I'd much sooner have Ardbeg 10.

I'm with you. If I'm going to drink Scotch, it's going to be from Islay. Laphroaig 10, if you please.

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