What's Open On Your Bar? 2020 to........

[fishnbowljoe]

I believe we once had a thread like this a while back. A post in another thread prompted me to start a new one. Thanks go to Jazzhead. Below is his post that got me to thinking. 

 

My bar is graced with only 12 open bottles at a time,   which I think makes things kind of fun,  but I can occasionally be in an OF or WT Drought.   Actually I do have an open Woodford Reserve,  so I misspoke about the OF.   The current open dozen:

 

Four Roses Small Batch Select

Colonel EH Taylor single barrel

Turley Mill Straight Rye (well-aged, high proof MGP)

Few Bourbon

Woodford Reserve

Willett 4-year rye

McKenzie Single Barrel (wheated)

John J. Bowman Single Barrel

Miyagikyo Single Malt (Balvenie substitute)

Lagavulan 16

Lagavulan Offerman Edition

My Rum solera,

 

 

[BottledInBond]

36 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I believe we once had a thread like this a while back. A post in another thread prompted me to start a new one. Thanks go to Jazzhead. Below is his post that got me to thinking. 

 

My bar is graced with only 12 open bottles at a time,   which I think makes things kind of fun,  but I can occasionally be in an OF or WT Drought.   Actually I do have an open Woodford Reserve,  so I misspoke about the OF.   The current open dozen:

 

Four Roses Small Batch Select

Colonel EH Taylor single barrel

Turley Mill Straight Rye (well-aged, high proof MGP)

Few Bourbon

Woodford Reserve

Willett 4-year rye

McKenzie Single Barrel (wheated)

John J. Bowman Single Barrel

Miyagikyo Single Malt (Balvenie substitute)

Lagavulan 16

Lagavulan Offerman Edition

My Rum solera,

 

 

Has Few improved a lot in recent years? I haven’t tried any of their stuff for a..... few..... years. Hadn’t liked what I tried but hopefully some of these places do improve over time

[Marekv8]

Not making much progress, gotta start traveling again… as most of these disappear into flasks for hotels and such.

 

[fishnbowljoe]

I responded to Jazzheads post with this:

 

I really like thIs idea J, and try to practice it myself. Operative word, try. With the Covid-19, things have been kinda crazy. With no weekly meetings of our bourbon & cigar group, and not being able to visit my nephew, or Vosgar before he passed, I haven’t been able to share as many of my bourbons as I normally do. This has meant less bottles going to the recycle bin, and a few more on my open shelf. What a problem to have. 

 

Biba! Joe

 

I have an older BT bottle glorifier/shelf holder that holds 12 bottles. Aside from a couple of handles and odd bottles that I keep on hand, this is what I use for my open bottles. This past weekend, I cleaned up and tried to organize my cabinet and open shelf a little. Even with all that's happened this year, I was very surprised to find that I had twice my normal number of bottles open.  I also set a new record for open Weller's. My old record was 9 open Weller's. The new record is 10.  Below is my list, and a pic of my bottles on our dining room table. The pic is missing a few bottles. Not pictured are an ECBP B520, the remnants of a handle of Jack Daniels, a 103 proof private pick Crown Royal and a ps bottle of Weller 12. I couldn't even keep things straight while trying to bring some semblance of order to my open shelf. That's how I know I have way too many bottles open right now. Sheeeeesh. FWIW, I had this same problem many years ago. I had 29 bottles open, and when I wanted a pour, I had a hard timing choosing. I fixed things by purchasing the aforementioned BT bottle glorifier/shelf holder. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do now. Fortunately I have a few low fill bottles, and there will be a little less clutter on my shelf once I finish those. 

 

Biba! Joe

 

Joe's Weller Blend 1.75                                          Eagle Rare SB

Joe's Weller Blend Gary's Batch 1.75                    Eagle Rare 10/101

Weller 12 new label/bottle                                      KCSB Select private pick

Weller 12 old label/bottle                                        OFSB private pick

Weller 12 old label/bottle private pick                   MMCS 108.8 proof

Weller SR new label/bottle                                     Early Times 1976 86 proof

Weller SR old label/bottle private pick                  ND OGD  6 yr 86 proof

Weller CYPB                                                            Four Roses (YL) 1.75

Weller FP private pick                                            Jack Daniel's 1.75

WLW-2017                                                              Crown Royal 103 proof private pick     

Buffalo Trace liter                                                   ECBP B520

Buffalo Trace private pick                                      EW BIB

 

 

 

 

[Mattk]

My current opens. Minus a few. I kinda like to drink ryes.

[Radioyada]

This is most of what is opened at home. There are a few bottles kept in a different location mainly for space purposes, and to make it a little less easy to reach for them when deciding on what to pour. 
 

 

[Jazzhead]

8 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

Has Few improved a lot in recent years? I haven’t tried any of their stuff for a..... few..... years. Hadn’t liked what I tried but hopefully some of these places do improve over time

Yes, I think it has improved a lot.   It is now being sold as a "straight" bourbon,  and I recall I read they are using more larger barrels.    I love the open bottle I'm sipping from.   I've had more than a half dozen bottles of Few;  I seem to keep replacing them as they fall.   I like the bourbon better than the rye;  like a lot of craft bourbons Few has had that grain-forward grassiness thing going, but as it's aged it's acquired honey notes.   It's always been a textbook example of balance,  and the proof guarantees that this is a bottle to pick for a casual pour.   At least for me!  

 

 

[webfoots]

I’m only in my second year of truly enjoying different bourbons so of my 25 or so bottles, nearly every one is open. I try to pick up a new bottle every couple weeks and will drink about a quarter or it before I pick up my next one and so on. I have a couple back-up bottles of stuff I drink often or mix with.

 

The only bottle I’m keeping sealed for a special occasion (or a stupid Tuesday) is an Elmer T Lee 100 year I was able to find at SRP. Everything else I have is fairly easily obtainable.

[BigRich]

Hmm...I've also tried to limit my opens to help make space.   Right now I think...

 

4R PS

Rittenhouse BIB

CB Flaming Heart

CB Tobias & the Angel

Appleton 12 Yr

Jacoulot Brandy

Macallan DO 12 Yr

Highland Park Full Volume

GTS 2018

CB Myths & Legends II

CB Hedonism The Muse

KC 12 Year

PS KC Rye

EC BP 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Well this is easy.  I have a 4R OESK and OBSV I opened last weekend.  And 3/4 of a bottle of Old Forge Single Barrel Reserve that a friend left for me.  I'll give it a try with an "open" mind, but that one may end up being dumped and a nice WT101 opened to replace it!  

 

I did also leave some low fill bottles of Smoke Wagon, Ezra Brooks SiB, ECBP and a KC pick at the in-laws house in Michigan for future trips.

 

 

 

 

[liquidbarrels]

Weller SR, Woodford Reserve, WT101, WT Rare Breed, 4R sib, OF 1920, BT, ER10, CEHT sb, Basil Hayden, Willet Pot Still reserve, Bulleit Rye

[camduncan]

Too many still open in the bourbon room to list, but COVID restrictions have seen me slowly killing off bottles where I can.  Upstairs in the kitchen I'm working my way through a Bulleit Bourbon, Weller SR, Woodford Reserve Double Oak and a Jim Beam Black 8yo.

[JakeySnakes]

I guess I have 6 open now (I said 5 in another thread but found an open in the closet, moved it to the Bar):

HMcK 10

KC 12

ER

FR SBS

Baby Saz

VOB 100

Edited August 18, 2020 by JakeySnakes

[Harry in WashDC]

Like Cam, the times have skewed my consumption.  I stopped counting opened at 15 and excluded Irish and liqueurs and my wife’s scotches.

 

The one surprise - ryes almost equalled bourbons when I stopped.  Unopened are counted by the case nowadays, but most of them are KC and OGD 114.

[TwoFingers]

I usually don't like to have too many open bottles at one time (mostly a space issue).  Looking at what I have open, I see:

 

WT101

Dant

Legent

Bakers

Lot B

HH BIB 6YO

WLW

Baby Saz

 

I recently finished up an EC NAS and a WR, so that was actually a few more than I expected.  I am surprised that I don't have a 4R product open.  Need to remedy that.

[Harry in WashDC]

1 hour ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Like Cam, the times have skewed my consumption.  I stopped counting opened at 15 and excluded Irish and liqueurs and my wife’s scotches.

 

The one surprise - ryes almost equalled bourbons when I stopped.  Unopened are counted by the case nowadays, but most of them are KC and OGD 114.

UPDATE!!  Opened is over 20.  I went looking after dinner for something to settle in with tonight, and I found a few opens I'd missed - mostly 4R Store Picks (4 of them).  THEN, a dusty Baker's 107 7YR (not the Air Force guy) caught my eye.  Batch B-90-001 released circa late 2016 begged to be consumed.  I am obliging.  The wax/plastic sealant came off in chunks.

 

First sip of 2 OZ. with a small melted cube, taking it to about 104 - good fruit (apples, pears, peaches) and nice menthol (mint plus ice cold, of course), and no alcohol burn.

[FasterHorses]

Redemption 10 yr High Rye

HH7 BiB

VW12

KC15 PS

WSR

BT PS

Dickel BiB

Craigelechie 13

Blantons

 

[Kepler]

I just counted 74 bourbon and ryes opened at home

[Kepler]

18 hours ago, Kepler said:

I just counted 74 bourbon and ryes opened at home

Make that 75. 

 

 

[Swamp55]

OK, this thread got me curious.  I count about 80 open whiskies (of which around 50 are bourbons) and around 40 backup botles.

Funny, how my little home bar collection has grown over the last few years.  I think I can blame you guys on SB for that!  

[GeeTen]

12 hours ago, Swamp55 said:

OK, this thread got me curious.  I count about 80 open whiskies (of which around 50 are bourbons) and around 40 backup botles.

Funny, how my little home bar collection has grown over the last few years.  I think I can blame you guys on SB for that!  

 

Yeah, THEY (SB.com guys) are such enablers, eh?   

 

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by GeeTen

[TwoFingers]

13 hours ago, Kepler said:

Make that 75. 

 

 

Now you are just piling on. 

[PaulO]

I don't usually keep more than a small number open at one time.  Right now it's: J.W. Dant, VOB 100, Benchmark Bonded, and OF Rye.  Chances are good a WT or 4R product will join soon.

[Clueby]

Rally Point 5 Year Rye

Stagg Jr. Batch 13

EC18

1970s Chapin & Gore

PHC11

PHC12

Willet 4 Year Rye

GTS

WLW

SAOS 5 Year Store Pick

Weller Full Proof

OWA Store Pick

Weller 12

Blanton's Gold

HWMND

VOBBIB

Melliw Corn

Ardbeg 10

Ardbeg Uigeadail 

Ardbeg Ardbog

[BigSkyDrams]

Having just opened a KC and BT on Friday, my shelf is rather simple but well rounded; I have the following whiskies open:

OF1910

OF1920

WA107

W12

BT

KC

HMcK10

Rittenhouse

 

I need to get some 4R and Turkey going, maybe another Beam product.   However, I have limited space for the opens, so I'll probably polish off one or two of those mentioned before opening something else up.