Buying & Bunkering Habits

[Rhettro]

What are your usual buying and bunkering habits?

 

When you're out grabbing a bottle of your daily drinker, do you buy an extra for your stash? If you see a rare or extra tasty botltle at srp, do you purchase two and bunker one? Are you making trips to the store just to fill your bunker?

 

How often are you adding to your bunker? Do you tend to stock up on a lot of the same things, or do you like to add more variety with your purchases? Do you like to add bottles you've never tasted to your bunker?

 

I've enjoyed and collected beer and wine for over a decade, but as a new entrant into whiskey and spirits, I'd appreciate some insight into the community's best practices.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Rhettro

[M777]

I personally just add as I go along. Nowadays I mostly bunker store picks, buy one bottle, taste it, and if I like it I'll go back and buy two more within 48 hours before they get bought out. In the past two months I've been able to find bottles that I hadn't seen in many years (w12, owa, etl) and discovered some other great ones (WT RB, RR sib store picks thanks to recommendations on here). 

[clearmoon247]

Normally, I will aim for 2x of store picks/private barrel selects, daily drinker on-sale bottles, and fancy/LE bottles to have one open in the whiskey library and one in the bunker for later. That way, I can always maintain an extra of bottles that are really good. If the open one is new and I'm not a fan, I can always swap it locally with others in the community. The hardest challenge currently for me is getting 2x of each Stagg Jr release as they are coming out. I'm still on the hunt for a second Batch 14.

[TehRegion219]

I just go in with intentions of buying 1 bottle. If nothing new is in, I replace whatever daily drinker is low or recently emptied.  I rarely get something new to try that I haven’t heard of or read/researched about. There have been some gems slip thru my fingers because of this but meh, the price didn’t justify it (too many dineros). I don’t trophy hunt, I drink (or plan on) everything I buy.  I don’t drink all that much so pretty much everything gets bunkered. 

[B.B. Babington]

You'll find wide variety of habits.  What suits your needs?  If new to whiskey, I wouldn't worry about bunker at all, just get lots of different mostly mid-level stuff of every ilk and kin to learn what's out there.  Don't ignore bottom shelf as there's education there and sometimes something really interesting.  People starting today have handicap in that there's so many sourced labels it's hard to know what's in the soup.

[PhantomLamb]

Only one bottle of each.  To me, bunkering the same bottles is excessive and will motivate me to drink more than I want to or should lol.  When it's gone, I replace it if I can and keep adding to the stash.  

[Bob_Loblaw]

I am with @PhantomLamb most things I will buy when I am in the mood for, likely to open, and would not bother bunkering a second.  This includes the majority of allocated releases like Blantons, W017, EHSmB and SiB, HMK.  Exceptions are W12, ETL, RHF and EHBP.  Those I will buy everytime which equates to about one bottle per year.  Another exception is ECBP, I will buy one of every batch and possibly a second if price is right.  Every batch is outstanding and at $49.99 is the best value out there at the moment.  Maybe 4-6 per year and only consuming/gifting 2-3 so the bunker does grow on that one and I am ok with it.

 

4R/KC/ER picks from my local whom I trust, and know we have similar palates, I will buy 3 of.  One to open right away to see if it is a honey barrel. One for my cousin, and one for the bunker for future comparisons to revisit.  If the pick is honey I will buy as much as they are willing to spare.  Picks that I participated in I would buy up to a case depending on price and again, one opened right away and one for the cousin leaving rest for the bunker.   The wiley vets on this forum are absolutely correct that once gone that is the end and those bottles contain great memories and nostalgia, make fantastic gifts and I do not think down the road I would never think I overbought.  I learned this the hard way as my first two barrel picks (both on premise a 4R OBSK and RR CNF) I am basically out now.   I will note that prices have increased so dramatically in the last year that I am often buying 4 bottles now and paying the same as when I used to get 6.  

 

Daily Drinkers, and store picks like BT and EC I take a different approach.  I keep 1-2 $30 or less bottles on hand at any given time, mostly they are open and get consumed quickly.  I do not bunker any of those and I do not buy in bulk.  My reasoning is that once you become friendly with a liquor store you will obviously pop in to check on new releases and allocated items.  That is very hit or miss and so rather than walking out empty handed I will thank them, say maybe next time and grab my next daily drinker off the shelf.  The slight extra $ I pay buying in individual bottles more than makes up for itself in future purchasing opportunities.  Plus is provides great conversation fodder as most of the whiskey managers are also drinkers so we can chat about various options, what we like/don't like, make recommendations to each other etc . . .   Some examples in this category are WT101, 4RYL, OF100. OFRye, OGDBiB, VOBBiB, EWBiB, ECSmB, BT, EW SiB and I am sure there are several more.  Also, this keeps the herd nice and trim without a ton of excess bottles.  

[fishnbowljoe]

For the most part, my purchases are now mostly of my favorite bourbons. I will take a flyer on something “new” every once in a while. I call it taking one for the team, or for the good of SB.  I’ve also been a long time buyer of private selections. One local store did a barrel pick of OFSB, which I posted about a few weeks ago. I bought one. It was good. Very good, IMHO. It was so good I bought a few more.   Two  bottles are now empty and tucked away in my basement. I have one open, and five in my bunker.   Yeah, I liked it that much. Heck, I might even buy a couple more. I also bought two bottles of a ps BT from the same store. It was okay. Only marginally better than regular BT. I won’t be buying any more of that one. Currently, I’m waiting on the Eagle to land. I have one ER open, and a couple bunkered, but I’d like to add a couple more. I never thought I’d say this, especially since I’m a Weller Whore, but I’m pretty good on Weller’s.   I’d really  like to find a Weller SB, but I’m okay if I don’t. I like me some BIB’s too. EW has been in stock here for a while, and JW Dant and JTS Brown recently became available. I think I should be good there too. Still, ya never know. 
 

I’m inching closer to retirement, and that has had some bearing on my recent purchases. Yes, I might be hoarding a bit, and I admit that FOMO is sometimes a factor. Still, it ain’t gonna git no cheaper. 
 

Biba! Joe

 

[Harry in WashDC]

My bunker just sort of appeared like cobwebs in the corners of the basement.  I'd get these impulses to buy stuff, would buy the stuff, then I'd get home and wonder where I was going to put it.  Car trunk got filled a lot (and still does).  SO, I'd move some inside.  Wife noticed the extra dining room chairs up against the walls had bottles under them and "suggested" I stop buying until I'd consumed them.  Fearing serious liver damage (my excuse, and I am sticking to it), I found "new" places instead of stopping purchases until the DR chair bottles were gone.  When those spaces (a) filled up or (b) got discovered (like the space behind the always opened door between the dining room and kitchen), I had to find new space.

 

BUNKER is the generic term for wherever that is.

 

Nowadays, I have enough stuff (some of which I don't know I have until I stumble on it while looking for something else like a pipe wrench) that the urge to purchase is subdued/quiescent/dormant/festering.

 

So, what am I bunkering?  Stuff I drink daily.  Why?  COVID which has curtailed my window/shelf shopping - i.e., replenishment of our basic bar goods - Campari, vermouths, etc.  For instance, today we went grocery shopping, and I fully expected to be able to pick up my fave, OGD BIB, which the liquor store nearby always has.  It had none.  NONE!!  I have only one unopened bottle (well, not counting the orange capped OGD BIBs I am saving) and three opened bottles in reserve.   Going to have to arrange a home delivery from another store. For next week.

 

Where I going to put it? How I going to accept delivery without much ado? For goodness' sake, DON'T let my wife know about this.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Harry in WashDC

[Whiskeythink.com]

It depends on availability. If I find a unicorny or semi-unicorny, only 1 per person is tylically enforced. I tend to then buy 1 & stash them away. For store picks, I tylically drink them, & if its real good & its reasonably priced, I buy another & stash it away. Binny's has a very robust SB program, so they will keep you busy, & I cant afford the $ or space for all of them (had to pass on those Yellowstone barrels cause $60. Supposed to be good).

 

If its a new WTKS pick, I always just buy 2.

 

[PaulO]

My usual buying and bunkering habits - sometimes I buy just one of something, other times multiples.  One is to try something new, or to visit the store to see what they have, and grab a proven favorite.  I have no problem walking out of a store with nothing.  On the other hand, I may like what I find (great sale and or hard to find items) and whip out the wallet.  Whiskey won't go bad if stored properly.  VOB 100 is only usually in one store way the other side of town.  I'm saving money on gas to get several.  It's nice to have a couple of case boxes with an assortment of favorites.  You don't have to go hog wild.  It does suck to want to buy, but nothing looks good, or is overpriced.  The bunker solves that.  You shop when you are good and ready, pass if you don't like what you find, no worries.

[Tony Santana]

I have no particular plan or strategy.  When I first started collecting I just wanted to try everything, and I bought a lot faster than I drank, so I amassed a fair number of bottles.  Ones i liked, I'd get 2 or 3.  I'll still often get two of store picks (usually trying it first before getting multiples) - as others have noted, once those single barrels are gone, they're gone.  

 

I still like to try new stuff.  I don't have a "daily drinker" because I have so many to choose from I just drink whatever strikes my fancy.  I'm over 400 bottles now - the majority are bourbon, but plenty ryes and then some Scotch, Irish, Japanese, etc. I have one main store locally, and 2-3 others I'll check out on occasion.  I've only bought 4 bottles at secondary prices, but have made a few trades.  If I travel I check out stores just to see what might be different.  I'm a sucker for 4R store picks.  I'm not shy about walking out of a store without buying anything.  I bought an Old Tub last week - that's what, a $23 bottle?  And I dropped more than $400 on a WhistlePig Samurai Scientist.  So I guess you could say my collection is eclectic.  I'm inching closer to retirement, so in a way I figure my bunker is sort of a whiskey IRA.  My purchases are starting to slow a bit ad I figure they'll continue to do so.

 

Buy what you want, experiment, have fun.  Don't feel constrained by what others think.  You should only be limited by your resources, tastes and available space.

[RudyTheKlown]

My bunkering habits are such: anything I have not tried I will purchase 1 bottle of initially. The only exception are store picks; I will buy 2 just in case I like it and don't have time to go back (so I don't miss out on a back up, happened just recently with a WhistlePig store pick). Anything I like I feel is worth having at least 1 back up of, including everyday off-the-shelfs. My (eventual) goal is to have 3 back ups of everything (don't ask, just don't). Store picks and LE's, if they're spectacular, I will bunker as many as I can reasonably afford that way I have really good stuff long into the future and can weather any "storm" that might come. For example I have 6 ECBP B520s in the bunker plus other batches. I'll be sipping B520 until I'm in my 60's (28 now) since I have other batches and more batches, even better ones, will still come out. Also 5 back ups of an 11 yo KCSB store pick. I also like having extras just in case the secondary price gets appealling enough to let one go, but they're primarily for consumption. I do the same thing with my artisinal tequilas and mezcals as well.