How many bottles do you bunker?

[camduncan]

I've been looking at getting a couple of extra bottles of the 94 Evan Williams Single Barrel before they disapear from our shelves. My plan was to have one to open and compare to the new 95 vintage, and another to keep for show.

My question is...how many bottles do people buy to bunker?

[gr8erdane]

Personally, I have to this point been focusing on first bottles of most, and have only one bottling of more than one in my bunker, being VWFRR and I only have two of those. Most of the bunker bottles are personal favorites that have undergone a change recently (2003 Stagg, ORVW15, Jeff Reserve 15yo, and a collector's RR1792). There are just too many bottles I don't have and only so much in the budget. Most everything I have is open and available for sippin.

[TNbourbon]

Depends on the bottling, Cam. Since Wild Turkey 12yo is currently not distributed in the U.S., I try to never pass up a bottle, but it's because I wish to drink it a long time, not as a collector. If I were treating it as a collectible, two would be enough -- one to sample, one to keep for show.

On the other hand, one is plenty of anything I can still lay my hands on -- but, as it starts to disappear (a la last year's EWSB when the new year's arrives), if I wish to keep drinking it, I buy as noted above re WT12.

[camduncan]

I guess I'm not collecting bottles per se. I don't (personally) see the point of having an unopened bottle gathering dust on a shelf with no intention of opening it.

My personal preference is to buy as many different bourbons as possible to try, and eventually settle on a dozen or so prefered ones.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind doing a taste comparison of say a 94, 95, 96 & 97 EW SB at some future point. Likewise if Stagg was availble Downunder, I'd probably do a similar thing there with the 2003, 2004 etc

[Tallica]

I always like to keep one of everything unopened to save for a rainy day.

Bottles like Stagg & Tribute I try and extend the budget & pick up as much as I can.

Anything that is readily available I usually only have one bottle which is opened.

Unfortunately it always comes down to the bottom line.

[Tallica]

I whole heartedly agree with the premise of vertical tasting which would give a great insight to the evolution of some bourbons.

Although I sort of collect for collecting sake, the intention is that even the rarities will be opened for a special occassion or for people that will appreciate them.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have a somewhat different problem with stocking up on bourbon. A lot of things are not sold to the Japanese market. Many of these get here via parallel shipping. That is chancy, so if I really like something I stock up. I have done that with Elmer T. Lee and Buffalo Trace, for example. Also, I will buy things I see on sale if it is on my 'always have on hand' list. That is, if the whiskey budget will allow. To date, I haven't bunkered much as I am in 'trying everything mode' so most of the budget is getting used up on bourbon I haven't tried yet. There are still quite a few bourbons on my 'must try' list, so a bourbon has to be pretty high on the 'always have on hand' list for me to buy duplicates.

Ed

[monte]

Probably way too many! I have to sort out the cellar sometime soon - the hodgepodge of liquor store boxes is not working anymore.

In principle, if I really like a spirit and it's a limited release, then I'll try to find as much as I can afford. For example, Eagle Rare 17 and Sazerac 18 are really fine spirits in my opinion and I found a way to get a bunch, so I probably bought a lifetime supply. I like WT Tribute a lot, but I can only justify bunkering one bottle and having one open because of it's cost.

If I had only one backup bottle, I might hesitate opening it for a party (or even for myself). If I can afford to bunker more, then I don't have to worry that I'm drinking the "last" of a favorite spirit. As long as distilleries keep coming up with new excellent offerings, I will probably be able to have some of today's favorites in the bunker for quite some time to come; new offerings will take up some of the slack.

I guess it all depends on your disposition, but I was always a kid who never wanted to "use up" all his crayons, so I guess this pack rat mentality still holds today. The good side of it is that I have some amazing bourbon to taste over here, and not that much of it that's too dear to open. Basically, I don't want to fill shelves with whiskey, I want to drink it, so I bunker enough to keep some around for a few years. There are some spirits that I would like to have around essentially forever, so I buy as much as I can afford of those...

WRT your EWSB'94, I willl suggest that it's a lot simpler to find it now than it will be to find it later. The '95 and next year's '96 might be better, but you never know now. So... I'd weigh the annoyance of not having your favorite '94 two or three years down the road vs. buying it now and having something else that you like better get released and compete for your bourbon $$.

Best of luck,

-monte-

[doubleblank]

Catch a flight to KY next week for the Sampler as we're doing just that......'89 thru '95 EWSB. Hopefully someone will take a few notes and report back somewhere on this Forum.

I only bunker things not readily available or out of current production.....then I buy all I can find if its a favorite.....ie ORVW 15/107, WT 12yo, early Rock Hill Farms, early Wathen's and anything from Stitzle Weller.

Randy

[OneCubeOnly]

My bunker is a weird hodgepodge. I don't collect, but I have some items that I guess I'm reluctantly collecting because of their rarity. For example, I have 3 unopened bottles of the original RidgeWOOD Reserve 1792, which after seeing go for $80+ on eBay I'm afraid to open. I also stumbled on a bottle of Jacob's Well, which isn't that spectacular but is getting fairly rare.

As for the rest, it's mainly drinkin' bourbons. I can't get BT in VA without jumping through a lot of hoops and waiting several weeks, so I buy lots when in Maryland. Same thing for another favorite, VWFRR 13yo. The rest is mainly odds & ends from Kentucky trips, but except for Randy's Van Blankle 12yo and my orphan Stagg bottle they're all fair-game for opening.

[miller542]

I have 3 unopened bottles of the original RidgeWOOD Reserve 1792, which after seeing go for $80+ on eBay I'm afraid to open.

That's like the guy who buys a vintage Farrari or Porsche and puts it in his storage facility indefinetly. Cars were made to be driven, maybe not every day, but at least once a year. Likewise, bourbon was made to drink. You might save two of the bottles forever, but drink out of the third once or twice a year. Such a great item like that would make the whole evening.

I'm still pretty much in the "trying all the bourbons" camp, so I have just started thinking about "bunkering" After reading a few post around here, my opinion is this. Take three or four of the bourbons that I like now, Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, etc. and buy an extra bottle to bunker. Keep it for 25 years, then drink next to a "current" bourbon to see what has changed or stayed the same (equally as notable) in those 25 years.

If you had done this 25 years ago, the impression I get is that you would see quite a shift in bourbon to today for a host of reasons.

As for the super premium stuff, Stagg, Van Winkle, Sacerac, put it on the drinking shelf, but in the very back. Only bust it out for very special occasions, Weddings, Christmas, Valentine's day, friend you haven't seen in three years, etc. But I guess if you can afford to bunker an extra bottle of this stuff, hey, go ahead.

[jeff]

I'm not much of a collector, and I see no purpose in stashing away, for display or otherwise, bourbons that are readily available. That said I have accumulated a collection of 40-50 unopened bottles of brands no longer in production. This includes several bottles of various Staggs, Birthday Bourbons, EWSBs, as well as a few decanters (Chessmen, White Bison, etc.) and hard-to-finds (WT Freedom). I'm consantly looking for bottles that are old and/or no longer produced.

[jbutler]

That's like the guy who buys a vintage Farrari or Porsche and puts it in his storage facility indefinetly. Cars were made to be driven, maybe not every day, but at least once a year. Likewise, bourbon was made to drink.

I know several guys with perfectly restored 60's Corvettes that do the same thing. These same guys chastise me for driving the 'Z, saying that I'll eventually regret having done so. BS! The thing was made to be driven! I hate garage queens, with a passion.

So perhaps we coin a new term: Bunker Queen. I like it.

All the above tirade aside, I don't care what anyone does with their bourbon. It is, after all, theirs. I have about 85 bottles, probably 30 of which are unopened because they are either extremely difficult to replace, or cannot be.

[pepcycle]

If there's a bunker queeen for those that keep'm and bunker king for those that drink'm, then I'm bunker crossdresser. I have some I will never open, some that I purchased to drink, but its the hard to get but really tasty ones that give me fits. I say I'm gonna save them, but find myself drinking them and mourning that last pour of something I may never get again.

[ratcheer]

"Its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

If you never open it because you rue the day it will be all gone, what's the point of having it?

Tim

[NorCalBoozer]

I am a new member to this board. Having been a JD drinker for a few years, i came accross Bookers Bourbon. After that, you can say i 'saw the light'. I was so blown away by it that I started researching bourbons and that led me here and to the great history and current high quality American Bourbon manufacturers. I never imagined that there were so many, and of such high quality.

I am looking forward to learning more about bourbon and finding great tasting bourbons to enjoy.

Right now my stash consists of:

Bookers Bourbon (x2)

A.H. Hirsch 16 y.o. Reserve (x1)

Distiller's Materpiece 20 y.o. Port Wine Cask (x1)

Pappy Van Winkle 20 y.o. Family Reserve (x2)

George T Stagg (x3)

[bobbyc]

Right now my stash consists of:

That would be a good place to stop, The slippery slope is just a few feet in front of you!

Whatever you decide, welcome.

[TNbourbon]

Right now my stash consists of:

Bookers Bourbon (x2)

A.H. Hirsch 16 y.o. Reserve (x1)

Distiller's Materpiece 20 y.o. Port Wine Cask (x1)

Pappy Van Winkle 20 y.o. Family Reserve (x2)

George T Stagg (x3)

That's a crop of mighty fine bourbon, but one of the things you'll learn soon enough is that you don't have to spend for the 'premiums' to get enjoyable pours. You might also look out for the eponymous Buffalo Trace, W.L. Weller 12yo, Eagle Rare Single Barrel, Evan Williams Single Barrel, Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester 100 proof (or Bottled In Bond), et al -- all under $25, and most under $20.

Fine bourbon is a fine thing -- fine bourbon at an everyday price is an everyday thing.

Welcome.

[OneCubeOnly]

That's like the guy who buys a vintage Farrari or Porsche and puts it in his storage facility indefinetly.

I definitely see your point about bourbon being meant to be enjoyed, but my dilemma with the Ridgewood is more about its taste vs. monetary value. I bought these for $24 each, and tastewise I think that's a fair price for what's inside. But at $80 or more, the contents aren't worth breaking the seal. So using your car analogy, I have three "minty fresh 1990 Toyota Tercels with 10 miles on the odometers."

[bluesbassdad]

Ed,

From my Air Force days I remember the term "hangar queen", which was applied to an aircraft (or missile) that spent more time in maintenance than in operation or on alert (or so it might have seemed to the crew chief). At least that disparaging term was applied to the bird, not to the beleaguered NCO in charge of maintaining it.

Accordingly, I think "bunker queen" might better apply to the saved bottle, rather than to the person who is saving it.

Besides, we should probably be careful tossing around the terms "king" and "queen", the latter of which may connote royalty or something else altogether.

Yours truly,

Dave (Common drinker and proud or it ) Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>. . . I have three "minty fresh 1990 Toyota Tercels with 10 miles on the odometers." </pre><hr />

Yes, and continuing the analogy, someone may be willing to pay you $30K each for them. A year from now the market price may be $45K, or maybe it will be $10K -- or less. Therein lies a true dilemma.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[nysquire]

2- EC 18yo, 4- ORVW 15yo, 1- EV 1994....

[miller542]

Let me try and take this in a different direction, as maybe my car analogy was a little narrow-minded.

Think about "bourboning" as similar to being a kid and collecting baseball cards. You and your buddies did it because it was fun. You liked a certain team, player, or card company, and your buddies had other favorites. Maybe there was a kid who tried to get one of every card. You traded them and collected them and had fun. Some people tried to see it as an investment where their card collection would pay for college, or a car, or whatever.

Now we have bourbon. We buy it, drink it, talk about it, share it, and have a good time. Everyone has their own favorite bourbon or distiller and their own way of enjoying bourbon. Some bunker everything and have bunker "queens" some don't bunker anything, some are saving a couple of bottles, but I hope everyone's goal and motivation is to have fun. Do what is fun for you. As long as you enjoy doing what you want with your bourbon, who cares what anyone else says.

That said, I plan to bunker Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, and EV SB '94. And drink everything else in sight!!!

[dhooch]

I don't have a bunker. I open every bottle I buy.

What I do, though, is save the best bourbons for special occasions. Unfortunately, I am starting to get low on some of my best bourbons, many are "out-of-print." Darn!

My only hope is that other bourbons will be just as good some day and I can buy them when they are available. When I find them, I won't bunker them, but they will last longer, since I will have more of them.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have been thinking about another reason to bunker. I have a son who is 1 year 9 months old. I would like to bunker a bunch of bourbon that was bottled in the year he was born, even better would be some bottled in the month he was born. And then later, buy up some bourbon that was distilled in the year he was born. Single barrel vintage bourbon would work well for that. Be a while before any of that hits the shelves. Then wait till he is of age. Crack another one when he graduates from college and another when he gets married, the big promotion etc. Better get a bunch of bottles!

Ed