Numbers, Please! (Akin to 'Show Us Your Stash')

[TNbourbon]

I passed the century mark last week, stashing away my 100th different bourbon in my bunker. Including non-bourbon American whiskey, Canadian, and Scotch, I now have more than 125 different choices nightly. About 25 of them are open right now, and I finish 2-3 bottles a month (which is why they've accumulated so -- my inflow is outpacing my intake!).

Now, I know some of you have have even far more extensive lineups than that. So, give me a goal -- how many you got?

One storage 'bin':

[gr8erdane]

Well, for my part I have 125 different bourbons (most open), 22 second bottles bunkered, four Scotch, three Canadians, two Irish, and a partridge in a pear tree. Some of my differences though are the same label but from different years (ie Stagg, EWSB) and eras (current vs 70's vintage decanters). I consider a bottle of Old Commonwealth I bought from Binny's last year as different from my 1977 decanter for some odd reason.

[TNbourbon]

See, I knew there'd be some big numbers.

As for different labels, I counted 'em that way, too, Dane. The Stagg '03 and '04, for example, ARE different, and my 80-proof Old Commonwealth decanter is NOT the same as the later 90-proof "Small Batch" bottling.

It strikes me that it would also be interesting how many different bottlings we all have cumulatively, but that's probably not possible to ascertain. I'd bet we could put together a pretty good whiskey-history museum, though.

[gr8erdane]

Tim, you tend to have more of the museum pieces that are actually bourbon history. I have mostly current bottlings. But then I guess that means I have the Y2K era of bourbon history well represented for posterity.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Bah, a paltry 119 bottles! And there I was, with pulse racing, counting frantically, hoping to grab an early lead.

Anyway, out of these there are 38 bourbons, 6 ryes, 3 Tennessees and a lone corn whiskey.

Unfortunately, I have no possibility of displaying them all in one picture.

[dgonano]

I am afraid to count the number of bottles in my collection. The wife might see me and start ranting about the impending fire. Anyway, I will post the tally.

[Tallica]

91 & going up with 17 opened & another 28 bunkered for a rainy day.

[robbyvirus]

A photo like that is guaranteed to bring a smile to one's face! And Tim, it looks like you have a different glass for each bottle of bourbon!

[AVB]

153 of which 140 are opened

37 different bourbons

114 Scotches

1 Canadian

1 Japanese

[Rughi]

My wife being the structural engineer that she is, she suggested I count bottles up in Excel. Oh...so much easier! (???)

The total was:

52 Bottlings:

46 Bourbon

5 Rye

1 Blended

86 Bottles Total:

38 Open Bottles

48 Unopened

I didn't count the few odd Scotch and that one verflixter Canadian "whiskey" (which shall remain nameless)

That number is far from impressive in these lofty surroundings, but what Excel made easy to do was count things in other, interesting ways, such as:

Of the 86 bottles:

17 are current production (4 of which were bought as a joke)

16 are limited production

53 are out of production (12 of these recently out of production)

My definition of "limited" was a bit arbitrary, as I counted Elmer T Lee and Old Charter Proprieter's Reserve as limited, but not Bulleit or Ezra Brooks 12.

I guess what the number crunching says about my personal profile is that I just won't buy standard product in any significant amount.

I notice that I only keep enough standard product in the house for today's drinking, but will stock up on anything I like that has some mechanism that creates scarcity (even leaving out the dusty ol'bottles part), such as depletable stocks (VW and Wathen's), "vintages" (Birthday Bourbon and Stagg), and limited availability (McKenna Bond, at least around the Bay Area).

It also means that if future bourbon enthusiasts tend to have buying habits like mine that a business model such as BT would thrive, where Makers Mark would wither.

Roger - give me Variety, or I'll buy Scotch - Hodges

P.S. - Not Really

[musher]

My wife being the structural engineer that she is, she suggested I count bottles up in Excel. Oh...so much easier! (???)

Not me. Mine is in an Access database! I mostly did that because I already use an Access database to track my green coffee inventory (as well as roast dates, etc.).

According to the database, I have 32 different whiskies, 31 of which are open. Four are rye whiskies, the rest are bourbons. Of course, I cheat a little and count each Evan Williams vintage separately ('92, '94 and '95 currently). Subtract two from my total if you must.

My overall total number of bottles is 54. The most I have of anything is three bottles (one of which is in the open bottle count).

I thought I was getting carried away until I started seeing some of the numbers that some of you have reported here! I still say I have one of the best bourbon selections in Minnesota. Certainly better then every restaurant I visit.

Most of them have one, maybe two bourbons that I could consider. One actually has three or four good choices. Some I visit, though, my choices are JB white label or JD. If those are my choices, I switch over to the beer list. If that sucks, I just get iced tea.

I hate it when I ask the waitress/waiter/bartender what they have for bourbons, and they tell me to name it, and they probably have it. I usually say "Don't go there, because you probably don't. I have over 25 different bourbons at home." That usually gets them to just tell what they've got (usually just the aforementioned JBw and JD!). Most often I just order Wild Turkey, and most of the time (not all of the time), they at least have that.

[dgonano]

This is more than I expected. And many of the Bourbons have replacements in the bunker.

So far...112 Bourbon

22 Rye

6 Tennessee

5 Canadian

2 Irish

87 Scotch

[clayton]

22 bourbons

3 ryes

1 Canadian

1 Japanese

1 Tennessee

1 corn whiskey

3 Irish

13 Scotches

Almost all opened. The only thing I have bunkered is a few bottles of Stagg.

[gr8erdane]

I use an Excel spreadsheet as well, having copied and pasted the database from this site into one. Was a good start. Then I color in the lines for bottlings I own and added two columns in front, one for bunkered bottles and the other for those on display. I keep a running sum at the bottom of the sheet so I can have something to shake my head at after checking my bank account.....

I have had to add lines on occasion for the specialty bottlings such as Van Blankle as well as some dogs and cats.

[BourbonJoe]

I just put my 50th different bourbon in the bunker. That makes me even with the Bourbon House in New Orleans. Maybe I can stop collecting now........Right!!!

Joe

[doubleblank]

I have 50 different bourbons, 6 ryes and 2 Tenn's in the collection.....about 10 open at a time. If its not a regular pour for me, I don't keep readily available bourbons in "inventory".....I let my liquor store do that for me....ie WT 101, MM, Old Grandad, Old Forrester, EW, JB Black, Beam's Small Batch collection, etc, etc. Lot's of backup bottles for the hard to replace items too.

Randy

[camduncan]

There are currently 22 bourbons (21 unique bottles), 4 Ryes, 2 Tenn's and 1 bourbon liquor in the collection.

Of these, only 3 bottles are unopened and 10 are not available locally.

There are still approx 10 local bourbons to be added to the collection over the next few months, as well as at least 3 or 4 more from an upcomming overseas trip.

[Chaz7]

Whoa! As a relatively new (less than 2 years) bourbon afficianado, I've got a long ways to go. I think I need to visit St. Charles

[gr8erdane]

Always happy to have visitors. Let me know when you're in the area!

[AVB]

An update since my first post.

156 of which 141 are opened

39 different bourbons/ryes

114 Scotches

2 Irish

1 Canadian

0 Japanese (I finished it yesterday )

[RedVette]

45 unique, 40 opened.

[luv2hunt]

72 different bourbons, plus

1 Rye

42 are open

143 total bottles

I shouldn't have counted.....no more bourbon hunting for me!

Dawn

[sharkman]

Dave,

Could you send me your list of 22 ryes? I want to know more about what is out there.

Thanks,

[sharkman]

OK, here it is:

80 different bourbons (all opened!!!!)

and a BUNCH of other stuff equaling 242 bottles!!!

All opened and indulged in!!!

Except for some collectable JD bottles that I didn't count in the above figures...

[dgonano]

Could you send me your list of 22 ryes? I want to know more about what is out there

Distillery releases (8):

Jim Beam

Old Overholt

Wild Turkey

Rittenhouse 100

Pikesville

Sazerac 18yr

Old Potrero Single Malt Whiskey 2yr

Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye 3yr

Julian & Preston Van Winkle bottlings (5):

Van Winkle Family Reserve 13yr

Old Rip Van Winkle Old Tyme 12yr

Black Maple Hill 15yr Lawrenceburg

Hirsch Selection 13yr

Michters 10 yr Lawrenceburg

Even & Drew Kulsveen bottlings(5):

Michters 10yr Bardstown

Michters US1 Rye 3+yr

Black Maple Hill 18yr Bardstown

Classic Cask 15yr

Classic Cask 22yr

Old bottlings (4):

Pikesville Maryland Rye distilled in 1970's

Sherwood Maryland Rye distilled in 1950's

Mount Vernon Maryland Rye distilled in 1921

Old Overholt Pennsylvania Rye distilled in 1930's