How many years have you been collecting/drinking whisky?

[Glen Lovett]

Thanks Klas,
Can't find it anywhere apart from on "The Bay" and the price of it is a little steep!!

[The Third Dram]

Let's maybe just factor in the time when you specifically found an interest in enjoying whisky, and not the amount of time since you first tried it... How many years has it been?

Going on 30 years now, though I had sipped a dram or two here and there previously. My passion for spirits was a natural outgrowth of my interest in wines and beers.

Things have never been the same since.

[LagaDrinker]

Wow this old thread dragged up again.

For me its been 7 months of sheer pleasure.

[lohssanami]

Hehe...yeah, I was surprised to see this one pop up again.

It's now been over a year for me, and I've enjoyed the whole ride.

One down, many more to come!!!!

[scotchdrinker]

I said 10 - 20 years but I am on the low end of it since I am only 28. I have liked SMS since the first time I had. Unfortunately I do not remember what it was but it was good. I have tried many since than, don't always remember. I keep finding new ones that I like and I try as many as I can as often as I can. Its a great ride and I have most of my life ahead of me. Can't wait to try another new one soon. Think it is going to be Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban.

[UUNetBill]

A long and undulating journey, to be sure. I had my first Scotch at the tender age of about 7 or 8, this would have been in about 1968 or so - both of my parents were Scotch drinkers, generally Passport or Cutty Sark either on the rocks or with club soda. For some unfathomable reason, they thought it would be funny to give their firstborn a sip and watch his reaction. . .the joke was on them; I liked it! They tended to keep the liqour cabinet locked after that. . .

Fast forward to legal drinking days (or close enough) in about 1979. Generally drank beer, tending toward darker brews (Mich Dark, Guinness, etc.) and gradually drifted into wine when I lived along the Mosel valley. Had the occasional Scotch over the years (Chivas, Dewars, etc.) but it wasn't until about 5 years ago that my father-in-law introduced me to the joys of single malts. At the time, I was into traditional martinis, cognac and upscale tequilas, so the Scotch was just another phase - or so I thought. I honestly don't remember which bottle of his pulled me to the dark side, but I began buying up single malts probably around 2003 or so. First few bottles were a Glenlivet 18, Dalmore Cigar Malt, a 'Fiddich of unknown provenance. . .and I haven't looked back since then.

Of course, being the father of two teenage daughters, I don't find the time to sit and enjoy my drams as much as I'd like, but I'm confident that when they start driving themselves later this year I'll have some more free evenings to sit on the deck with a nice dram. Keeping my fingers crossed.

So I guess out of all of my phases (beer, wine, 'tinis, tequila) I've gotten into SMSW the most and stayed with it the longest - although I do enjoy a good craft beer, red wine, or other libation on occasion.

Okay, great. . .my fingers are tired from keyboard babbling, so it's back to reading!

[bankerjoe]

What little whiskey I drank in college, I don't really count. I did try a couple single malts (and liked them) but I only got "serious" a few months ago. Bowmore Darkest was really what did it for me.

[randall fairbrook]

i started drinking blends and bourbon in 1988, got my first smsw - laphroaig 10 in 1990......and that set me on fire....did not start branching out into other smsw's until 1993..when i got to uni and got my financial aid checks..went directly out to john walker and sons spirits shop in san francisco and bought a bottle of bunnahabhain and lagavulin 16....a year later i started venturing slowly out of islay....this was helped by long nights at edinburgh castle in san francisco, their smsw holdings used to be considerably more...

it wasn't really until my new job in july of 07 that i started buying more smsw and had more than 6 bottles of smsw open at one time...

[Lucas]

What little whiskey I drank in college, I don't really count. I did try a couple single malts (and liked them) but I only got "serious" a few months ago. Bowmore Darkest was really what did it for me.

That's interesting, cause I converted because of Bowmore too:D But it was 16yo Port cask.

[pkt77242]

I have been serious about whisky for about six years now. When I was in college I usually drank whisky at the bars (glenlivet, glenfiddich and at one bar Cragganmore) but it wasn't until right after graduation that I bought my first bottle (Glenlivet 12). It quickly lead me down the wonderful slippery slope of whisky.

Sean

[r900p]

Brilliant reading through this again, strangely the first issue of WM i got was 36 same as Les, with Monarch of Glen cast, its very battered now!

So in a year i've added about 65 bottles to the collection, now have far too many open bottles and even put up proper shelves albeit Ikea ones.

Rob

[Swedish Chef]

Less than a year of single malts, about eighteen years of blends.
The drinking of malts started when I bought a bottle of Glenfiddich 12yo for a friends 25th birthday and thought why not buy one for me as well. Got huge white chocolate notes on the finish when I first tasted it and really loved it (never had those white chocolate notes again though). Then I bought a bottle of Caol Ila and now I'm a peat junkie. I stand at forty bottles now and intend to drink them all, not to mention many more.

[Klas]

Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:47 am

10 years now.
My whisky interest started during a university course in Scotland in 1996.
Hmm, that adds up to 12 years actually, time goes faster than you think...

I noticed that it was a year ago since I posted my reply in this thread.
It felt like yesterday... time still goes fast!

[upright]

Bought a friend a bottle of Ardbeg 10, because it was cheap. Sampled it with him and bought my own bottle the next day.

[TightLines]

1999. Had been straight bourbon boy, Jack Daniels Black/Green. Discovered there was a difference between blended and single malt scotch. (Thankfully) First dram was a 15 year old Laphroaig, which I immediately wanted to put in the medicine cabinet with the other antiseptics. Second dram was the 12 year old Cragganmore, mmmm much better. The rest is history. Have developed a taste for all the regions expressions. Even the Laphroaig. Still have that bottle I think.

[ClubSmed]

It was my New Years resolution last year to gain an apreciation for whisky. Previously I could not stand it and was only making the effort so that I could get more enjoyment from visiting distilleries with my in-laws on our trip to Scotland. I was amazed when I started loving it within only 3 months, I was expecting to only just be able to tolorate it by the time we were in Scotland in October. I now have a healthy collection of around 30 bottles that I have a LOT of fun sampling

[Liechtenstein]

I've been drinking whiskies for almost 30 years now, so that puts me in the 7% group of this poll.

I once collected whisky but now I make a point not to.