Collecting whiskies I dare not open

[Bloody Marvellous]

I keep buying bottles, but am increasingly afraid to open them.

With the prices I pay for them I feel it's almost sinful to drink 'em.
(I'm not a wealthy person, so paying $200-$300 per bottle is a lot for me).

I don't buy them as an investment though. I don't think I'd ever sell any of the bottles.

Anyone else here with the same affliction?

Some of the expensive whiskies I dare not touch are:
Highland Park 25yo
The Macallan 25yo Anniversary Malt
Port Ellen 5th release
Scapa 25yo
Laphroaig 25yo CS
Glendronach 33yo
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles
Nikka 70th Anniversary Collection

And the discontinued bottlings of:
Bruichladdich 10yo
Bruichladdich 21yo
Bowmore 12yo
Bowmore 25yo
Highland Park 12yo
Highland Park 18yo
Blanton's Private Stock

[AshDLS]

With the prices I pay for them I feel it's almost sinful to drink 'em.
(I'm not a wealthy person, so paying $200-$300 per bottle is a lot for me).

I don't buy them as an investment though. I don't think I'd ever sell any of the bottles.

It'd be a sin to not drink 'em!

If you don't have a lot of money to throw around on whisky then surely you'd want to get your money's worth, especially if you don't see them as an investment? Otherwise they're not doing much other than looking pretty in the cabinet!

I feel the same way about a lot of friends who collect limited-pressing LPs, CDs, etc., but leave them on the shelf in the original wrapping. It's there to be enjoyed!

[johan brugge]

Same here. Even when some of my bottles cost me about 300 Euro I'll open them. What's the point of leaving them on a shelf collecting dust while you ask yourself what they taste like. And if you drop dead tomorrow you'll never know. What a waste of money that is. You've got a very nice collection there. If you drink a different whisky every night it'll take a very long time to finish only one bottle. So please enjoy them.

[bcrossan]

The other thing I always remind myself of is that I am sure the average rate of return on a whisky bottle you keep for resale is lower than an average stock market investment over time. It takes such a long time for most bottles to appreciate greatly that you are better off drinking to enjoy rather than collecting for an investment. I know you said you would never sell, but I know the feeling you are going through as I sometimes struggle with the same and this keeps me grounded

[lincoln imp]

Last year i sold some of my best bottles ( house improvements ) and now i regret it as i will never have the money to replace them and will never know what they taste like. I still have some expensive ones left and intend to drink them all. I dithered over opening an old Balblair the other night but once i got the cork out i soon stopped being worried. If you are not going to sell them, get them open and broaden youtr whisky horizons.

[Ganga]

Can one presume that their is something special about the discontinued bottles? HP is still making a 12 and an 18. Bowmore produces a 12 (much better whisky than 10 years ago). As far as I know, there isn't much of a premium placed on any of the bottles from the last 10 years.

BTW, three of us went in on a Ben Wyvis. No too many whiskies more scarce than this. Hope this makes you a little less strained about opening a bottle or two.

[pkt77242]

I keep buying bottles, but am increasingly afraid to open them.

With the prices I pay for them I feel it's almost sinful to drink 'em.
(I'm not a wealthy person, so paying $200-$300 per bottle is a lot for me).

I don't buy them as an investment though. I don't think I'd ever sell any of the bottles.

Anyone else here with the same affliction?

Some of the expensive whiskies I dare not touch are:
Highland Park 25yo
The Macallan 25yo Anniversary Malt
Port Ellen 5th release
Scapa 25yo
Laphroaig 25yo CS
Glendronach 33yo
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles
Nikka 70th Anniversary Collection

And the discontinued bottlings of:
Bruichladdich 10yo
Bruichladdich 21yo
Bowmore 12yo
Bowmore 25yo
Highland Park 12yo
Highland Park 18yo
Blanton's Private Stock

I had that problem when I started buying expensive whisky, but now I eagerly pop most bottles open within a day or two of buying (which would be why I have 70+ open bottles). Now I have developed a fear of finishing expensive bottles . I say open them and enjoy, if you are not going to sell them, then bottoms up.

Sean

[Bloody Marvellous]

That Glendronach 33 is looking mighty tempting...

33 years in Sherry Oak, such a rich dark red colour...

And I'm salivating over the Port Ellen every day.
Maybe what I'm afraid of is opening the bottle and then not liking what's inside it.

That's like asking your long secret love out on a date and getting a resounding "never". I don't think I could handle that kind of rejection. Especially from a single malt scotch.

[Aidan]

I've looked at many expensive bottles, tempting me to open them. When I did, sometimes I have been very disappointed and other times not.

Sometimes a whiskey you could pay €200 for turns out not to be as good as something you get for €20.

[Ardbeg311]

Maybe what I'm afraid of is opening the bottle and then not liking what's inside it.

Yes, I can sympathize with that feeling. I bought a 19yo St. Magdalene Rare Malts bottle because it was a legend and always feared that I might like not like it if I opened it (lowland whiskies were never my favorites). Fortunately, I was in just the right mood one day and went for it. It was very good once I figured out the right amount of water to add, but it was not, for me, a legendary bottle. The advantage now having opened it is that, I was able to enjoy it, I can offer an opinion about it, and I was able to share a rare whisky with friends (which in turn prompted them to share some of their precious whisky with me).

[peat-chaser]

Hi Ardie311,
good point!! I´m perfectly sure that this is the best way, meet other maltaffizionados and share the fine and rare stuff with them. So you can try much more high-end-bottlings than in any other way.
We´ll have a yearly meeting for a weekend in october for the 3rd time with about 20 maltheads and I´m waiting for it rather full of expectations, because last year we had a range of almost 140 bottles - less than 10% standrad-bottlings - for everybody to choose freely.



The alternatives to drink them allone, sometimes happy, sometimes disappointed or, to sit on the bottles like a hen and store them savely as a heirship for the progeny.

[oldrip57]

By all means, don't open them to swill with your ginger ale, but DO open them!
I've had both Scotches and American bourbons from the 19th Century onward -- mostly at my own expense -- and the bad experiences (pretty rare) just enhance the epiphaniacal ones.
Governments and banks create money and accounts for saving. Companies sell stock for investing.
Distilleries, man, make whisk(e)ys for drinking! So drink!

[Aidan]

By all means, don't open them to swill with your ginger ale, but DO open them!
I've had both Scotches and American bourbons from the 19th Century onward -- mostly at my own expense -- and the bad experiences (pretty rare) just enhance the epiphaniacal ones.
Governments and banks create money and accounts for saving. Companies sell stock for investing.
Distilleries, man, make whisk(e)ys for drinking! So drink!

Why do distilleries sometimes put bad whiskies in expensive boxes then?

Stamps are made for posting, but people still collect them.

I think that if a person gets more pleasure out of collecting something than consuming it, let them do what they want with it.

[Liechtenstein]

It sounds as if you have a BloodyMarvelous stamp collection...

[SoMK]

So, to get things straight : You already bought them, You don't want to sell them, you don't want to open them, you just look at them.
Is that some sort of a masochistic approach to whisky ?
I understand drooling in front of a bottle in a shop that you will never ever be able to purchase but in your own collection when you do not plan to sell it either ?!
You already paid for them, they're here and they will offer hours of delicious tastings alone or with friends.
Open one for crissake ! Consider it your first lesson in hedonism, you need it !

ptk77242/Sean > Now I have developed a fear of finishing expensive bottles

Oh so true !

[Sherried Malt]

I say open them up and enjoy! You can't take it with you...

Good luck with them all!

[mikeymad]

I say collect away Bloody...

(please add footnote to your will - leave collection to mikeymad c/o whiskymag.... )..


No really, I think that you should open some.

One of the things that might help you out is assign the openings to an occasion. It has helped me a bit to get me to open some of the 'too special' bottles. Birthday, Anniversary, Birth, Gathering, Etc....

At least that way there is a plan to open it, and even if the beverage turns out to be just okay, there is at least an association with a life event of some sort....

Celebrate with your beverages... it is fun.

Cheers,

[sku]

This is really a philosophical question, and it is particular to each individual. Do we measure our success or enjoyment by our breadth of experience (tasting many whiskies) or by our accumulation of things (stockpile of valuable whiskies)? Only you can answer the question for yourself and there should be no value judgment either way. Does possessing the whiskey give you joy or does tasting the whiskey give you joy?

For me, it's definitely the tasting. I do fret about opening new bottles sometimes, but only to the extent that I worry about having too many open bottles and how I will ever drink it all. In fact, I have trouble keeping bottles closed. I always want to taste the stuff ASAP, which results in my having lots of open but mostly full bottles.

[bbrownri]

That's like asking your long secret love out on a date and getting a resounding "never". I don't think I could handle that kind of rejection. Especially from a single malt scotch.

Well put. I worry about that, too, which is probably what keeps me away from the more expensive bottlings in general. That said, I agree with what appears to be the general sentiment: they were bottled to be drunk, so enjoy! I hope they're as good as their pedigrees suggest.

[tollickd]

I know how you feel, but I am also buying but I know I will never want to sell them! I love the way they look unopened but I am itch to find out what they taste like so I do see my self opening them!

I agree with people on here these are meant to be opened and enjoyed not to be left on a shelf gathering dust and evaporating!

[r900p]

but if there wern't any collectors the bottles of today wouldn't be around in 30 years time for people to try. So new people coming into whisky couldn't have some of the pleasures we have had today.

I know i have certain bottles that i won't open until casks are matured enough and ready for bottling. I also have bottles that won't be opened until my son (if i have one) is old enough to drink with me and his grandfather. Three generations sharing the same bottle i imagine must be pretty special, something i was never able to do.

[tollickd]

but if there wern't any collectors the bottles of today wouldn't be around in 30 years time for people to try. So new people coming into whisky couldn't have some of the pleasures we have had today.

I know i have certain bottles that i won't open until casks are matured enough and ready for bottling. I also have bottles that won't be opened until my son (if i have one) is old enough to drink with me and his grandfather. Three generations sharing the same bottle i imagine must be pretty special, something i was never able to do.

I have to say that I agree with you, I am going to do the same save some rare bottles for later in life!

[johan brugge]

Why? By the time you're all old enough to share a rare bottle there will be several other rare bottles on the market that you can share. You might not be able to share anything if somebody passes away before you get that chance. Then what?

[laddie teun]

you answered your own question
"i don't buy as an investment. i don't think I'l ever sell them"

So apart from looking at them what else are you going to do with them?
I am a frim believer in opening bottles! all my 450 bottles are open. That's why I bought them in thefirst place.

Perhaps you should remeber why did you buy the bottles in the first place? if it is for leaving them closed, leave them closed. otherwise open them
although migth I suggest opening them with a few good friends? Much more fun!

[tollickd]

The more I read the more I think of drinking. I keep reminding myself that the whiskey's where made with passion to be drank and not left in a wardrobe gathering dust.

I do see my self having 2 of most bottles that I like one open to drink and one to sit on the shelf waiting to be drank!

[laddie teun]

[quote="tollickd" I keep reminding myself that the whiskey's where made with passion to be drank and not left in a wardrobe gathering dust.
[/quote]

I doubt is that's these these days. I do think there is some whisky being bottled just for collecting.

[tollickd]

I see that it seems to depend on the Collector, some people here say drink and others say store. Now I can see the positive to drinking and collecting.

[Bloody Marvellous]

Just bought a Talisker 18 and opened it right away.

I must admit I am happy I did . It's a great dram.

[johan brugge]

Just bought a Talisker 18 and opened it right away.

I must admit I am happy I did . It's a great dram.

Good for you! You see? Now you know what you would have missed if you never opened it.

[Sherried Malt]

I also have bottles that won't be opened until my son (if i have one) is old enough to drink with me and his grandfather. Three generations sharing the same bottle i imagine must be pretty special, something i was never able to do.

That is a great plan! Just think how thrilled your son (or daughter) will be, after learning how you prepared for this occasion...

[johan brugge]

Let's hope your son/daughter will like whisky as much as you do.

[oldrip57]

As noted earlier in the thread, I'm an unabashed 'opener'!
That said, even I woudn't advise opening them all up just to sit till your next turn to pour it.
I have bottles that I'll open just for my own enjoyment, and I have bottles that will be opened when appropriate company is present to appreciate them with me.
However, what I DO NOT understand is owning a bottle you NEVER plan to open and have NEVER tasted. I mean, why not just buy loose diamonds, or a barrel of oil, or something? Same concept: commodities.
The only reason even the rarest and most expensive whisk(e)ys bring premium prices is that someone, someday WILL open them. You are allowing yourself an oft-rare luxury when it can be you.
I've owned myriad bottles no longer available at retail anywhere. I didn't open them at the drop of a hat, by myself, to mix with diet cola. I opened them in the company of whisk(e)y aficianados who appreciated both my efforts and the whisk(e)ys presented. The value has ALWAYS been greater than the price.

[cathach]

The more I drink the thirstier I get and the thirstier I get the drunkier I drank....

And thats what happens when you open too many all at once.

[r900p]

I must confess that i am now drinking less and less whisky, not out of personal choice, just simply the company i am now keeping aren't whisky drinkers (girlfriend and family), so its now wine and whisky, which actually is quite a nice change appreciatig wines and weird beers again.

Meanwhile i'm still buying whiskies i want to open, but as someone above said its having the right company, i suppose i should have a dram by myself but that unfortunatelt isn't me.

When i said above about saving bottles to open with people in the futures its not necessarily rare bottles but ones with sentimental value like the first collectable bottle i was given or bought/these will be opened when the time and company is right.

Rob

[tollickd]

I just cracked open my Adbeg 10, I was not sure upto the point on pulling out the cork and then the smell the taste I am glad and will never think twice again!