I Have a Problem - But It's Not What You Think

This article originally appeared on June 21, 2016 at  Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!

I have a problem. I know what you’re thinking, but no, it isn’t a drinking problem. In fact, it might be just the opposite.

 

I have “invested” a lot of effort in building my whiskey library over the years. As of this writing, I have 57 Bourbons to enjoy. My American Ryes, Scotch, Irish, and miscellaneous American whiskeys don't count. I know that number because I keep an inventory like any good librarian. Some of these bottles have been around for several years, and some are fresh faces.

 

I have bottom-shelf gems, mid-tier, premium, allocated, and limited edition Bourbons… My collection hits the whole spectrum. I love it all.

 

You may think the problem is I’m a hoarder, but that’s not it, either. Most of my bottles make my sipping rotation quite regularly. I don’t have a “bunker” like many hoarders do.

 

I think whiskey is meant to be enjoyed with friends when possible, not stored and hidden away. When I can get my hands on something allocated, I want to drink it, not because I want to flip it on the secondary market. When buying these, I’ve often convinced myself that I’d save them for a special occasion.

 

Last year, I acquired a bottle of George T Stagg. I waited and opened that bottle to toast my father-in-law earlier this year. When my grandson was born, I opened a Four Roses Private Barrel found at their Coxs Creek gift shop. A few years ago, I visited Willett Distillery and picked up a nine-year-old Family Estate Bourbon bottle from their gift shop. I opened that to toast, becoming a contributor at Bourbon & Banter.

 

When I cracked open that bottle of Willett, I realized I had more special occasion bottles than likely special occasions to open them.

 

I have several other bottles that remain yet unopened. They’re all slated as drinkers. And therein lies my problem. Whiskey is meant to be enjoyed, right? So, why do I have those unopened bottles of liquid sunshine? I was excited when I bought them, and I’m still excited when I see them on my shelf.

 

Life is short. I don’t want to be someone who never got around to opening bottles he longed to get his hands on. This silly wait-for-a-special-occasion attitude changes immediately… I’m opening one of these bad boys right now. Cheers!

 

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.