Are you a Whisky Drinker or a Whisky Collector?

[Moose]

I'm both - more so a drinker than a collector. I've seen my collection increase to 20 bottles in the last few months. Most are opened or going to be soon. I've no doubt that I'll soon have 30 or so bottles to choose from and enjoy sharing a dram with friends who are just coming into the world of Whisky. Unfortunately, we are somewhat limited in our area of Eastern Canada but do hope that my travels will carry me to regions that have products we don't generally see in this province.

[hiccy]

I voted drinker.

I like to have good stocks and a decent selection. I try to collect, but my drinking rate gets ahead of me! I usually have 45-60 bottles at any one time and nearly all are open. There are a few left unopened right now, but it won't last. My aim is to have a fine selection that suits most palates and can introduce the less experienced into the wonders of whisky. Oh, and the small matter of keeping mine and my drinking buddies tastebuds titivated.

[hook55]

I'm a drinker as well, tho I am collecting a lot of whisky bottles..... be it empty!!!! does that make me a collector having empty bottles?

[Aeolus]

I'm a drinker, who is also behind in his drinking.

Somehow, there always seems to be one more errand to run when I'm ready to have a dram (kids are absolutely amazing for their sense of timing!) so it gets delayed and then forgotten or foregone because of time (or lack thereof).

I end up being a inadvertent collector. The state where I live has a very limited selection of SMSs or blends at any one time, so I always try to buy at least two because it may not be available when I go back, or not available in my area. Also, with two kids headed to college in the next 2 years (1 this fall and 1 in fall 2009) family life is a bit hectic.

So the bottles stack up in the closet. I've got about 60+/- unopened (not by design but by default) OBs from the usual distilleries (not much "special" available in this state). All young stuff, the "vanilla" versions.
I'm going to start trying to pick up cask strengths and 18 yo's next, which should slow the "collection" growth, but hopefully will improve its quality.
Eventually, I hope to drink it all (rotate stock, really) with friends in the future when the domestic arrangements are more relaxed, and "drama" is not a major component of the evenings at home.

[Ryguy]

I'm pretty much collecting to drink at this point. I have been making it a point to buy more than I drink in a month, just to build up my collection some. The biggest thing that I want to have is different expressions from my favorite distilleries, along with a fair range of malts, representing all the regions of Scotland. Right now my modest collection stands at 19 bottles.

[woodhill]

I'm glad we have established one thing.

There is nobody here who collects but doesn't drink!

Cheers

[karlejnar]

I knew Dave wasn't that clever!

Should have remembered it was Karl Ejnar, but it didn't turn up in a search, because it was in his signature. Glad to have the attribution straight--don't mind stealing a line, but it's good to know who you're stealing from.

Now Karl Ejnar needs to tell us who he stole it from....

Stole it!! - who me??

Well I must admit I stole it from a good whisky friend of mine - Al Jones.
I too - like most of you here - buy a lot more than I drink. To avoid that people refer to the many bottles in my cupboard as a collection I just had to add said phrase to my signature on all the forums I am frequenting.
So even if I have some 100+ bottles now it is still not a collection - just a stash of whisky that I'm working very hard to avoid being too much behind in drinking from.
It's a tough task but someone's got to do it

[woodhill]

Karl

Are you in a WHISKY BARREL in your avator??

[karlejnar]

Karl

Are you in a WHISKY BARREL in your avator??

Yes I am.
Well actually not a barrel as in ex-bourbon barrel - that would indeed be too small for me and Skye (our Golden Retriever) even tho' he was a puppy back then.

It's a Port Pipe - the sign says - and it's situated in the courtyard at Bladnoch Distillery. A lot of visitors has been photographed in it and some of them even were lucky enough to make it to their "wall of fame".

Ferie_2005_223_resized.JPG

[lohssanami]

That's a great pic Karl!

I'm definitely just a drinker. Time will tell if I start collecting too.

[TreacleSponge]

I have so much whisky now, that I don't even buy anymore.

Can I be your friend?

[Muskrat Portage]

Collectors are drinkers who just haven't realised it yet!

Musky

[Muskrat Portage]

No, Pete
They are drinkers whose eyes are bigger than their drinking capacity

Guilty as charged.

Muskrat Pete

[UUNetBill]

I'd have to say 'drinker' - I think the only unopened bottle in my cabinet is a Macallan 1861 Replica - and it's only unopened because I haven't found a good reason to crack it yet. . .but soon!

I'll probably keep the empty of that one, though, cuz it's a looker!

[yowzer]

Generally a drinker, with some moderate ability to preserve, a couple singles at all times. Generally keep a common blend open (Bells, JWR whatever) for a drink with mineral water, and an Islay malt, and a Speyside or lowlands single to be cherished late in the evening. Also will keep a Canadian whisky (FortyCreek or Danfields) in the house.

[Glen Lovett]

Mainly a drinker but I do collect a few, Mainly Talisker and Lagavulin, but I drink all types of Whisky!

[Klas]

I am a drinker and, depending on how you define it, a collector.
I don't have any intension whatsoever on selling or dealing with bottles and I would notbuy anything that I don't think would be worth the money to drink.

I like to stock up different expressions at home and I guess that there is some sort of collection element to that. Some bottles I keep for years before I find the right time to crack them opened.

I have also stashed up quite a few different expressions of Ardbeg. I guess that might be some sort of a collection.

[Eric m]

I drink my whiskies but some i only intent to open on a special occasion.Even if a whisky will double or quadruple in price i wouldn`t sell it but open it,but only when the time is ripe.
Eric.

[sievm]

I voted for both, but I collect those whiskies I like drinking so if the collecting goes tits up I can drown my sorrows with whisky I should at least enjoy.

[lohssanami]

Well...4 months after my first post, I think I have become a collector too. However, I am only collecting bottles that I know I will drink if I lose interest in collecting. I envision myself in retirement, being glad that I have enough bottles of hard to find expressions to last through my final years. HAHA.

I don't see myself selling anything. Maybe trading to other collectors, but definitely not selling.

[I_SPEY]

Well...4 months after my first post, I think I have become a collector too. HAHA.

I could easily quote almost everybody on this thread, because in (almost) every post, I find something, that also applies to myself!
When I 'discovered' http://www.whiskymag.com, last year, I was a drinker, with 6-8 open bottles and one unopened Macallan. Now, thanks to you all, I've becoming a collector!! So, I hereby take the opportunity, to officially thank all the drinkers and collectors,only for one reason: it's a great pleasure, in all respects. Drinking and/or collecting, that's not my question, it's my way to become a whiskylover.I read so many interesting posts and get free advices for different whisk(e)y choices, that this will certainly enrich my knowledge about whisk(e)y, although my wife says "do not drink too much, my sweet little birdie"






btw: the collection is getting bigger and bigger... , not realy !

[Newbie]

I think I am moving on to the collecting phase. I was drinking everything that I brought, then was buying so much that it went into the drinking collection.

Every now and again I would buy a bottle for a special occassion but I have a fair few of those now so I have no idea when I'll get round to drinking all of them.

I plan on drinking everything eventually whether that 5,10, 20, 30 years from now who knows.

I don't think I'll ever sell any of it, but I would consider trading for something that I would want.

[orangedogofglory]

great quote from the smwhisky.com website that seems appropriate for this thread:

Somewhere in stage 2, two distinct personality types emerge: The connoisseur and the collector. The connoisseur firmly believes that all malt, no matter how rare or expensive, is meant to be consumed, preferably by sharing among friends. The collector hoards malt, puts it on a shelf to worship and collect dust and invites other collectors over to drool over his collection. He probably offers them a taste of crap whisky to quench their thirst, as he won't destroy the collector's value of his malts by opening them. The collector may then put bottles up for auction when he can be assured of tripling or quadrupling his original outlay. Connoissuers hoard malt as well, but only to trade among fellow connoisseurs or for drinking sometime in the future. Connoisseurs detest collectors.

it seems this definition of Connoisseur could be a catch all for the various motives non-speculators employ.

[TheTross]

Definitely a drinker. I have a handful of unopened bottles, some of which are replacements for favourite whiskies but a few are rarer/discontinued bottlings that I'm saving either for a special occasion or to be opened in the future when it's probably going to be impossible, or at least too expensive, to buy them. Not sure I could ever get into collecting as a hobby, as I'd just be too tempted to open them! And I'd certainly never even contemplate selling rare bottles for a quick profit - I'd rather get the enjoyment of drinking the stuff.

[kyorke1]

Drinker and Collector, more of a drinker though. I have recently found myself (like a few others) buying in pairs which is harmful on the bank balance, one for drinking and the other collecting. I have read that some people buy in 3s, one for drinking, one for collecting and the other for investment, not for me and my financial situation though

[Ryguy]

Welcome to the Forums kyorke1! Enjoy your whisky and have fun, that's what it's all about.

[WhiskyViking]

I'm a drinker and nothing else.

Found a quote on a Danish forum that sort of covers it (translated by me):
"I'm not a collector, I'm just a bit behind on my drinking"

A hint of a horder in me in the sense that I've secured myself som ebottles that have (are on the way) to dissapear from the marked (Flora & Faunas, Ardbeg 17 and LotI, Scapa 12 and 14, assorted Springbanks, Macallan 25yo Sherry Oak and others). But commom for all these is that they are ment to be drunk at some point in the future.

[kyorke1]

Thanks ryguy!

[MacLlyr]

I collect so that I can drink exceptional whisky in the future!

[Deactivated Member]

I'm glad we have established one thing.

There is nobody here who collects but doesn't drink!

Cheers

We have one of these now, according to the poll. But I suspect there are rather more of them around these days...

[vengey]

It's a difficult question to answer, for me anyway.

If I buy 5 or so bottles, I will see which ones I really like and then order another 2. I sell it to myself with the following line "well, it might not be readily available in the near future"

Of course, it also helps knowing that good Whisky doesn't really lose it's value and is likely to only gain. So, in my mind, I'm not really spending money, I'm investing

[smokey]

Been a long time gents. I've left Japan. Wonderful country. Terrible laws regarding children and custody when things can't be reconciled. I've landed back in the states, and am raising two small children by myself. I appreciate those that say whisky should be consumed and not hoarded, their sentiment that is, but after seeing what the card series went for in the last auction in Hong Kong, I feel luc..... no. That's not the right word. I haven't felt lucky for years. I feel validated.
I no longer have the resources I once did. After lawyers and the transition that was every bit as difficult as I had expected, it turns out that those bottles of whisky may be the one thing that can get me on my feet. I did get those 3 kings back, as well as quite a few others including the ace that someone paid very dear for a few weeks ago. To drink that whisky now?? I couldn't. It would be irresponsible. It could put my lawyer in my rearview mirror, get me the tools that I need for my new career, and I'd still have enough to get a case of green spot, which I truly miss, having consumed the three bottles I brought over years ago.
Gotta catch up and see what Badmonkey and the Admiral have posted.
Slàinte

[robbi@laurenson.com]

I have a reconnaissance/acquisition mindset...I drink first, but if I find something I really like I'll buy another bottle and put it away. I'm about 9 years in now at 45 years of age, and at some years later point will start cracking the bottles I've saved. I only have 15 or so bottles so far, so I'm not collecting at a rapid rate at all...maybe one or two a year.

My intention is not to hoard against future value, but rather to get a second chance at something really good later, and to trigger memories of good times gone by. There's nothing like smell and taste to take you back in time, and I should have a lovely stockpile of bottled memories to get through a few years from now.

And of course it keeps rolling...find a good'un, put another away. I hope my daughter drinks whisky one day .

[Ivan the Immigrant]

Drinker here...

[noface0711]

I voted for both, but I collect those whiskies I like drinking so if the collecting goes tits up I can drown my sorrows with whisky I should at least enjoy.