Bottles or samples?

That's a really good question, and I really don't know that I'm on one side or the other.

I would like to try as many malts as I possibly can, and for that I'd love to be able to get them in samples of 50 cc to 200 cc. Then if I like it I can decide if I want to get a bottle of the stuff. I tried an Amrut CS as a miniature and really enjoyed it. When I found the full size at another store I stocked up (on the original bottling).

Others I know I can expect will be good, so for things like Aberlour A'Bunadh or any Armstrong Bladnoch (so sad....), I'm willing to get the full size, even if that means it will take longer to get to it because I have too many others open.

Springbank Cask Strength 12 YO is a good example of a bottle that gets better each time you open it. I don't know if a sample bottle would have encouraged me to move forward with a full-size.

@PeatyZealot I prefer to dive into something and enjoy the full 700ml bottle.

Having said that, here in Australia from what I can see, the market for 30ml single malt is near non existent. Aside from the odd entry level Glenlivet 12yr or GLenfiddich 12 yr in flight or as a freebie from a distributor I can't find them anywhere.

Whiskysample.nl mastersofmalt.com Whiskyhuis.be all sell samples

@gn1 thank you !

Just to make sure the right link's out there, Master of Malt's Drinks by the Dram programme is found at www.masterofmalt.com/samples/

There's also The Whisky Tasting Club at www.thewhiskytastingclub.co.uk

Those are both UK/EU centric, though.

I just stumbled across smwhisky.com.au/catalogue.php/ for Australia - although I've not used them so can't give testimonial either way.

PeatyZealot, it is an interesting question, but I'd actually think the opposite: I think to get to know a distillery's character requires sampling different malts from the distillery-- I don't think you can get its character from just one bottle, regardless of how deep you go.
But I think the answer to the question depends somewhat on your experience level. The first several malts should be sampled, before choosing a bottle. My personal recommendation would be at least 20, but I still liked sampling a lot after a hundred, because I find there's simply too much to explore. Then again, I don't get so much from exploring a bottle deeply: I think you learn whether oxidation improves or worsens the malt with time, and that's pretty much it. I could do the same with maybe 150ml.
And to put a spin on @Nozinan's comment: It's a good thing they don't sell 200ml bottles, or else I'd buy a lot more than I do now!

Good question. I would say that I go through phases. Initially I would to buy a 70cl bottle, drink it and get to know it then buy another. However, I go through stages of purchasing samples. I think I am a mixture of both because I tend to buy full bottles but do buy samples to expand my experience and research options to buy in the future. I like the 20cl bottles as well and think they will be a big growth area once the distilleries fully appreciate the demand for them especially the non "standard" range you might find in super markets (e.g Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Jura).

@PeatyZealot im more than happy to buy a full bottle but i tend to buy samples so i can try as much whisky as possible. My cabinet consists of 6 full bottles, 3 of which arent open along with 16 samplers varying from 5cl, 10cl and 20cl. My big bottles are special ones really, day to day (not that i dram every day) i sample around.

@vanPelt I like your professional approach haha, but sometimes a bottle can change a lot over time. Even that much that I would rate it 5 to 10 points higher once its halfway and/or have been breathing for a few weeks/months. Some new flavors drop in and some others dissapear. I usually own about 5 bottles 2 or 3 really nice ones and some trustworthy 'regulars' I do like tastings and festivals tho:)

@PeatyZealot This question always comes down to cost and available funds, and I know I'm not alone. Those small sample minis are really useful for the hard to find bottles or if the bottle cost is too much to bear. But this hurts poor people like me, because I am a huge proponent of really digging in to an entire bottle.

You may have noticed that while your interest is peaked during the first few pours, that interest doesn't survive the last pours of the bottle. If an entire bottle can hold your attention, then friend, you got yourself a good one. But I can't just buy a bottle of Highland Park 25 on a Friday night, so, I will have to stick with my 908th bottle of Buffalo Trace and call it a day.