What was the last bottle you finished?

Has anyone else noticed that this thread is less commonly added to than the 2 about buying and opening bottles?

What's happening to all the bottles if they aren't getting finished?

I know I have a hard time finishing bottles because I'm always wanting to try new ones, and then they sit in my cabinet for years (unless I really, really like them and share them). I still have bottles I opened in 2011 (and one from 2010)!

Wild Turkey 80 proof (an old bottle). Had to empty the bottle and refill to remove the pieces from the shattered cork. Last drop going down...now!

Same here @Nozinan Half of my bottles have been open for quite a while now (although the whiskey tasted better), so I have stopped opening new ones, curbed my curious nature and decided to finish off the open ones first. I also organize home tastings and try to "push" them.

@Nozinan Yes, I find finishing a bottle less exciting than opening a new one.

Glancing at my empties, I've recently finished:

40 Creek 3 Grain Harmony--very nice, a wonderful blend of flavours. Noah's Mill--a fine bourbon, but one that took me a bit to warm up to. I would maybe buy this again, but I wouldn't go through the trouble or pay the price I paid for this one. Baker's--another fine bourbon, but I think I prefer Booker's from this line. Easier to find, too. Bulleit 10 YO--sweet, delicious, one of my new favourite bourbons. I finished this bottle too soon--hopefully I can find another. Benromach Peat Smoke 2002--wow, my favourite peated. Thankfully, I've been able to score another. Glendronach CS Batch 4--a classic Glendronach, if perhaps a bit muddy for a CS. I do have another.

I find that I often hang on to the last few drams in a bottle for a while. With good ones, it's that I'm afraid I may not be able to replace them...not so good ones, well, sometimes I keep these around thinking I'll pawn 'em off to guests during the next get-together. So, I'll end up with a number of bottles each with only one or two drams in them, and next time I go shopping, I'll clean out the collection over a few days, and finish several bottles in quick succession.

@Spitfire No truer words may ever have been spoken.

I may never get to the bottom of my FC 3 grain Harmony... not because I want to save it, but ecause it is so remarkable unremarkable for a FC special release.

I agree the last 1-2 drams of a good bottle, hard to polish off (as @Jean-Luc wrote 1000 posts ago on this thread). That's one of the many challenges to clearing out the old to make room for the new...

@Nozinan Yeah, regarding the 40C 3GH--I liked it, but I'm preferring the Confederation Oak. Still, I'll purchase their annual special releases--if and when I can--partly because in general I lilke 40C's premium whiskies, and partly because I don't mind supporting the "different" Canadian producer (whose stuff I like).

@Spitfire

FC is now owned by Campari. When I spoke to the someone at SOT, it sounded like John Hall was nowhere to be seen around the premises anymore. I'm not holding my breath for another Heart of Gold...

Last dram from Tobermory 10, very enjoyable bourbon cask single malt easy drinking and relatively cheap just right for a nightcap after 10 hour shift finishing at midnight. Will be buying again when on offer.

@Nozinan That's not good news. On the other hand, John Hall has probably earned his retirement (if such it is) and one hopes he came out well after a sale.

Interestingly, this relates back to my comments in another thread about craft distilleries.

Wiser's 18 yo Canadian, bottle # 0947 of 3,500. I bought this bottle in April 2011 and I have never liked it much. To be fair to Wiser's 18, the other bottles of this from which I have sampled have been better than this one.

@Spitfire, I too am in the business of saving open bottles afraid of not being able to replace them. I love my longrow red but seldom drink it because I can't replace it..

I do like to treat people to drams of it though, it almost always hits home!

@Alexsweden

I remember when I first opened my 200 cc bottle of Caol Ila CS 58%, It was phenomenal (do you remember @talexander?). I had no access to any more so I guarded it carefully and would only serve it to people I thought would appreciate it, no one (including me) getting a second taste. Then I had the opportunity to order more and did but my "mule" had to cancel her trip to UK and I had to wait another year with the goods in London all that time. I'm not sure if I ever tasted it again until the last small dram when more arrived. Funny though, I got 5 200cc bottles that time, and gave one away, and still haven' opened any of the others. I guess in the meantime I've been flooded with peat. But its day will come...

@Nozinan IMHO, the 40 Creeks that have been released since the acquisition have not been up to snuff. I did like the Harmony, but I know I lot of people who didn't.

@Nozinan I do remember!

@Spitfire and @Nozinan; I find myself in the other camp where it is more of a struggle for me to want to open a new bottle, versus work off an open bottle. Fortunately, I have plenty of friends whom waste little time opening a newly acquired bottle. I know it has been touched on in other threads, in which members "fess up" to the number of open bottles in their liquor cabinet. I tend to be an infrequent drinker (perhaps one or two drams at most weekly), so the open bottle count in my possession does not change too much. Currently have about 24-30 open bottles. But completion of a bottle is a fun way to end an evening. My last bottle finished (just last week) was Clan McGregor. Simple, yes. But a nice, light, tasty dram that was a gift from my brother. It was a fun night when we cracked it open, and a pleasant night in the outdoors finishing the bottle.

@cherylnifer Wow, I don't have 24-30 bottles in my entire "collection." Makes me feel like a true neophyte!

But like you, I also have those bottles I don't want to open--some I've had for a couple of years now. But I'm trying not to go too far down that road; I don't want to have a big collection of spirit I'll never get the chance to try. So, I will make a point to actually open even the "special" bottles I have, and actually drink some of them before purchasing too many more.

Masterson's 10 year Rye batch 003. I have an unopened batch 005 and I hope it is as good or close to this. Will be picking up 1 or 2 of these when I visit NS this summer. I cannot emphasize how much I like this rye.

Spitfire: I admire you for grasping life and sampling your special bottles. Something I struggle to do. A character weakness of mine. I told my spouse that if anything happened to me, to have my best three friends and my brother over, and let them split my whisky spoils between them. I only ask they pay my spouse a token amount for what they take. And As far as being the neophyte; I fear that is me. But I am ok with that. Far worse in life that one could be.

@cherylnifer

I would very much like to finish off the heels of many bottles, and I've accepted that I probably won't drink from at least half of the bottles I buy, especially if I keep buying more than I open. I just hope my kids will enjoy them.

And the great thing is that while my collection is MOSTLY stuff that is or was easy to get and isn't exceptional (though I focus on stuff that I really like and is good quality), by the time I get to it each bottle will likely be as rare as a sighting of former PM Stephen Harper!

I just poured myself the last bit of 16yo Glenlivet Nadurra. This is definitely a way to end a very long day.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. This is a real delightful affordable single malt, a 12 year 46% ABV, its final two years of aging having occurred in port wine casks. Ian Buxton first turned me on to it in his book "101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die" and I've enjoyed several bottles since reading his page on this whisky.

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley, last night, one of the best NAS on the market. "Heavily peated"said label, but the peat and the smoke are more "subtle" and more on citrus than in young Laphroaig or Ardbeg.

Was attempting to organize (what a mess) all the open bottles in the bottom shelf of the bar (some with a dram or 2 left in them) and saw a dusty 3 plus year bottle of FC Copper Pot. Decided to pour it all into a tumbler and continue on. Was really good, other the George Dickel no.12 maybe the best under $30 Whiskey I have had in recent memory.

Well, I just poured my last dram from my 15yo redbreast. I got this bottle last August, as a gift and brought it to Beijing with me. I am glad I made it last this long. Of course, having other bottles of SMW on the shelf helped me with that as well. Anyway, I am enjoying this last dram.

To celebrate @phillie birthday, we polished off my bottle of Macallan 12 Fine Oak. A great example of what Macallan used to be, too bad this stuff isnt around here anymore.

The last of the Lagavulin 8 Year Old 200th Anniversary release.

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It's been a while since I have had a smoke with the whisky.

I just finished off my first bottle of Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength 007. Thankfully, I have three more. That bottle didn't last long . . . just at the four month mark (which is a bit fast for me).

Soon I will open my second bottle of 007 and a bottle of 006 to see how they compare when fresh.

Just finished a very special bottle for me - Talisker 30 years (2009). I bought it at Talisker distillery shop back in 2011, cracked it open on my wedding day, saved remaining 15% for our anniversary. And finally finished last bit of dram last night. It's an amazing whisky. Anyone think 30 years whisky will taste old, tired and dull, they are very wrong! This thing is surprisingly youthful and of course refined.

@Nock so you "killed off" the 007?

@Nozinan, absolutely and with gleeful delight! Thankfully, they keep making more (just like the movies . . .)