2021 Wish Lists

Looking back on my resolutions for 2020 my first impression is “the best laid plans…”

I think COVID is partly to blame. No in-person tasting has helped to cut my own intake by half, and also the amount I’ve been able to share.

I was determined that the collection of unopened bottles would not grow. Well, a week out, I have a 6.5 bottle net increase. FOMO won again near the end of the year when I went online and picked up a few Canadians from Wiser’s (hopefully getting them now will decrease my purchases in 2021). Then I saw some stuff in Calgary that I didn’t want to miss out on, and my wife will bring those home for me.

I only opened 8 bottles to drink and share, and three of those were the Wiser’s releases from the past month that I have tried no more than twice so far. Two others have not yet been tasted but were for sample prep.

Of the specific bottles I had targeted, I never got to the Portonova, AGAIN, but this one is squarely on COVID. The friend I want to open it for has not been able to come visit. We’re determined that 2021 will the the year. I was convinced NOT to open my AP 20 and have been promised a sample but no luck yet. That one may get returned to the LCBO. I was able to open my distillery cask bottling of Milk and Honey, but haven’t tasted it since 2019 because it went into samples and I didn’t pour any for myself.

For 2021, I have modest opening goals. With open bottles at record levels, finishing a few of these or otherwise disposing of them will be key. I do plan to tackle that Portonova, and when my wife brings home my Calgary stuff, there is another M&H expression I want to sample out for the tasting. I have 2 bottles that I am sharing with a friend and when we finally get to meet, those will be opened and divided. And, at the appropriate time, I will be opening one of the bottles from the special collection I’ve set aside, that I either received from or inherited from @Nosebleed. That will be a bittersweet moment.

I had targeted up to 15 bottles for finishing, and I ended up finishing 4, three of which I do not have spares for. For 2021, I can see up to 13 bottles making room for others, but that is contingent on my ability to consume more (maybe as the year progresses, post-vaccine, etc…), and keep my focus on the open cabinet. I may also need to do a cull… offering up open bottles I no longer have use for to anyone who wants them, or, GASP!, sending them on their way in another manner. There are 13 of those. They’re not all bad, but I just never want to to drink them because I have stuff I like better. At least one was opened back in 2011.

As for purchasing, there is currently nothing on the radar (except maybe a single barrel of 95% rye a group of us are waiting to mature). I know things will come up but this year will be different. There will be no more whisky adventures in Calgary when I visit. My attention in 2020 was directed at Canadian acquisitions and I expect that may continue, given that’s what many around me talk about a lot, and the poor variety of the LCBO for Scotch and other single malts.

I will grab any reasonably priced NEW Amrut I see. I will wait for the Wiser’s special releases.

I don’t know what 2021 has in store. I can predict that despite my best intentions not to grow my collection, it will continue to grow, just like our federal and provincial deficits (though hopefully not as quickly).

I hope everyone’s 2021 whisky wishes come true!

I'll be starting a new role on the Investment Banking team at UBS on January 4, so 2021 is already looking better. Hopefully I will wisely invest most of the extra money from the new job instead of using it to buy more whisky. Or I could invest it in collectible whisky and get 2 birds with one stone...

That being said, Arran 18 is one I plan to splurge on sometime this year, and I need to find a Laphroaig 10CS from the most recent batch.

Longer term goal (over the next 3 years), I really want to find a good, decently priced 30yo whisky to get for myself before I turn 30, just to say I have a whisky older than me to open the day before I turn 30 in 2024. Irrational purpose of course but you only live once, right?

@casualtorture - Congrats on the new job! Oh and feel free to send any investment tips this way too please. I have some beans and a few buttons burning a hole ... down the back of my sofa

Right at this moment, I’m thinking I’ll end up purchasing more rum than whisky in 2021. This has been a year of rum discovery for me and I want to get to know it better. I’d also like to top up my stocks of some favourite bourbons (WT 101, WT Rare Breed, KC SiB) since we never know what may happen with prices. I’ll also be pursuing a few more Glengoyne offerings as their 10 Year Old is one of my most pleasant surprises of this year.

@RianC Thanks! and buy the index unless you're a genius, it's hard to beat it lol