How would you spend?

@Nock terrific question.

I wouldn't buy any whisky I know. And I wouldn't buy just one. I'd try to find cask strength whiskies I haven't tried, and if I only found four bottles (or three or two) that spent the 300, ok. It's about the journey not the destination.

Hmm tough one. I'm thinking, it's not often I have that sort of cash at once to drop on whisky. I would either buy 1 bottle of something I've been lusting over and feel I should experience in my whisky journey.. a Brora, let's say - but that's too easy and kind of limited. So, I'm going for option 6 "Something else" - I would find a great whisky bar, a couple of whisky friends, and have a great night sampling special malts I would not otherwise have the opportunity to try.

With these 300 bucks nothing would change at all except I have money left for other things. That means I would buy whiskies I want to try anyway - just several month earlier.

That being said I like @systemdown's option too!

@Nock awesome topic for discussion! For purposes of my answer, I will assume that the purchases would be made in my locale of Ontario.

I currently have a 'priority' list of bottles that are on my wishlist, but are marked as 'limited stock' at the LCBO (the provincial retail agency for alcohol). I would put the $300 towards bottles that are on that list, but that (like 'two-bit cowboy') I have not yet tried before. That way, if I don't end up enjoying them, I will not have 'wasted' money of my own on the purchase. At the same time, my whisky experience will have been enriched by trying new bottles.

Specifically CAN$300 at the LCBO would allow me to pick up a Knob Creek Single Barrel, Springbank 10, Longrow CV, and a Mackmyra First Edition, with $15 left over. Since the money would disappear, I would use it, and chip in $38 of my own, to also purchase a bottle of Compass Box Oak Cross.

If I travelled to Michigan on a day trip (and assume that Canada Customs would kindly overlook the duty charges for a day trip) I would purchase bottles that are not available in Ontario. I would also shift my thinking towards purchasing a 'big ticket' bottle. Glenmorangie Signet (which I have been very fortunate to have tried...thank you 'Victor'!) would be purchased, along with a couple cheaper bottles that are US only purchases...Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength, and Angel's Envy Bourbon (I would chip in the taxes)

Ahhh to dream! :) Either scenario, I would then open all of the bottles and enjoy a dram with the benefactor as a thank you for making the purchase possible.

Id rather spend a bit on one superb bottle and a couple others that I want to try i.e (Glenlivet 21, Oban 14, and JW Gold) things like that

I think considering the price of whisky in Australia that I'd probably A) import my own whisky and B) it'd likely be a single bottle, cask strength of a distillery I've been lusting over, specifically a Brora as I already own a Port Ellen and a Rosebank. I'd love to do Systemdown's option, but I've found lately that I've tried most of the whiskies that the local bars have and the one bar I haven't been to yet (which has 2 Broras, 2 Rosebanks and a Glenmorangie 1981 Pride along with a few other guys) I'm going to next Wednesday where I'll be trying all those guys anyway.

Bloody good question though! Much better then a "if you could have any bottle you wanted...." thread!

This is a very easy and very hard question to answer as if I were asked this every day I would have 365 different answers a year. Todays answer has come after a quick online search for whats around for $300 australian and found Laphroaig 25 year old cask strength for $299

I'd spend it on one special/expensive bottle. Don't think I'd buy six bottles of whisky that I'm planning on buying somewhere in the future anyway, but since I don't think I'll give 300 £ (hey, it's more than 300 EUR or $) to one bottl in the near future, it is an opportunity I can't waste. As to the quaestion of which one, that's somewhat harder. Contenders are (on first thought) Port Ellen, Brora, Rosebank and some old single grain scotch. Anyone of those is fine by me.

Get a few I have been wanting: Laddie 10, Longrow CV, Hazelburn 8, and Glendronach 12 or 15. Any leftover money would be put toward something else.

I love hearing everyone's perspective. For me it is close to reality. My birthday is coming up soon, and my wife has graciously given me a budget to get something special (it is a range) for myself. Obviously, she doesn’t want the price to go over $300 (she would prefer $200 or so) Over the past few birthday's I have typically gone with the 'buy one expensive whisky.' And I have been fortunate to try a few Broras, Port Ellens, as well as Ardbeg 1977, Lagavulin 21yo, and Laphroaig 30yo. Last year I bought a 1972 Glenfarclas (31yo).

And really thinking back . . . overall I have been disappointed with the expensive bottle buy. Today I find myself in the position of having a few fingers left of a number of very expensive and hard to get single malts. And I am totally out of all the everyday drams (the whisky budget has been very tight this past summer).

So I am left with the philosophical buying question: 1.) Do I buy one more nice expensive bottle and possibly get disappointed again? (with prices taking most Broras and Port Ellens out of the picture) 2.) Do I buy up all those main stay whiskies I am missing (Ardbeg 10yo, Laphroaig 10, QC, 10 CS, Highland Park 12, Glenmorangie 10yo, Macallan CS). 3.) Do I buy some everyday whiskies I haven't tried in almost 10 years but got me into drinking single malts? (Dalmore 12yo, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Old Pulteney 12yo). 4.) Or do I buy whiskies I have been slightly tempted by - but not enough to take the plunge with yet (Johnny Walker Green Label, Glenmorangie Astar, Glenlivet Nadurra, Redbreast 12 or 12 CS, Mortlach, Ballechin, etc.). 5.) Or do I buy a combination of one older whisky, one younger whisky, and several sample bottles from some of those nice places on line?

All the options just got me thinking about what I value in whisky. Do I just want those flavors around that I love? Do I want to explore other flavors through full bottles or sample bottles? Do I want to explore ever distillery starting with its flagship expression? Or do I just want to buy those whiskies that other commentators say are great?

For me it is just an interesting question of how to choose what to buy. Obviously the answer is: buy what you want to buy. But how do you best think about what you really want to get out of a whisky drinking experience?

Up until just a few months ago I would probably have gone with the “try as many whisky samples as you can.” (be it at a well stocked bar, or through sample bottles). But lately I am coming to wonder if perhaps a journey with a few normal bottles is preferable to one “super bottle” or 100 samples.

No answers yet. Just pondering

@Nock From your answer I just can recommend to buy one bottle per option 2 to 4. Then you have 3 nice whiskies, which last some time and you also got some variation to choose from. You could also add some samples, just to try them out and you are quite unsure if you'd like them.

For my part I've never tried those high-end drams but I also wouldn't spend those 300 bucks on one at the moment. There is just so much more to discover (for my point of view).

@Nock I have loved reading your dilemma! I think a decision on how we whisky lovers will spend our money can depend at least in part, on the mood we are in and where we are in our own whisky journey. Personally, I like to have a mix in my collection of my favourites, new whiskies I haven't owned or had before and if possible one or two "nicer" whiskies that I can't afford to buy normally (which for me is anything above £100). Given your current situation I would buy a bottle I want for roughly half the funds available as it is a special occasion. Then use the rest on other reasonably priced whiskies whether they be your favourites or new ones to try as you said you are out of your everyday whiskies.

Whatever you decide I don't think you can go wrong as you will have some fine whisky to drink whether it be one bottle or many! Let us know what you end up getting. :)

@Nock My friend I just looked at your whisky cabinet and I must be honest, there are several bottles there that made me drool, just a little bit, on my keyboard.

I think the problem/thing about high priced whiskies is that you're so unlikely to feel like you've got your moneys worth. With a Brora, Port Ellen, Rosebank, older Macallan, Ardbeg, etc etc etc, you're not paying for how good the bottle is, you're paying for how good other people think the bottle is.

I currently own a Port Ellen and a Rosebank, I didn't purchase either. They were bought for me by my wife and brother for a birthday, just like your dilemma bottle(s). When someone else is picking up the bill I'm more inclined to go with something a little out there because worse comes to worse I tend not to get my hopes up and if I don't fall in love with the bottle at least I'm not out any money.

I apologize if I'm preaching and at any time please feel free to tell me to shut up, but I hope I made some sense there :D

@SquidgyAsh "...you're not paying for how good the bottle is, you're paying for how good other people think the bottle is."

Signed!

@Wills Thanks Wills! I'm glad you liked it! Funny enough my brain wasn't working this morning when I wrote it and when I saw you highlight that part I was "Hey Wills is right! Wait a minute what does he mean I'm right...."

It's been that kind of day for me hahaha!

@SquidgyAsh haha :D