Resolutions for 2018.

@RianC: "I've pretty much limited my alcohol consumption to whisky to make room for it."

Ha—so funny! And so true for many of us, I suspect. Same here: I rarely drink wine or other spirits—not because I dislike them, but because I'm "saving room" for whisky!

@BlueNote - None taken and I get where you're coming from! Our binge culture is quite embarrassing compared to other European nations but I'd be a liar if I said I didn't used to indulge in the cultural norm . . .

These days I can't get drunk (due to the little one) and I detest hangovers as they last about a week nowadays; and if I did want to get shitfaced I'd be buying cheap vodka not single malt

I think I've found a good balance but as i said earlier on this thread I still worry that I drink too often and, over time, that could become an issue.

@RianC What is considered a unit over there? Is it one ounce (30ml) of spirits? One pint of beer?

@RianC I hear you brother. That's why I feel the need to have a dry out period, just to prove to myself that I can control it. Trouble is, it's just so damn good.

@BlueNote - a unit here is a 25 ml pour of a 40% spirit. That probably equates to half a pint of weak ale. A glass of red is probably over 2 units.

The upper recommended limit was 21 units a week but that changed a few years back to 14.

That allows me 13 - 14 singles, 10 if I want a couple of beers. Being honest I reckon I average around 16. More often less but occasionally more.

What are the guidelines where you are?

@BlueNote - Amen! I think as long as it doesn't become a mindless habit, and you make sure you really savour it, then drinking a little and often should be fine.

Always best to be vigilant though. How long are your dry periods? I can sometimes go a few days in the week without but when I smell a bottle after such a small period of abstinence it becomes unnervingly appealing . . .

I don't really have any resolutions but, in reading these responses, I've had a few thoughts. I recognise that my life is somewhat different to many of you and therefore, I have to work hard to curb the green eyed monster when I see what some are buying and drinking. That being said, I'm thoughtful about my purchases and almost every single one has been a winner in my eyes. As someone whose experience is less than many here I'm still working my way through the OB's from most distilleries and and so I'm endeavouring to keep buying bottles which I haven't owned yet - rather than replacing ones which I have had. Thought there may be some exceptions!

@Hewie, I hear you brother. I'm just a regular working stiff. This year I'll be suffering a twenty percent hit on earnings. That will take a huge bite out of my whisky budget maybe all of it. Make hay while the sun shines, because when it rains, it pours no more.

@RianC I think it's 30ml of spirits, 125ml of wine or 350ml of beer = 1 unit. I was doing at least 2-3 units of Scotch every evening in the last few months with a couple of good 500ml ales thrown in on weekends and the odd glass of good red wine with dinner. After the dry month I'm going back to no booze on weekdays and more moderate consumption on weekends. Actually, I'll be in Mexico for February so there will be many frosty Coronas involved. I'll just run those off on the beach, HAHAHA. Also it's hard not to grab something at the duty free on the way down.

@paddockjudge I started adding up what I spent on whisky last year. I stopped counting at $8k. And that's just whisky. As count Floyd would say: "Pretty scary, kids." (Sorry guys. You have to be old enough to remember SCTV).

@BlueNote Wow!

I thought I overdid it this year but when you count reimbursement for bottles I bought for others, I came in under $2K. Seemed like so much more...

And a lot of that was through gift cards and such.

I notice that 75% of the bottles I acquired were done so in the last 4 months of 2017. So I just need to learn to stretch my discipline by 30%.

@BlueNote _ That's really scary, almost as scary as Blood Sucking Monkeys from West Mifflin PA.

I didn't spend that much on whisky in 2017, but I easily opened that much.

That's scary stuff. A-oooooh-oooohhh.....

@Nozinan @paddockjudge A lot of it was the joint orders a few of us had shipped from KWM Calgary last year. We only got stuff we couldn't get here or that was still cheaper than here after the S&H. My orders were coming in at $8 or $900 at a time. I had almost $2k worth in November-December. I'll definitely be holding the line this year and confining myself to a few special bottles (he said, knowing full well it ain't likely to happen). We have one more delivery (already paid for) expected next week in which I have five bottles including a KWM 25th anniversary 25 year old Berry's blend, a 22 year old Miltonduff, Glengoyne 18 and Springbank 14 Bourbon cask. Can't remember the other one, it'll be a surprise. I guess I'll just be looking at them until the end of January. I may need counselling.

I'm loving the overall themes in these resolutions, it's hard to curb on buying when one participates on this site, you learn about a must have bottle or one that's about to get the old axe and soon enough that FOMO comes creeping along.

My resolution/goals

1) More exercise... I know its cliché but as a former chubby kid, I have two speeds active or sloth. Last 6 months sloth mode is fully engaged and it shows. Time to get out the running tights.

2) Keeping in touch. This is a big one for me, I have a tendency to let life get in the way. I realized this often in 2017 and more recently during a certain epic tasting. Whisky is but the vehicule for a deeper connection to people, place and moment. I want to make the most of opportunities for this in 2018

3) Rekindle my love affair with Canadian whisky, after this years superb crop I'm well on my way, @paddockjudge leave the light on for me...there's porchetta to make and rye to drink.

@cricklewood Resolution #2: I couldn't agree more. Well said.

@Hewie - I've been working on short term contracts and day to day stuff for over a year now and it's only due to a recent increase in pay that I've been able to buy more these last few months. Next month my contract ends and I'll be back to scratching around until something permanent comes up.

As @paddockjudge says it really has been a case of 'making hay' for me recently and is why I've been buying so many whiskys on offer. I must admit I also look at some of the purchases on here and think ' . . . if only!' but then flip it to think how well off I would seem to, say, a rural Indian who enjoys the local 'whisky' but would never be able to afford the most basic of single malts.

It's all relative, I suppose; and bar golf, I spend what expendable money I have on little else.

@So, @BlueNote, will you be torturing yourself by reading all of the enthusiastic Connosr whisky posts during this January in which you will be whisky-abstinent?

Do you find much you want to buy and bring home down there in Mexico?

@Victor There will be torture. This is one addiction I can't give up.

I didn't find much down in Mexico last year, but what I did find was cheaper than here. I think I brought home 2 Balvenie DWs and a Glenmo Original. The duty frees at both Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo are pretty useless, but the big supermarkets have a fair bit of standard issue stuff and there are some decent specialty wine shops that have excellent Tequila and a few single malts.

The 2018 Fino finish Laphroaig Cairdeas might test my resolve.

@Nozinan What other forums (or, to be pretentious, fora) do you frequent? I'm interested in other perspectives. ....and have gotten into sherried malts.....

@Jonathan I'm not sure I can help you with a forum dedicated to sherried malts.

As for fora, Connosr has, in my opinion, the most depth and breadth, and opportunity for participation, of the sites I visit. The only other one with audience participation that I visit is www.allthingswhisky.com

@Nozinan AllThingsWhisky was one of the best and several of the most active connosrs were regular contributors under different names (you and me included). Unfortunately it has lost some of its steam lately as Curt pursues other interests. He may be one of the good guys who is souring on the current state of the whisky industry.

@Nozinan Thanks for the tip. Whisky conn. has taught me most of what I know about whisk(e)y, and I love the back and forth. I'd like to contribute more (still learning). I was just interested in what other fora Whisky Conn folks were visiting. (I asked because you used the plural...)

But speaking of sherry, have you heard anything about Batch 61 of the A'Bunadh? I found it at a reasonable price but also just purchased Glenfarclas 105 (and 12). I know that most A'Bunadh expressions are solid but only want t buy if I have a sense that this expression has had positive responses. If not, I'll probably go for the Amrut Intermediate Sherry at at about the same price.

@Jonathan I stopped buying each batch of A'Bunadh a couple of years ago, and now I just look for stellar batches (by word of mouth) and significant numbers. I'm hoping to pick up a 60 if it comes to Ontario. That would be for my 60th birthday, and of occurs I would look for a 65 and a 70.

Because I've increased my breadth a lot more than my volume of whisky drinking, I can't get through a bottle of A'bunadh per year anymore...

I figure, I have enough earlier batches to carry me between milestones.

As a person who only bought 3 bottles of whiskey last year (Wiser's Dissertation, 10 YO Old Bones Bourbon and Kilkerran WIP 8YO Finished in Sherry), I can provide testimonial that it can be done (in full transparency, I did buy at least 3 other non-whiskey spirits and was also gifted a couple of bottles).

My key success factor was building an action plan to actually deliver on the commitment (ADKAR Change Management philosophy) - so far, this thread is more about the desire and reason for change and less on how to execute and reinforce it. I encourage each of you to build a 3 point plan, post and track it on a weekly basis.

A few action items to spur behavioral change was:

1. No purchasing within Ontario
2. No going to the LCBO (eliminate the impulse purchases)
3. Advised my whiskey partner-in-crime that I was done buying and to no longer advise me of his LCBO outings
4. Asking myself how I would want my daughter to act in a similar situation (different product, same compulsion to buy)
5. Advised anyone who gifted me a bottle that I was very grateful and also done purchasing whiskey (hence shutting down future gifts)

It was actually easier than I thought it would be and frankly even disappointed in myself that I bought the two bottles in Houston (vs just coming home w a tequila and the absolutely delicious Lemon Hart 151 rum). My new go forward position is 1 whiskey purchase per year until I have only 4 whiskeys in the cabinet (2 scotch, 1 bourbon, 1 rye) and 12 bottles total.

Being price agnostic and not confined for space, it was simple math - at my prior purchase rate, I was going to out-live the closed bottles, which really had no benefit (something that I had also done w TV show DVDs, but that is a different thread and also successfully nipped). I make decision based on a value equation (Value = Benefit - (Cost + Effort + Risk)) and had to start applying that to whiskey (and aforementioned TV). I have lots of quality stuff and there will always be something great to try in the future so I was not missing out on anything that came out in 2017 (which applies to any retail product).

For those that want to achieve both, weight aspirations should be separate from purchases. Losing 20-25 pounds in 2017 was not due to buying less, and not even drinking that much less (I still love me my cocktail bars and drinks w friends), it was cutting out junk food and starting an exercise regimen. There are likely some behavioural under-current parallels between the two however they are distinct goals w separate action plans.

Just my two cents and good luck to all in their new way of thinking...jr

@Nozinan

Can you set a practice that for every unopened bottle you bring in, that you will open a new bottle and either

1. Finish a bottle that is near completion or
2. Gift the remainder of a bottle that you find to just be so-so

How many bottles do you have that would fall under #1 and #2? It can help calculate your target purchase amount.

@MadSingleMalt Selling off books has the double effect of challenging or expanding the horizons of those that purchased the reads.

What was the toughest one to sell?

@JayRain

I think I've turned things around quite effectively. Last year I managed zero increase in sealed bottles after 2 years of exponential growth.

But I agree I have to go further. As you've suggested, I've committed to a plan as you described. This year I have the same sealed bottle goal, but in addition I am limiting myself by committing to the same or fewer open bottles.

I have about 15-20 bottles open that fall under item 1 above. I don't have a lot open that would be giftable. I also have almost a dozen bottles that I would be happy to (or, in the case of a couple of them where I have multiples of something I like, I could be convinced to) sell or trade.

And to be frank, there is less and less out there that I'm interested in buying, especially with increasing prices. This year I'll attempt a BTAC, A'Bunadh 60 if it comes here, and maybe 1-2 Canadian special releases IF they are good.

If I'm successful I'll look to a steady but manageable decrease in the number of total bottles. Hopefully over the next 30 years I'll get through a good portion of my collection. I do want to pass a few on to the kids. By the time they inherit them, anything I own now will be rare as hen's teeth.

I've mentioned this before. If you put away a lifetime supply of each of your favourite whiskies, you end up somehow with several lifetimes' suppy of total bottles. It's weird.

How did you get the Lemon Hart back to Canada, given it's not allowed even in checked luggage?

@JayRain

A few action items to spur behavioral change was: No purchasing within Ontario No going to the LCBO (eliminate the impulse purchases)

If I followed this, I’d never buy alcohol again.

@OdysseusUnbound, @JayRain, I've not bought any Scotch since 2016. This trend will most likely continue. My last purchase was by proxy. @Nozinan picked up a bottle of Nadurra 16YO in Calgary for me. I did manage some trades in 2017 where no cash was exchanged.

My last purchase in Ontario of single malt, of any kind, was made in early 2016 when I discovered a bottle of Glendronach 12 YO 2014 at a local LCBO.