Whisky Purchases You Regret....

The only thing I can think of at the moment is Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix. It was there and then it was gone and I didn't buy a bottle when I had the chance.

You skipped a 25 Ardbeg for $100? I regret that for you my friend...I'd have a few in my war chest for sure if I had enjoyed it.

Early on, I confused price and quality, so there are a few bottles there that I'd not buy again...that said, venturing out was probably good for breaking the psychological threshold of spending more than $150 on a whisky. Of course, maybe breaking that threshold wasn't such a good thing...lol.

The only bottle I've actively disliked has been the Arran Amarone cask, bought because some clever liquor store employee noted that Jim Murray gave it a ridiculously high mark. I've come to understand that while I tend to agree with much of Jim Murray's tasting notes, he and I often part ways on scoring.

I would gladly buy another Mortlach 16. I bought a bottle at the Whisky Exchange in 2007, drank it and I have been seeking another bottle since then. Last year, I came upon a Old Malt Cask release of Mortlach but it had to much sherry in it. Didn't like it. Last march, I had the chance to go to Binny's Liquor store in Chicago. This place is filled with so much great whiskies, I would have bought maybe 6 products I was seeking for a long time. I could only bring back two so I chose Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten and Amrut Two Continents. On the other side of things, I bought a canadian whisky, Golden Wedding, that started and ceased my appetite for whisky from big distilleries in Canada (I liked the Wiser's Legacy though). The taste of canadian juice is too much on the weaker, soft style (Forty Creek, Glen Breton and upcoming micro-distilleries from the West are in a class of their own).

I'm an idiot...I missed the "not"

To answer the real question...hmm, not really. Every time I haven't bought something, it's because I had a good reason...it's usually either financial or knowledge related and I don't second guess decisions made with a sound process. Of course, I regret not knowing more and being wealthier almost every day :-)

I'd like to answer this question again in about five years when my experience will have expanded beyond the $50 - $100 bottles in my cabinet. For now, if I miss out on a particular limited release whisky, I know there will be something else of similar quality from which to choose.

The only purchase regrets I have are an Auchentoshan Classic, which I gave away to a friend after I had a few samples, and a Dalmore 12 yo, which still tastes like candle wax to me no matter how far the bottle goes down. But at a combined total of about $65 for both bottles, I figure it was worth the risk. Chalk it up to a noble experiment in my quest for bang-for-the-buck cheap stuff.

(BTW, I did a little DIY blending experiment with 1/2 of the Auchentoshan and 1/2 of the Dalmore in a tiny glass bottle and let it sit for a month. Just to see if it would produce something more drinkable than either by itself. The end result was something that would lose in a taste competition against paint thinner. Free samples upon request, folks!)

I didn't buy a Van Winkle 13 yr rye when I saw it at a local store, big mistake all bottles were gone a few days later. I bought a Dalmore 12 yr - did not like it at all . I gave it to a whisky friend and he did not like it either. Maybe a bad bottle ?

@Cardinal, in October 2010 I picked up one bottle of Van Winkle 13 yo Family Reserve Rye for a very good price. There were three or four more bottles on the shelf that I left there until they were gone, at least 2 weeks later. By the next release in 2011 they had become very scarce, and what could be had here was usually also a good bit more expensive. I wish I had picked up three more of them when I had had the chance.

About Dalmore 12, if it was a just a bad bottle, then what I have been sampling from @JeffC's bottle of it was also 'just a bad bottle'. I would have to taste a lot better than that from it to want to buy any Dalmore 12. There are inconsistencies in the quality of bottlings of various whiskies, but it certainly doesn't give you confidence to go an buy some when what you've had you didn't like, even though some others are enthusastic about it. What means more to you: your own taste buds, or the fact that some other people's taste buds liked it? I will always re-try something that I didn't like before, but I am unlikely to go out and buy a bottle of it.

I'll chime in on the Dalmore 12. Very, very disappointing. About the same price as Glendronach 12 but no comparison.

I've passed up some great bottles, but surprisingly I've never had any lasting regret for those. There will always be another one. Plenty of regret for bottles I've wasted money on, though!

@WhiskyBee Sad to hear your Dalmore 12 is not opening up.. how long has it been open now?

Wow so it seems there's something going on with recent Dalmore 12 bottlings perhaps. I really enjoyed mine but it was an older bottling - I have not tried a bottling from the last few years. If I get the chance to try a new Dalmore 12 I'll report back and let everyone know what I think of it compared to my older bottling that I thought was great. Sorry, don't mean to derail this thread. Please continue!

I passed on a bottle of Thomas H Handy in Hilton Head, SC last year on vacation. However, I left with a bottle of Aberlour a’bunadh batch 34, which I don't regret.

I've had a few that didn't work out, Cardu 12 year and Auchentoshan Classic. Cardu had an off taste like cooked vegitables. Auchentoshan Classic had an awful metallic flavor.

I think I blended them with a little Laphroaig 10 just so I could drink them. Sometimes I'll add some rye whiskey to them too. I'm glad they are gone.

1 of the Bourbons I don't care for is Jim beans Devils cut, It tastes like your chewing on barrel staves. Not Sure I can do much with it, mix it maybe.

@systemdown, your question motivated me to try the Dalmore for the first time in a few weeks. Hm, I may have to rethink this. I'll send you a personal message with a few more details.

Sorry for the distraction, folks. Carry on.

I've been lucky so far just had a few bad purchases Auchentoshan Select, Auchentoshan Classic, Speyburn Bradan Orach, Glenrothes Select Reserve are the only duds in my non expert Scotch loving opinion.

I regret buying my first ever bottle...now I'm hooked forever.

Laphroaig QC sticks out to me. I had held out buying it for a long time and though I had read a few things saying it was not as good as it used to be, I bit anyways. Very disappointed with it. The night I opened the bottle of QC also dipped into my bottle of Arbeg 10. The Ardbeg 10 blew the QC away.

@teebone673 I suppose it all boils down to personal taste... I'm a huge ardbeg fan but I think the Laphroaig qc is an exellent Whisky! I have never before heard a complaint on this one... Bad bottle??

I have had the opportunity to purchase a few pappy 12's that I passed up. $45/bottle at that... Managed another one at a later date but wish I had bought the three bottles at $45. And before I knew better, I passed up on the now discontinued Laphroaig 15.

I can honestly say I have three purchases I regret - Auchentoshan Classic (seems to be a few others who agree with me), McClelland's Highland, and Rich and Rare Reserve. Rich& Rare has a strong alcohol burn and taste and not much more. I find it neither rich nor rare. Auchentoshan Classic has some "paint thinner" tones that are just repulsive. And McClelland's? Gross. That's all I can say about it.

I wished I would've picked up a few more Oban 14 yr; was on sale for $49 per bottle...Only bought 3.

One purchase that I regret was the Auchentoshan 12 yr - bleh!

@lmann86 could very well have been a bad bottle. I was shocked at how much I disliked it. The nose was decent, but the taste to me was way too sweet and had a very strong rubber taste to it. I'll have to go back to that bottle soon and see how it has changed.