hs305

Connoisseur  Connoisseur  •  Market Buyer

About hs305:

I am a whisky drinker since the early nineties. I never was a collector, so I always bought whisky for its taste and nothing else. Luckily, I started when excellent whiskies were not just available but affordable as well.

If I found a dram that I wanted to remember I never drank the whole bottle and saved some samples for future reference. That is why I own a significant sample library now where I can regularly draw some old stuff from to retaste it today. If anyone plans to do the same (what I can highly recommend) I advise to use only new sample bottles of 30- or 40-ml size as used bottles can spoil a whisky, at least replace the screw caps (and do never use any plastic parts if you plan to store the samples over a longer period because alcohol is a solvent). I suggest taking the samples right after opening a new bottle to avoid oxidation effects (only a few whiskies are harmed by that, but you do not know before).

A word to drinkers: There is no accounting for taste, simply because everybody owns a different set of tasting genes. So please be not upset if others do not like your favourite dram, or vice versa. Imagine everybody goes for the same taste, what a boring world this would be! And take into account that some profiles work in larger measures only so small samples do not do justice to every dram, unfortunately. The very same is true for the condition you are in: Your taste is very different if you are relaxed or stressed, if you are tired or well rested, and so on. Hence, give every dram a second chance (if possible) ...

A word to collectors: Collecting whisky is a great thing.  But always remember the output of any industrial distillery is far too big as that anyone can collect all its releases. So set yourself some additional constraints for your collection to avoid frustration when finally recognising this simple truth.  And open a bottle out of your collection from time to time. An empty bottle in a collection looks even nicer to me (and many others) as most people think immediately: Wow, you drank this? How was it? This is the best start to discuss your collection with aficionados...

A word to investors: As with any form of investment you should be an expert in the investment area you go for. Many people have lost a hell of money with very pricey whisky bottles as they were not able to recognise fake bottles or assess the real (inherit) value of a whisky right. Because we are living in a tremendous whisky boom phase you should always remember there was never ever such a thing like an endless boom. The next bust will come for sure; the only open questions are when it will start and how deep the prices will fall. But the good thing about whisky investment is that there is a natural floor price to whiskies, and this is when we, the drinkers think: At this price we will open the bottle and share it with friends...

As some members have asked for the logic behind my old ten scale rating system:
0 - a dram I would not serve even to my fiercest enemy (equals 50 WB points)
1 - a dram for guests that are overdue to leave (equals 66 WB points)
2 - a dram that is drinkable but why should I when there is a spittoon (equals 75 WB points)
3 - a dram that I drink but usually I donate the leftover of the bottle to a party (equals 80 WB points)
4 - a dram I drink rather seldom and only when I am in the mood of exploration (equals 82,5 WB points)
5 - a dram I drink frequently until the bottle is finished but I do not buy a second bottle (equals 85 WB points)
6 - a dram I regularly enjoy and that I serve to my friends without doubts (equals 87,5 WB points)
7 - a dram I recommend to my friends and buy another bottle (equals 90 WB points)
8 - a dram I share with my best friends only and buy every bottle at a reasonable price (equals 92,5 WB points)
9 - a dram for special occasions only:  I am tempted to buy a bottle even at unreasonable prices (equals 95 WB points).
Like the Richter scale on earthquake magnitudes this system is open to the top by simply adding one or more + signs to level 9
(I never did more than two so far...)

  • Gender
    M
  • Germany
    de
  • Points
    43810
  • Check-in
    441

hs305 Activity

Latest news

15th Anniversary release - Arran 2005

On the 29th of September 2007, the first whisky enthusiast signed up for Whiskybase.com, which started the journey to becoming the leading whisky platform. Fifteen years later, over 5 million people a year are finding their way to Whiskybase and using the most extensive resource of whisky information. As a second celebration bottle we selected a 17 years old Arran from a bourbon barrel. 

Check-in

Whiskybase logoWhiskybase

Build and track your whisky collection, rate and review bottles, check prices, and engage with like-minded enthusiasts. All things whisky since 2007.


Whiskybase B.V. 
Zwaanshals 530 
3035 KS Rotterdam 
The Netherlands 

KVK: 60207205
VAT: NL853809112B01

Copyright © 2023


Whiskies

Shop




Marketplace



General

We use cookies to improve your online experience. By using this site, you consent to this use as described in our Privacy Policy.

Forgot your password?

Login