The "10 Bottle" List

[Joe Riley]

I just read this thoughtful blog post which raised an interesting hypothetical question:

What if you could only have 10 bottles of alcohol for the rest of your life?

Since the author's blog focuses on spirits, there's no mention of wine, so the idea is to contain the list to liquor. The author mentions that the bottles would be replenishable, but you could never have any other spirits or even brands of a particular spirit, so the question becomes what would you choose? The author's own self-described "semi-thought-out list":

The 10 List

* Plymouth gin

* Lemon Hart 151 rum

* Sazerac 6 rye whiskey

* Carpano Antica

* Noilly Prat dry vermouth

* Coruba dark Jamaican rum

* (making this list is giving me great distress by the way)

* Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

* Laphroaig 40-year

* Campari

* Chartreuse (or a gold rum… or absinthe… oh this is a big problem!)

Personally, I'd be incredibly hard-pressed to make such a list, but it sure looks like fun. Anyone want to take a crack at it?

[zoramargolis]

I just read this thoughtful blog post which raised an interesting hypothetical question:

What if you could only have 10 bottles of alcohol for the rest of your life?

Since the author's blog focuses on spirits, there's no mention of wine, so the idea is to contain the list to liquor. The author mentions that the bottles would be replenishable, but you could never have any other spirits or even brands of a particular spirit, so the question becomes what would you choose? The author's own self-described "semi-thought-out list":

The 10 List

* Plymouth gin

* Lemon Hart 151 rum

* Sazerac 6 rye whiskey

* Carpano Antica

* Noilly Prat dry vermouth

* Coruba dark Jamaican rum

* (making this list is giving me great distress by the way)

* Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

* Laphroaig 40-year

* Campari

* Chartreuse (or a gold rum… or absinthe… oh this is a big problem!)

Personally, I'd be incredibly hard-pressed to make such a list, but it sure looks like fun. Anyone want to take a crack at it?

Two rums and agonizing about a third? Also, the list is suggested to be limited to liquor or spirits, but includes sweet and dry vermouth and Campari, which technically are wine or fortified wine, no? so in reality, a list of liquor, liqueur and mixers.

[jparrott]

Campari is not wine-based.

Hm. Great question. Just thinking about spirits/cocktail making (so vermouth is in).

Anchor Genevieve

Neisson Eleve Sous Bois (for versatility)

Plymouth Navy Strength

Willett 22yr rye (the first Doug Phillips bottling)

Willett 6yo Bourbon "Pear Tree"

Malt Trust Rosebank 15yo Cask Strength

Ardbeg "Almost There"

Carpano Antica Formula

Noilly Ambre (haven't yet tasted the Dolin white)

Fee Bros Old-Fashioned Bitters

[DanCole42]

Laphroaig 10-year

Laphroaig Cask Strength

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig 15-year

Laphroaig 25-year

Laphroaig 27-year

Laphroaig 30-year

Laphroaig 40-year

I'm having some trouble rounding out my list. Oooh, I know! Laphroaig 27-year. Hmm, crap. I said that already. Hmm, I dunno.

[lperry]

Two rums and agonizing about a third?

Without those three rums, you would be forced to lead a Zombie free life. And is a life without Zombies really worth living?

[SeanMike]

I've been thinking a lot about that post today...it's a hard one.

Do you go for the best, or do you go for the ones that play the best with others?

Do bitters count? Vermouths?

Do they have to be in your cabinet now or can you just say "Sure, I'll have a Glenfiddich 50 year old"?

But I'd probably say, based off what I've actually got in my cabinet:

1. Willett 6 year old bourbon

2. Plymouth gin

3. Red Hook rye

4. Glenfiddich 15 year old

5. Vya dry vermouth

6. Carpano Antica

7. Creole Shrubb

8. Green Chartreuse

9. Aperol

10. Anchor Genevieve gin

[edenman]

Beer is too much of a percentage of my drinking, so I only have a list of 5 for now:

1) Anchor Genevieve (sipping)

2) Plymouth Gin (mixing)

3) Willet 23yr "Velvet Glove" Rye (sipping)

4) Rittenhouse 100 Rye (mixing)

5) Vya Sweet Vermouth (manhattans)

If I could please trade the other 5 for a never-ending tap of Bell's Two-Hearted, that would be just dandy.

[Eric Reid]

Beer is too much of a percentage of my drinking, so I only have a list of 5 for now:

1) Anchor Genevieve (sipping)

2) Plymouth Gin (mixing)

3) Willet 23yr "Velvet Glove" Rye (sipping)

4) Rittenhouse 100 Rye (mixing)

5) Vya Sweet Vermouth (manhattans)

If I could please trade the other 5 for a never-ending tap of Bell's Two-Hearted, that would be just dandy.

I got four but will trade six to keep Heineken flowing:

1. Aristocrat Vodka

2. GM

3. Patron Silver

4. Maker's Mark

[adambernbach]

Plymouth

Noilly Prat Blanc

Regan's Orange Bitters

Rhum Neisson Blanc (I'm gonna go ahead & assume that I can bring limes & cane syrup. Cool?)

Highland Park (any bottling, distillery or independent)

Sazerac Rye (either age will do)

Cazadores Reposado

Carpano Antica

Marcarini Barolo Chinato

Angostura Bitters

Peychaud Bitters

My list goes to eleven.

[JimRice]

1. Caol Ila 12 year

2. Chinaco Reposado tequila

3. Bushmills 10 year Malt

4. El Tesoro Paradiso tequila

5. Appleton's VX Rum

6. Orange Curacao

The last two are for Mai Tai's (I'm assuming that orgeat syrup and lime juice are available).

Let's see, either a cognac or solera brandy (7) would be nice to go with this. Or both. Maybe a white rum for mojitos (8). Pad out the list with a nice scotch Springbank (9) and a cheap by the half-gallon one (J&B, 10) for scotch and sodas on the patio in the summertime.

For some reason I'm now very thirsty.

[aaronsinger]

Black Maple Hill bourbon

ice, mint, and just a little simple syrup and I'm good to go

[DonRocks]

I once did an (edited) wine-based variant on this.

[ulysses]

1. Pusser's Navy Rum

2. Neisson Agricole Blanc

3. Tanqueray 10

4. Clear Creek Poire Williams

5. Yamazaki 18 year

6. Del Maguey Minero

7. Old Weller 107

8. Four Roses Yellow Label (the Kurt Russell)

9. A de Fussingy Cigare Blend

10. Germain Robin Lot 22

[deangold]

Plymouth Gin

Hendricks Gin

Broker's Gin

Old Raj Gin

Campari

Aperol

Antica Formula

Vya (although I don't believe that Vermouth which is wine should have to take up 2 spots on the liquor list, I have to have something to make my 3-1 martinis and my Negronis)

Murray McDavid Caol Ila (non viognier cask)

Murray McDavid Bowmore (pretty much any cask bottling they have)

*Marolo Grappa Moscato Dopo

*Costanti aged Grappa di Brunello

* these would be the two if we allow the vermouth's not to count.

And realistically a tequila needs to be on there too.... my favorite styles being really good 100% agave blanco or reposado but I could no more put one on the list than one gin.

[edenman]

I once did an (edited) wine-based variant on this.

Chatting with a friend this hungover afternoon and she said this "evil article. evil evil. getting hungry and hedonistic" after I sent her that. I couldn't agree more. I want champagne and oysters NOW.

[JeffC]

I'll only post a few that I've tasted..

#1 Laphroaig 30 year-old--I picked up three bottles of this a few years ago at the MoCo store in Kensington at a ridiculously low price, so low that they must have had no clue what they were selling. I bought 'em out....and they lasted only a few months. I couldn't keep my hands off them.

--Laphroiag Cask Strength

--Lagavulin 16 year-old. Not as good as it once was, but still my go-to..

--Talisker 10 year-old.

--Highland Park 18 year-old

--Ron Zacapa Centenario, 23 anos.--lovely stuff, I'm having a bit as I type this.

--Wild Turkey Rare Breed

[DPop]

Mine is easy. 10 bottles of 23 year old Willett "Velvet Glove" Rye.

Thanks Joe!

[Waitman]

Ten bottles of grain alcohol.

[lperry]

Do we have to share our stock with family members?

Four rums:

Barbancourt five star

Flor de Caña extra dry silver

Appleton Reserve

Lemon Hart 151

Then,

Ypioca ouro cachaça (maybe Beleza...)

Cointreau

Del Señor silver tequila

Knob Creek bourbon

Beefeater gin

Highland Park 15 year

The Highland Park is for my SO. The Beefeater is for my Dad, and since he believes that the vermouth bottle standing next to the gin bottle imparts an appropriate amount of vermouth into the martini, I don't have to reserve a spot for that.

[Pool Boy]

This thread requires careful thought. Partly because this is hard (though it assumes unending quantities of wine and beer, which is wonderful), but partly because it makes me realize how little of the liqueurs and liqueurs I have really tasted.

I am probably not really and truly ready to compose such a list. But a few thoughts of things to go on my just-starting-this-voyage point of view--

1) Underberg. Must never, ever run out of this. Ever.

2) A good rye - currently Bulleit, but I am sure this will evolve.

3) Pernod, but Absinthe or Herbsaint would do.

4) A good gin, I currently like Hendrick's.

As you can see, I have much to learn and explore.