Are allocated bottles worth it?

"Its the not the Destination, It's the journey." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think it's a cannon event in everyone's bourbon journey. That moment you get your fist allocated bottle. It typically goes something like this: You sit down on a Wednesday or Tuesday night, ready to relax and scroll on social media when all of a sudden you see it. Your friend found a bottle you have wanted for months. Instant jealously. On a leap of pure faith, you go to text your friend. You pull up the messages app in a speed that has never been seen before and you ask your friend where they found the bottle, hoping they just left and the store had more.

Then you wait for what feels like the longest 30 seconds of your life when all of a sudden your friend responds. "I got it right up the road, they had a bunch! Get there fast!" Your heart starts racing, you get in the car and drive there as quick as you legally can and low and behold one of the bottles you have been wanting to try is right there, on the shelf, for MSRP. You buy it and have an instant sense of euphoria, and cannot wait to try it.

As soon as you get home you bust it open in an act of pure celebration and have what tastes like the best glass of bourbon you have ever had. Your first allocated bottle. After that glass you promise to wait to enjoy the rest until a special occasion, such as a birthday, an anniversary, or a promotion at work and it sits on your shelf as a beacon of pride for months... until a buddy comes over and you want to share this amazing bourbon so you bust it out and pour two carefully measured glasses. However, when you go to try your first sip it tastes like something is missing. It's still a great pour, but its not nearly as magical as you remember. If anything, you may even enjoy some, easy to get, bottles in your collection more. Does that mean the hunt was a waste?

No, it was not a waste, and let me tell you why.

Almost any bourbon collector will tell you that the bottles are not the most enjoyable part of the journey they have had, its the memories they have made. Whether it's that celebratory friday night pour with a buddy they haven't seen in forever, or its the tour of their favorite distillery. The bottles are not the main part of the journey, even though it may seem that way at first glance. No, the bottles simply serve as a reminder of the great memories we have made along the way. Sometimes the hunt of getting a rare bottle is way more special than the bottle itself, and thats totally okay. If anything, thats what makes it worth it to begin with.

So to answer the question: "Are allocated bottles worth it?"... In my humble experience, I would say yes. When I look at my collection and see the allocated bottles I have, they always serve as a reminder for the good times, and every time I pour a glass it goes down so smooth because of that reason. So to that I not only say cheers, but I say have a great hunt full of great memories.

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