It happened. You caught the bourbon bug.
Perhaps it was a pour of something special at a friend’s place. Maybe you found your way into an actual whiskey bar with a bottle list as long as your arm. Or maybe, just maybe, you stumbled onto the fact that bourbon is SO much more than a drink – it’s a cultural phenomenon, a hobby, and, for some out there even a livelihood or at times an investment.
Bourbon in 2025 is a dynamic, competitive landscape, with new bottles seeming to be released every week and an ever-hungry crowd waiting to scoop them up – driven by at times a fear of missing out and at others, the hype of something new that might be the next big thing. With a booming secondary market, bottles that have any appeal filter their way off shelves and out of stores and into mysterious Facebook communities and auction sites online. Retail pricing is a thing of the past, and without tools like the Bourbon Blue Book® it’s hard to know what’s a value and what’s a waste of your hard earned cash.
This guide seeks to arm you in helping to start up your bourbon collection in a way that’s thoughtful, strategic and fun. Whether you’re in it for the flavor, the flex, or future returns, this is your roadmap.
When you think about buying bourbon, you need to define what your objective is to help shape your budget, storage decisions, and the kinds of bottles you’ll pursue. Ultimately, what kind of Bourboneur are you?
• The Drinker: Focuses on taste exploration and value for money.
• The Flipper/Investor: Buys rare bottles to resell or hold as an asset.
• The Enthusiast: Builds a well-rounded shelf with a story and purpose.
• The Trophy Hunter: Chases unicorns like Pappy, BTAC, and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon.
Most Bourboneur’s fall somewhere in the middle of all of these. Understanding your goals will help you avoid pitfalls, like overpaying for hype or becoming a hoarder of bottles that you will never ever open.
Learning how bourbon can be generally categorized will help you build a diverse, thoughtful collection.
Everyday Sippers | Buffalo Trace, Four Roses Small Batch, WT 101
Store Picks / Single Barrels | Russell's Reserve SB, Knob Creek Picks
Limited Editions | Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, E.H. Taylor releases
Craft Distilleries | Still Austin, Kings County
Finished Bourbons | Angel’s Envy, Bardstown Series, High West
High Age Statements | Weller 12, Augusta Buckers 15
Below is a fairly balanced starter bourbon collection for 2025. These bottles offer a good mix of taste, value and collectability.
• Buffalo Trace – Classic Gateway Bourbon
• Wild Turkey 101 – Underrated Workhorse
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – Limited Release that’s very approachable
• Middle West Spirits Wheated – Gateway to wheaters
• Bardstown Discovery/Fusion - Blending innovation with flavor
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked – Your new home base #flavortown
• Blanton’s – Welcome to the land of single barrels
Want to know the fair market price for each? Browse near real-time price data on the Bourboneur app.
Getting your hands on bottles that you’re after is half the game. Here’s where to hunt:
• The ol’ tried and true method of hitting the street to look for bottles – you might get lucky; it’s a game of chance.
• Build rapport with your local store, ask about loyalty programs, barrel picks or what might be hiding in the back.
• We’re living in 2025 after all and sites like Seelbachs, Flaviar, and a host of others offer your shot at some great bottles.
• The downside to online, you better be FAST…drops sell out in moments. Use services like BRBNFNDR to get the 411 in a hurry on whatever it is you might be interested in and stop missing out on online drops.
• Invite only Facebook groups, Reddit and other haunts can be a source of finding bottles – or disappointment. Make sure if you’re buying on the secondary you’re checking references. There’s no shortage of scammers lurking about.
• Use Bourboneur to track secondary bourbon pricing and avoid overpaying.
Best practice suggests that you should make sure you’re storing your bourbon upright – this isn’t wine – by keeping the bourbon upright you’ll help to prevent cork degradation. Additionally, avoid putting your brownwater in the sun – ultraviolet light can chemically react with the bourbon causing it to change color and flavor. Lastly, however you decide to store your bourbon, make sure to protect the bottle and the labels.
If your collection exceeds, let’s say $5,000, you may want to consider insurance. There’s a few avenues available in that space but be aware that if your bottles are open, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to insure them. You’ll be more apt to be at the mercy of an insurance adjuster in the event of a claim who may – or may not – be inclined to provide any value to your brownwater at all. To keep tabs on your collection, use the “My Bottles” feature on the Bourboneur app which allows you to document all your bottles and shows a graph of your total collection value and how it changes over time.
Avoid these common pitfalls as you start your bourbon journey:
• Blindly chasing hype – not every bottle is worth it.
• Overpaying on the secondary – Always use the Bourbon Blue Book® for a realistic valuation.
• Ignoring taste – Buy what you enjoy drinking, not just ogling at.
• Poor storage – Sunlight and extreme heat can ruin your bourbon.
There’s no perfect shelf. The best bourbon collection is one that reflects what you’re into, your curiosity, and your passion. Try not to fall into the trap of hoarding bottles you will never drink – or chasing unicorns you’ll never be able to afford. Collect smart. Stay thirsty. Open the bottle when the time is right.
If you’re buying, selling, or trading bourbon—especially rare or allocated bottles—real-time data is everything. The bourbon secondary market is constantly shifting and staying informed means knowing what bottles are really worth right now.
That’s where the Bourbon Blue Book® as recently featured in Forbes comes in.
Powered by the Bourboneur App (available for iOS and Android), the Blue Book provides verified secondary market pricing for nearly 7,000 bottles and counting. Whether you’re checking a newly released drop or tracking market trends, this tool helps you avoid overpaying or underselling your collection.
📈 Bourbon Pricing Backed by Real Sales Data
• Regular updates based on actual sales—not guesswork
• Over 7,000 bottles with near real-time values
• Accurate secondary market valuations (not just MSRP or retail pricing)
• Reflects economic shifts—like the 11.2% dip in the market over the last 14 months
The app requires a subscription—but at just $3/month or $25/year, it pays for itself the first time you avoid overpaying for that hot bottle.
👉 Download the Bourboneur App today and start making smarter bourbon decisions.
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