$32,000 bottle of whisky up for grabs at liquor store sale

Think of it as Christmas for booze hounds.

Early Saturday morning, while most civilized people are in bed, a dedicated group of alcohol aficionados, collectors, the curious and the thirsty will lineup outside select B.C. Liquor Stores to get their grubby hands on some choice grog as part of BCLS鈥檚 annual Premium Spirits Release.

This year鈥檚 deposit of liquid gold includes rare rums, wallet-lightening whiskies from around the globe and an artisanal gin made with botanicals sourced at the foot of the Italian Alps.

At the liquor store鈥檚 flagship location at Cambie and 39^th, hooch hunters have been lined up for more than a week. The man at the front of the line 鈥� a friendly but cagey fellow who wouldn鈥檛 give his name other than 鈥淐ousin Eddy,鈥� wouldn鈥檛 discuss his occupation and wouldn鈥檛 elaborate on where in the Lower Mainland he lives 鈥� says he and his family have planned their holidays around the annual sales event for the last five years. The liquor store has provided a large tent at the side of the building for those in line, and Cousin Eddy and his crew have made the best of it with cots, sleeping bags, zero-gravity chairs and heaters. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a little crazy, so we might set up a TV for some movies,鈥� says the fan of single malt, single cask scotch.

As for what type of person lines up outside a liquor store for days on end, Cousin Eddy says there are three. 鈥淭here are collectors, there are drinkers 鈥� there鈥檚 both 鈥� and there鈥檚 some people who try to flip, as well. And the big reason we鈥檝e been coming five years in a row is to shun people who think they can make a buck.鈥�

Cousin Eddy has a shopping list of six or seven bottles, but he鈥檚 also come to ogle some of the more rare releases that will never be seen again, such as Bowmore Black 1964, which comes with a $32,000 price tag.

Cousin Eddy figures come Saturday he鈥檒l be leaving with 10 or so bottles in total 鈥� some of which he鈥檒l uncork for his wedding next year.

鈥淭here鈥檚 the old adage that you buy two 鈥� one to keep and one to drink. And then eventually you drink the other one.鈥�

Here are the five most expensive bottles up for grabs at the Premium Spirits Release: 听听听听听听

1.听听听听听 Bowmore Black 1964, $32,000

With 159 bottles of this highly sought-after scotch available in the world, there鈥檚 a reason why there鈥檚 only one bottle available at B.C. Liquor Stores. Plus it comes in a sweet-looking case made of Scottish oak that you can store your dashed dreams and hopes in once you realize how quickly 32 grand worth of booze lasts.

Availability: one bottle, at 39^th and Cambie store.

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2.听听听听听 Bunnahabhain 46 Year Old, $10,350

The oldest single malt ever released from Bunnahabhain Distillery is said to be 鈥渆legant and complex.鈥� But they said that about dudes who wear leather pants, didn鈥檛 they.

Availability: two bottles at 39^th and Cambie, limit one per customer.听听

3.听听听听听 Nikka 70^th Anniversary Cask Strength Collection, $8,580

At least you鈥檙e getting four bottles of supremely smooth Japanese whisky for the price of a used 2010 Toyota Corolla: 12-year-old Yoichi, 12-year-old Miyagikyou, a 12-year-old single Coffey grain and a blend of all three.

Limit one per customer at 39^th and Cambie.

4.听听听听听 Glenfiddich 40 Year Old, $7,200

Described as 鈥渟tepping off a platform at a rural Scottish railway station in 1935 into a first class carriage,鈥� minus the chances of contracting typhoid presumably, this one is said to evoke coal smoke, leather, wood and cigars. Sounds delicious.

Availability: four bottles at 39^th and Cambie and Park Royal. Limit two per customer.

5.听听听听听 Ichiro鈥檚 Malt the Joker, $5,280

From Japan鈥檚 defunct Hanyu distillery, the 54^th and final bottling of Ichiro鈥檚 Malt Card series supposedly smells of 鈥渙ld cobbler鈥檚 shop, tack room, light smoke, incense, ink, autumn leaves and sumac.鈥� If I鈥檓 not mistaken, that also describes the gallons of Drakkar Noir I used to drench my once-svelte body with at the behest of my high school girlfriend Tonya.

Limit one per customer at 39^th and Cambie.