Collecting is a hobby with benefits. Whether it’s a traditional object like stamps, or a more contemporary obsession like great bourbons, building a collection reaps rewards beyond the collection itself.

For one thing, collecting builds knowledge. Before you begin your acquisitions, you’ll spend time researching, exploring, investigating. Your search will take you to new places; you’ll learn new things.

Your pursuit will inevitably lead to making connections with others doing the same thing. You’ll trade notes, seek counsel, and enjoy the camaraderie of a shared interest or passion.

As you collect, you’ll become well-versed in the topic, and enjoy the sense of fulfillment you get when you’ve mastered something. And side benefit: That expertise you gain will be appealing to others.

Bottom line, acquiring stuff is fun. Comparing, analyzing, then coming to a decision and making it yours — it’s a modern-day version of hunting and gathering.

Like any legit collector, you’ll need a place for your prize once you get it home. That’s part of the collector process: to have your collection presented thoughtfully, in some kind of tableau or display that offers context on what you’ve collected.

How you display your collection provides an opportunity to flex your creativity. Do you want to place your bottles on pedestals? Or maybe a shadow box. Tiny spotlights, perhaps? Go crazy! Your collection is yours and yours alone. What you add to it and how you show it off can be your personal statement.

What kind of bourbons you collect is another deeply individualistic decision. Some collectors seek out rare bourbons like Lux Row’s Blood Oath, which are limited edition and hard-to-find; they love the chase. Some collect the priciest bourbons; they have the wallet.

The Lux Row family offers an excellent platform for your bourbon collection, whether you want to build one from a single label or choose a bourbon style offered by more than one label.

One excellent advantage to collecting bourbon — as opposed to coins or baseball cards — is that bourbon is ultimately meant to be consumed. Yes, you can display it, learn it, treasure it — but in the end, you get to drink it.

Here are some suggestions to start a bourbon collection:

Special releases
Pick and choose among Lux Row’s portfolio bottles that are special releases, extra-aged, and/or limited editions.

• David Nicholson Reserve is an extra-aged “ryed” bourbon whose full-bodied flavor and distinct, spicy taste has won it numerous awards.
• Old Ezra Barrel Strength is aged seven years and bottled at barrel strength — 117 proof, a little higher than the norm.
• Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel is a highly rated whiskey with caramel, citrus, and a hint of spice.
• Lux Row Distillers 12 Year Double Barrel was a limited-edition release issued to commemorate the grand opening of the distillery’s new facility in April 2018.

Single label route
Collect every release by Daviess County, because every one of them is special and collection-worthy:

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a combination of two bourbon mashbills, a smooth wheated and a traditional ryed, which helps balance the sweet and the spicy.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Finish has that same combination of two mashbills, but is finished for six months in cabernet barrels.
• French Oak takes the same two mashbills and finishes them for six months in French oak barrels.

All the ryes
Two labels in the Lux Row family do their own ryes:

• Rebel Straight Rye Whiskey is loved for its combination of bold spice, cinnamon, and pepper.
• Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey, made from rye and barley, balances its spice with sweet notes of chocolate and vanilla.