2019 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Release Map
Please Read: Welcome to the 2019 BTAC release map! Each state is highlighted when one bottle is reported in that state. There’s a good chance that means that store, and a lot of times that city, is already sold out. This map isn’t an official release tracker from Buffalo Trace. This is a network of bourbon drinkers looking to help each other. Stores are dealing with smaller allocations and greatly increased demand. Please be understanding of this fact. Happy Hunting!
Bourbon season is upon us! This is the 7th annual Bourbonr Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Release Map! If you’re unfamiliar with the map, here’s how it works. I highlight each state when the antique collection is released in that state. Remember, distribution can be tricky. Because it was released in part of the state doesn’t mean you’ve missed out. The release map is another tool to help in your BTAC hunt.
For more info and to find other bourbon hunters join the Bourbonr Facebook group. I try to add the city which was reported if you hover over each state. If you’re new to bourbon hunting read this: “How to Hunt Bourbon” This is a community-driven map. If you find a bottle please shoot me an email at Blake @ Bourbonr.com. Make sure to include your state as well as a picture of the bottle. I welcome any tips about state releases as well (bonus points for information about Florida 🙂 )!
Considerations of the BTAC release map:
- Buffalo Trace made the decision not to release barrel counts this year. Because of that, we have no idea what the bottle estimates are.
- Not everyone likes it or finds it helpful. It’s not perfect. Flippers may use the map.
- It may not find a bottle of George T Stagg for you. Understand the odds of getting bottles are slim. There are tons of other great bourbons on the market.
- This is another tool to help you with your bourbon hunt. Bourbon hunting gets more difficult every year.
- still believe the release maps provide useful information. And, I enjoy the community that they help build. Because of that, I continue to, dedicate time to them every fall. With that said, Happy Hunting!
BTAC Release Dates:
10/21 – North Carolina is the first to release Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. We’re about two weeks behind the normal release date. I expect more states to pop up soon.
10/22 – Midwest get ready! BTAC released in Illinois and Wisconsin
10/29 – BTAC hits Kentucky
11/1 – Antique Collection hits Georgia
11/5 – BTAC is now in New York
11/26 – BTAC in Delaware
12/9 – BTAC makes its way to South Carolina
12/13 – Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is in Texas, Florida and Connecticut
12/15 – Massachusetts sees its first bottles of BTAC
63 comments
It’s so funny to me we are always the first state released but yet its the most impossible to find…
Looks like BTAC is released in NYC – or at least the GTS 2019 are out, found two of them in Brooklyn.
Looking for Buffalo Trace 🙂
Correct…always the 1st state…never see anything…..its like it just disappears ….we must get only 1 bottle per abc store….
Not good….especially for those of us who really enjoy it….
No one will get any in NC. Status quo is still in place.
I’ve seen quite a few people get stuff in NC already
Chicago area should be this week
We got ours in last week in Wisconsin
chicago area hit today
Where?
Madison Wisconsin already got BTAC… aaaand its gone
BTAC Downstate IL today.
I went to several NC ABC stores today. They laughed at my asking. One store told me there is a lottery drawing for the limited supply. Very disappointing. I’m going to stop reading blog reviews of something that is impossible to get.
I got a ER17 and WLW in eastern NC but if you don’t build relationships with managers don’t think they will jump to give you a BYAC your first time going in there
Got lucky and picked up a bottle of George T. Stagg today (Central Illinois).
Total Wine (in California at least) is doing something different this year. I just got the email this morning. Now you have to be a grand reserve member, rank your bottle preference from 1-10 (PVW line, LotB, Old Rip 10, and the BTAC line) and the store/location you want to pick up from. Will be put in a lottery with # of “points” based on this year’s expenditures. More points = more chances. Winners will be contacted late Feb 2020 (said they would also let you know if you did not win a bottle).
Guess this will prevent the website crashes from the past years and the need to be at your computer exactly when they go on sale.
That is a lot of booze to be purchased at Total Wine to get a chance at these bottles. Sheesh.
Blake,
Thank you for doing this. It is like fishing with a depth finder!! Thanks for the tip!
FB
Sad that Binny’s gets the most and they sell to people who just flip it. Should make them open it in store so they will drink it!! Would love to just try it without spending a car payment
You should try living in Pennsylvania. You rarely find anything.
Same in WV
Got four van winkles in the PA lottery since 2015 (1 10yo, 2 12 yo and a 20). Also an eagle rare 17 and rare 4 roses small batch. No idea why I got so lucky. Drank them all with friends….no special occasion. They are good, but not life changing!
A liquor store in Lagrange, GA received a bottle of William Larue Weller yesterday.
Bought a bottle in GA today! It’s official!
Local mom and pop store in will county IL had two GTS and one THH for sale at almost 3x retail, gone in less than 10 mins. Binny’s will lie to you and tell you it’s released in december and then sell clients who spend at least 10k per year. Kenwood liquors won’t sell you anything btac or van winkle unless you know the owner on a personal level. These are some of the reasons I’m starting to go for higher end sherry casked scotches instead ($120-300). Of course people on CL and FB groups have plenty at around $500
That is so incorrect about Kenwood. I purchased raffle tickets for BTAC autism research fundraiser which is a great cause counting on the fact that I probably wouldn’t win but then won a chance for GTS at srp. I really am not connected there with anybody who makes big decisions, and nobody gouged me. I just treat the folks that work there with respect, I like buying their store picks, and stop in when I can to say hello. Guess I got lucky, but I certainly didn’t see anything shady about what they did. I do the same thing at my local Binny’s. It’s kind of unfair to speculate that these store guys are all so evil, but to each his own. I have found to just be a pleasant customer, being grateful for what I get when I am lucky to get it, being knowledgeable about what I seek, and not expecting the top shelf bottles all the time is easier than being mad about who gets what and who doesn’t. What goes around comes around. Bourbon Karma is real
BTAC is available to taste at multiple locations in Arizona. I was able to taste the whole line minus the Saz for $25 for 2 oz pours yesterday. At those prices at least I can try them even if they are impossible to find at retail. Several bourbon lovers in town have been posting their scores so it has been released here but no one is divulging there honey-holes
For $25?!!! For the entire line of BTAC? You scored a heck of a deal!!!
. . . ahhh, read into it way too fast. $25 per 2 oz pour. Sounds like the George T Saz might not be living up to all of its uproar from previous years.
Agreed. I have had the 16-18 and all were significantly better. If the number of bars in town with ER17 is any indicator they went from 1700 bottles last year to 17,000 bottles this year. The lack of barrel info this year is an indicator they are cashing in.
Yeah that George T. Saz is really overrated.
Montgomery County, Md just had it’s BTAC lottery result out today. Winners can pick up their bottles tomorrow. I didn’t win this year but my girlfriend won a bottle of Weller and she wants to sell it. It’s like a knife in the back!
I’ll take it from her if you want.
BTAC and Pappy are not hard to find… they are just hard, nearing impossible, to get at retail. Honestly, Blanton’s Gold and Straight From the Barrel seem much harder to actually find/obtain than BTAC and Pappy. I see BTAC and Pappy everywhere because not many people are actually buying it. I argue that, if you really want a bottle, the best course of action is to allocate some coin then go ahead a pay the secondary markup because I do not see the demand nor price coming down… ever.
Why bother wasting time waiting for years… searching… perhaps buying (wasting money on) alternatives… entering lotteries… sucking up to ABC/liqour store managers or waiting outside a shop known to be getting an allocation for 24-48hrs?… NOPE… I refuse! All of that time and effort is tantamount to the same money, if not more than, you would spend by simply finding a retailer selling bottles for $500-700USD.
SFTB and Gold are export only, so you’ll never see them in the States legitimately.
Alabama has it
It’s starting to hit Kentucky.
Bought George T Stag in Kentucky today.
Maps running a little behind, but Blake does have a life outside of this I am sure. It is in KY. Dropped Tuesday in Lex, Frankfort, & Louisville.
Went on shelves in NY today.
Does anyone have any idea of if/when it hits NY, NJ or CT? I haven’t seen any as of yet after going to multiple liquor stores. If anyone can point me in the right direction where it’s even a slight chance to come up on any BTAC (or even any harder to find bourbons), I would really appreciate it! I live in the outskirts of NYC and you already know how that goes- bad selections and sky high prices.
Shawn, http://Www.bottle-spot.com It will save your marriage, gas bill, lost productivity at work and save you from a couple Dr. visits with BES(bourbon eye syndrom)!
Any updates? Looking for arrival in Texas.
Found a bottle of Stagg in Kansas today. KCK side.
Light up KS. Stagg has hit the state
I haven’t seen a pappy map this year but it’s supposed to hit Illinois this Monday.
Wonder when btac will hit Michigan? With LARA its always a surprise.
BTAC has hit New Mexico
Saw someone purchase in CA today.
Anyone seen anything in NJ?
Have they not hit most of the US or is this not being updated any longer?
BTAC in Delaware
Yeah he should have had some other admins or mods.
it hit South Carolina on Friday
Definitely in TX. Grabbed a WLW.
BTAC and Pappy has finally hit Connecticut!
I just purchased a bottle of George Stagg in Pittsfield Massachusetts. So people of MA, it’s here as of 12/14/2019.
Also picked up a bottle of 15 year old Pappy Reserve at the same time. Double score.
Dec 6th in nj I picked up 2-vw 10yr,1 vw 12yr, 2- pappy 15yr, 1-pappy 20yr, 1-19 stagg, 1-19 wlw.
Then, the following Friday I scored a stagg and handy.
Then this past Friday I scored a vw 23yr.
I had a good yr….
Nice score! I picked up a whole barrel of 23 year the other day. Then I stumbled on 3 barrels of WLW and another of GTS. I guess I was lucky, too…
Nice score! I picked up a whole barrel of 23 year the other day. Then I stumbled on 3 barrels of WLW and another of GTS. I guess I was lucky, too…
Oklahoma back first week in December. Replying just for historical reference next year (2020).