Update: Here are a few things I want to clear up with this post.

I don’t have any Pappy Van Winkle for sale. Bourbonr is just a blog.
I don’t know where you can buy it. I didn’t find any myself last year so I’m hunting just like everyone else.
The Pappy Van Winkle release map will launch next week. That’s the best I can do to help you find a bottle.
My thoughts on Fake Pappy. My thoughts on retail pricing
P.s. don’t you love this time of year! 🙂

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Oct. 26, 2017) – This is the favorite time of the year for bourbon fans, the annual release of the Van Winkle Bourbons is near. Yields are a bit higher for the 10, 15 and 23 year old whiskies, but the 13-Year-Old Van Winkle Reserve Rye will not be released this year.

“We have a one year gap in barrel inventory for the Van Winkle Rye. Our current barrels are 12 years old. So rather than compromise on quality or remove the age statement, we decided it would be best to hold off this year and bottle them next year as the 13 Year Old Rye Whiskey fans have come to expect,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director.

Known for their smoother and sweeter flavor due to their wheat recipe vs a traditional rye recipe found in most bourbons, Van Winkle bourbons are aged years longer than most others and garner an impeccable reputation among connoisseurs. Although the bourbons have become increasingly popular worldwide in recent years, very little is sold overseas, so that most of these coveted bottles are available in the United States.

The Van Winkle collection consists of several whiskeys. Suggested retail prices are as follows:

$59.99 – Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old 107 proof
$69.99 – Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old
$99.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old
$169.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old
$269.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old

“Unfortunately we do not control the pricing retailers charge, so many retailers mark it up, even though we ask them not to,” said Julian Van Winkle, president, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “We have not raised prices and do not intend to do so drastically in the future. We are committed to our quality and our pricing and hope retailers will honor what we suggest as retail pricing.”

Upon release of the Van Winkle bourbon this fall, Buffalo Trace warns consumers to be wary of online resellers such as Craigslist and other online marketplaces, especially private Facebook groups. “Some bottles they are selling might be counterfeit, filled with lesser whiskey, or worse, something that’s not even whiskey and potentially dangerous,” added Comstock. “At the bare minimum, it’s illegal to buy and resell whiskey if you are not a licensed retailer, and we’re not afraid to take action if we find out.”

The Van Winkle line of whiskeys has won a multitude of awards through the years, including the 20-year-old receiving a gold medal at the 2016 World Whiskies Awards; the 15-year-old being named Overall Winner, Best Age Statement Bourbon at the 2016 World Whiskies Awards; and the 12-year-old achieving 96 points at the 2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

The Van Winkle Whiskeys will be available starting in November, but please be mindful that supply is quite limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants. They will be packed three bottles per case.

58 comments

I laugh at the retail prices you show. All the retailers are now charging secondary market prices. Smart move on their part, but all consumers are now being bent over the bourbon barrel!!!

I won’t divulge where I am, but my local store, when they get these in (which doesn’t happen every year) puts them on the shelf at retail price, first come first served. How it should be. I scored a couple bottles last year. Probably won’t see any this year.

Please put me on list

How can I buy any of these

Clearly you didn’t read the article. Let me help you out.
1) Pay secondary market prices
2) Get lucky in a lottery system for stores that receive an allocation
3) Get to know a local liquor store owner and spend some coin in the store in hopes he will set a bottle aside for you. Most stores only get a few bottles so you need to be dropping some cash in the store on a regular basis if you want your back scratched.

FB Admin are running a huge conspiracy of secondary bourbon sales, I can’t wait for the ATF to take action. Guys in three piece suits don’t do well in Frderal Prison.

FB isn’t running anything other than FB.

Can I purchase directly from Buffalo Trace?

No, and just by asking you have

Any clues on where some Pappy might be for sale in Seattle WA? Thanks!

The liquor store owners always sell them to the customers that buy the most during the year. In other words you don’t stand a chance. For the other hard to find bourbons such as Elmer T Lee and Wellers 12 year, find out when the liquor trucks run and on that day go by the liquor store right after they leave and you will have better luck. The Elmer T lee is usually sold to the liquor store owners friends so it to will be very hard to get. Also I have been told the drivers of the trucks decide which liquor stores will get the hard to find liquors. You may want to call around Good luck.

No the drivers do not lol.
Each liquor store and restaurant get allocated BTAC baswd on their sales of regular Buffalo Trace.

Usually the distributor for the region decides based on those sales who gets what.

And don’t call around, find a decent store and make friends with them. Buy everything including your cooking wine there. Calling random places will usually get a rude and inaccurate response.

Unfortunately, we the little guy’s, never get a chance at any Van Winkle bourbons. And if there is ever a chance of a bottle at the Suggested Retail Price it is never in reality with Retailers doing quadruple markups or more. Wish we had a chance of purchasing direct from Van Winkle distillery instead of going on a Snipe Hunt for anyone who might be lucky enough to win the lottery to sell some.

Can i order & have shipped to home? If so where can I order and pay. If not where near destin FL can i buy? When. Phone no. Store? Thsnk you..excited…

Raffle season is upon us. Looking forward to entering a raffle or two with three thousand flippers and 4 other drinkers for a chance to get one of these.

Any suggestions at to where to find a raffle or two?

Such a damn shame.

Are the raffles run by the stores? If so, how do I determine which stores will be receiving the new Pappy releases? Thanks

I would love the 15,20,23

Do you know what states are going to have them?

Can it be bought directly from you

“please be mindful that supply is quite limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants.” — this must be serious business as they are breaking out “shall”

How do I get in on the raffel

Bring this distillary to it’s knees. Refuse to buy any. Let your local package store know that if they carry the brand you’ll go elsewhere. The prices they list are crap. Multiply by 10 the retail prices and that’ll be the new reality. That’s if they’re friends don’t get it first.
This distillary is worse than the 1700s British tax on tea.
Made in America by crooks.
Ahhhh but you’re all weak pansies and any backbone you had went out the door the minute you started making 100 grand or more.
So you’ll pay and do anything to get a bottle especially the 23. What’s a grand a bottle anyway? Chump change.
And this my new enemies is what America’s become.
Land of greed.
And this behavior which you probably practice in your daily life especially towards your fellow citizens is what is the root reason why there is so much disparity between otherwise reasonable human beings.

Man you didn’t get a bottle did you? If you had you would not be so angry… who can be angry when drinking the Pappy?

As a Patriot, you should recognize the old American cornerstone of “supply & demand”.
Buffalo Trace is keeping IT’S prices rational, but I gather you want them to attempt controlling
the retail market. BAD IDEA!
What would your response be if B.T. RAISED their prices, say 40%, to take advantage of the current inflated market? “Oh, those blood-sucking, Capitalistic Bastards!”
I’d suggest you get a life. I can’t afford a Ferrari or a Bentley, but while I might like to own one, I’ll
get along with my “full boat” Camero – and somehow enjoy life as it is. Same with my bourbon.

I know the the type: just because they call themselves a patriot and display the stars and stripes makes them think that they are more American than any other American. Lol!

Probably some lazy alchy who blames his floundering life on minorities.

Yep, the bourbon secondary market is exactly what is wrong with America. I mean greed (or supply and demand) has never been a problem in America or the rest of the world until Pappy reared its ugly head around 2013. The Rockefeller and Vanderbilts would be rolling in their grave if they knew what this country has become. #sarcasm

You mad bro? LOL!

It is unfortunate that retailers markups are essentially gouging consumers. There are companies who are very strict with retailers and set a limit on markups. If the retailer does not adhere to this they will no longer be able to do business with the manufacturer. Buffalo Trace can control this is they choose to.

I have been trying to buy a bottle for years. Its not Pappys fault the retailers charge this much but it is what it is. Its simply the best there is. I just had my 51st birthday and no bottle again. Maybe I will get lucky and they will send me one.

I love 70% of these comments that just completely skipped over the first two bullet points at the start of the post. YES, HE HAS AN ENTIRE BUNKER OF PVW THAT HE IS SAVING JUST FOR THE FIRST 50 COMMENTS THAT ASK WHERE THEY CAN BUY IT.

That said, your best chance at getting a bottle of you live in a non-ABC state is to become friends with the guys in your local stores. That takes time, but if you’re friendly and a loyal customer, you might have a shot.

Liqour Barn in KY use to sell 1oz. samples of all PVW renditions for like 16$. I sampled the 23 and it was one of the best bourbons I ever tasted. Yet, another 23 release was one of the worst bourbons I ever tasted. The others were ok but too were not worth the premium and hype all IMHO.. I guess cool packaging and back-story goes a long way in selling a mediocre inconsistent product at a ridiculous premium. Glad I live in KY where on any given day I can get quality ultra exotic 18+ yr juice for less than MSRP and not have to beg, bribe, wait, camp or kiss ass to get it while everyone else are chasing labels and stories.

Better odds winning MegaMillions ticket than finding Pappy on a shelf.

I’m one of those “greedy retailers” you speak of. If you knew how much $$ i have to invest in other junk products just to have the right to buy one bottle of Pappy you would agree the price is justified. People call & come to my store to complain that I’m “gouging”…no I’m not, let’s see you get it a 20year for $169 LOL ya can’t can ya. If any of you want a bottle or more I’m in Encinitas Ca

I’m interested?

You are a greedy retailer. You aren’t actually “forced” to buy anything. If you don’t want to waste money on junk products that don’t sell, you don’t have to. If it’s such a bad deal for you, why even bother trying to get that 1 bottle of Pappy. Doesn’t make sense to me why you would go through the trouble if you aren’t making a lot of money yourself. You will likely piss off more people coming into your store and loosing customers when they see the ridiculously marked up price than if you just didn’t have it at all.

You act like you have been forced by society to own and run a liquor store. Holy smokes!

I’m interested and local. What do you have?

Hey I’ll take it, and I wont complain that you are trying to make a profit

Fat chance finding any PVW anywhere. Store managers at the retail stores that I go to—and these are large stores located in a big city—tell me that they don’t get any either. Upper management for the large liquor retailers are keeping the allocations for themselves.

I’m sure Patriot would love to have a bottle…if the Fed’s distributed them evenly for free and then raised our taxes to pay for it. oh damn where is my free cell phone at? I need to order my free amazon service. HA!.
It is no different than anything else. If you can afford it you can buy it. I don’t see any private jets parked in my garage, but what the hell. Who cares.
Look at what Jim Beam charged up front for that Bookers Rye. Now that was a game changer. B.T. could do the same thing. And if they did, 23 would fetch who knows what???
Try not to be so angry and enjoy the other fine selections that come out of Kentucky. you won’t regret it. And take that left over dough and help someone less fortunate than you. There will always be the less fortunate…he said so.

UI understand that retailers must buy 20 cases of rotgut from the distributors to get a few bottles of the good stuff, so, as much as it ticks me off when I see 5 ro 10x prices in the store, I understand that it is just supply and demand in action. Living in California, I do think that the playing field could be levelized somewhat if limited editions or allocated product could be shipped here in any quantity. What really disturbs me is to hear that some bloak in KY picks-up a bottle for $100 and it is $500 in CA. I find myself buying a lot of product on line from liquor stores, but I am limited to just those in CA, so I can see a price of say, $300 in NY, but I pay $500 in CA. How about changing the laws allowing these products to be shipped across state lines? If they do it with Health Care, how about Bourbon?

Want to know what the “Pappy Problem” is and why it won’t improve anytime soon? Take a look at the comments here and it should tell the story. Everyone clamoring around for the same limited/allocated bottles like a bunch of starved third world nation natives waiting on the next scheduled U.N. rice truck to dump. This is why the price is going to be 10 times retail for the foreseeable future. If you want to have a bottle, either dig deep into those tiny pockets and pony up the cash or hope (and I do mean hope) you get lucky in a lottery.

Another strategy, as a previous poster here has suggested, is to make friends with the local liquor store owner, also known as the buddy system. This really only works if you are spending noticeable coin in the store and the owner knows it. So here is the hard news you don’t want to hear. If you are in the store every other month, only buy a six pack of craft beer, and hope to get a bottle of BTAC or Pappy then you are kidding yourself. If you are regularly in the liquor store and spend a couple thousand on various products you stand a much better chance. I was able to get a bottle of George T. Stagg this year and have a bottle of Pappy waiting on me in a few weeks when it drops here in my state. No I’m not selling my Pappy bottle to you. No I’m not going to tell you what store or state it’s dropping, do the work yourself like I did asshole.

Best bet for those of you out there that want Pappy but will 1) never find it at retail (reference reasons above) 2) will never be able to or willing to pay secondary market prices, is to locate a bar that stocks it. At least this way you can get a pour and scratch the Pappy itch.

Happy hunting and don’t get too upset if you don’t score a bottle of Pappy. It’s just bourbon and there are a ton of other good ones out there to enjoy.

Insane, You all have become! lol, I have only had one bottle of Rip VanWinkle (found in Chicago $349 10yr old) and my brother and me opened it and drank half, the rest I sat in my home bar until the bragging and the story i told as if i had found the holy grail itself I shared with the guest of my home. It took only 40 plus years to find and the money you speak of and the long search is what made it taste all the better. The many fakes and the crazy amounts I have seen people pay for Pappy would only make you more insane so I leave you with this, Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. lol

Guys…I get the opportunity to buy a bottle or two of pappy every year. be it 10,12,15,20, or 23. Its out there…Its expensive, but you gotta pay to play at this table… No, I’m not a millionaire and no, I don’t join any lottery. I did exactly what has been recommended time and time again in this blog. I get to know the owner. I did this by purchasing bourbon. all kinds of bourbon. before I was offered a bottle of the 2013 antique collection I’d never spent more than $80 on a bottle. I ask questions I always will try a recommended bottle and I always, ALWAYS buy bottles from the barrels the store buys and gets bottled. “Bottled for _______ Beverage” Christmas Bourbon… yep I’ll take a bottle…. Some of its good bourbon and some is average. Some I don’t care for at all, but if the guy gets his stores name on it, I buy it, and I make sure he knows I did, that I’m if I try it ,I give him my opinion. If I like them, great, if I know I don’t like them, I still buy it because they make good bottles to give away as a gift or they are good bottles to take to the hunting camp… I ‘d bought bourbon for 3 years without being asked if I wanted to see what’s behind the register. And I never asked for anything that wasn’t on the shelf until I had it in my bar. Yes, it takes time, an yes it costs money, but as a result, I’ve got a great bourbon bar in my basement with enough bourbon to kill 75 men in a sitting.. It’s the result of 6-7 years of buying from one store and 1 store only every couple of weeks. even it I didn’t need the bourbon,,, Now, I get the opportunity to get the hard to get. My advice is to pick a store, buy at least a bottle or two a month and stick to it, As the bottles add up , you build your bar, the store makes money and the coveted bourbon will soon be shown ….. And if you think about it, crack the bottle at the store and let them have a nip. it will go a long way to getting a second bottle

Now…. the Antique Collection is one hard thing to get a hold of for me.. But I’ll keep buying and hope for the next opportunity

Do you have any Pappy I can buy or do you know where I can buy some? My dad turns 75 next year and I really want to get him a bottle. I call him ‘Pappy’. Thanks!

Not me personally. But, if you check out bourbon_gamer on twitter he can probably hook you up for retail price. They call him the “Bourbon Kingpin of Georgia”

If u r looking for Pappy 10 in the 450 range in Washington Dc .. let me know .. a store has it and i passed.

This whole thread made me laugh. Are you all seriously this worked up over bourbon? JK said it best. 🙂 And, Bourbon_Gamer is probably going to kill Blake! I have a question though, What is each year worth to those who will do whatever to get it?

I should add that I do “LOVE” all things BT, but just didn’t know that a bourbon blog could stir up so much opposition and hate. I am not hating on anyone; to each is own, but life is too short. For a second, I thought we were on Facebook talking politics.

Pappy is not even SW juice anymore. What would an older bottle of SW go for compared to the newer BT.

AyYou can’t do anything about the secondary market but if any retailers charge more than suggested retail then the distillers should not sell to them anymore, period. They can control it. I miss the days (only a couple years ago) of going into Willet and getting a couple of bottles of family reserve. Also, Larue is my very favorite and down to my last bottle😩

Remember when the comments section wasn’t full of ridiculous assumptions, baseless accusations, and asinine requests by those who can’t be bothered to read everything or do their own research and legwork? How far it has all fallen.

I don’t remember those days? When was it 😉

Any idea how many bottles of 23yr were released this year?

No Van Winkle Rye But 2017 Pappy Is Coming

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