Van Winkle Availability?

[bpt]

Is there any kind of a schedule or any rhyme or reason as to when VW is released? I know that there is not a large amount of it put out but I was wondering if it is done at any specific times during the year. In this area I have to educate people about it but just because they will look for it once doesn't mean that they will continue to do so if they don't find it the first time. I hate having to do the retailers' job for them but end up having to for the harder to find stuff. At least with something like the BTAC I can say "This is supposed to be out next week, can you check on it for me?" and they usually will.

Additionally, two different people have told me recently that they "heard" that some was supposed to be coming out soon. One guy says that he gets notices like that from Buffalo Trace. Any truth to that?

Perhaps one of the insiders (or even outsiders!) here can shed some light on this to help a VW fan know when to start looking? Thanks.

[chefnash51]

I know that for the last month or so, all stores in my CT area have been telling me that late October was the next release date.

I just got a call that one of my local store got a few bottles in. I was in for some sticker shock.

ORVW 10/107 went from 28 to $38

Lot B went from 45 to $53

it's the 10/107 that really got me, that was quite a jump in price. too bad.

[bpt]

Thanks for the quick reply. That bothers me about 10/107 as well. That was always a great value here, sometimes as low as $25. That's the one that I like to stock up on when I find it. That much of a price jump could make that a little difficult this time around.

[onmytrack]

I don't know what the shipping laws are where you are, but I recently ordered and received some PVW 15 & 20 from Shopper's Vineyard (google for website). It is sold out right now, but they still have 10/90 & 10/107 at a great price. Spend the extra 2 bucks for the 107.

Jim

[chefnash51]

Yea, I have looked into that as well and it looks well worth it. I guess I won't be supporting my local shop as much as I would like to. Wonder why the huge pricing difference?

[NorCalBoozer]

I don't know what the shipping laws are where you are, but I recently ordered and received some PVW 15 & 20 from Shopper's Vineyard (google for website). It is sold out right now, but they still have 10/90 & 10/107 at a great price. Spend the extra 2 bucks for the 107.

Jim

They also have VW Family Reserve Rye 13 in stock as well, so possible a new batch of this has been put into distribution???

Greg

[unclebunk]

That would be really disappointing if the price of the ORVW 10/107 jumped so much in price. I buy it fairly regularly because the quality is terrific and within my self-imposed budget. It's currently $30 at Binny's which puts it right at the limit of how much I usually like to spend unless I'm buying something really special. The South Loop Chicago store has the Lot B for $40 and that's another one I'd hate to see jump into the $50+ range. There are just so many excellent bourbons out there for under $30 (and under $20, for that matter, if you like Weller Antique, Four Roses Yellow Label, VOB BIB and Rittenhouse BIB) that I'm afraid the price jumps will chase some consumers like me away. Maybe it's time to stock up on the ORVW 10/107 before an increase occurs here in Chicago, which should drive my wife even further around the bend!:bigeyes:

[PhilsFan]

I was in Red Dot Liquors in Frankfort this morning. They are right down the road from Buffalo Trace Distillery and said that they have a good working relationship with the folks at BT. They had no Van Winkle product in, and when I asked about Lot B and PVW 15 they said that they were getting in only 2 bottles at a time when a shipment comes in. They had no ORVW (haven't seen much on the shelf anywhere in KY lately) and the only Weller they had was Antique 107.

-Joe

[razerburnt]

Does anyone know what letter the new VWFRR number starts with. the last one I bought was an I bottle. the ones I saw today were A bottles. Thanks, Randy.

[ACDetroit]

Well Randy "I" is the current release but "A" would have been 14 year old release because the first release would have had no prefix letter...just the numeric code. The letters increased up every year until the Rye Whiskey was 18 years old, say "E" or "F" at which time it was placed in Stainless Steel holding tanks.

I am would be interested in trying an "A" if they had more than one and you were not planning on picking them all up.

Let me know your thoughts?

Thanks,

Tony

[barturtle]

Well Randy "I" is the current release but "A" would have been 14 year old release because the first release would have had no prefix letter...just the numeric code. The letters increased up every year until the Rye Whiskey was 18 years old, say "E" or "F" at which time it was placed in Stainless Steel holding tanks.

I am would be interested in trying an "A" if they had more than one and you were not planning on picking them all up.

Let me know your thoughts?

Thanks,

Tony

It could be possible that a renumbering has occurred that was unannounced (not that such a thing would be announced). If that label happens to say it was bottled in Frankfort, KY and not in Lawrenceburg, KY, then that is likely what happened. I would not put such a thing past any of the distilleries/brand owners.

[OscarV]

Yeah, I could see that if they went back to using A that would move a lot of bottles off the shelf.

[bpt]

I guess that "availability" was not the right word to use for my title. I wasn't wondering so much about where to find it (although thanks for those responses as well) as I was trying to figure out when to find it. Is there some mystery to this or do they have any kind of a schedule throughout the year? I know that it is done in small amounts and that it is not easy to find everywhere. I was just trying to get an idea as to whether there was some way to figure out when more might be put out to the public to help me start searching in my area.

I just spent several minutes on a much longer post that disappeared after I tried to submit it. Apologies if it happens to appear after I post this one. And I am keeping this one short in case in disappears again.

[gothbat]

If that label happens to say it was bottled in Frankfort, KY and not in Lawrenceburg, KY, then that is likely what happened.

Just checked he label and the new A series says Frankfort on the label. I thought someone had posted about this in Tasting or Premium Bottlings however my searches turned up nothing when I was looking for this a week or so ago.

Let me know your thoughts?

To me this release tastes the same as the previous except for the fact that it is a bit spicier, I didn't take any notes though.

[chefnash51]

I was trying to figure out when to find it. Is there some mystery to this or do they have any kind of a schedule throughout the year?

All I can say is that I have heard from over a dozen different places that late October was when the next allotment would be out. Sure enough, one store just got some in.

[barturtle]

Just checked he label and the new A series says Frankfort on the label. I thought someone had posted about this in Tasting or Premium Bottlings however my searches turned up nothing when I was looking for this a week or so ago.

Can't say that I'm surprised

[NYtaster]

Just saw a bottle of 15 YO VWFR at the local shop, seems this spot has been empty for quite some time. They had a price of 55 and change and that seems like a big jump. Is BT trying to make this stuff more profitable by limiting supply???!!!!

[smokinjoe]

They must have started over. The new shipment into South Carolina, seen today, has the "A" on their Frankfort bottles.

[purplehaze67]

I attended a Buffalo Trace tasting tonight. According to the rep, whatever is currently in the hands of the retailers will be it, until March 2009. Don't know about y'all but I am hitting up Shoppers Vineyard now....

[purplehaze67]

Well the 10/107 is already gone at SV....:hot:

[wskybnt]

I bought a lot b today. I found a store that had 3 bottles of lot B and 4 of 15 yr. The lot B was $45, and the 15 was $56..... I got one bottle of lot B. I hope they are there for a while. Hate to pay that much but I havent seen them in a while...

[Special Reserve]

I attended a Buffalo Trace tasting tonight. According to the rep, whatever is currently in the hands of the retailers will be it, until March 2009. Don't know about y'all but I am hitting up Shoppers Vineyard now....

The rep also said that the ER10 and ER101 where the same just different proofs. There weren't many believers amongst the SB crowd.