So I think I'm responsible for some Van Winkle price gouging.

[EricABQ]

Kind of a long story, but here it goes.

A couple of weeks ago the Van Winkle line hit Albuquerque. So, I go to the Kelley liquor location that I normally frequent. As I'm in line with my purchases, the manager asks me "what's the deal with these Bourbons? People have been asking about them a lot recently." So, I explained that they are really good bourbons, but that they are also scarce, which causes people to have to buy them right away if they want them. I even told him that they end up on ebay sometimes are ridiculous prices. He seems interested.

The next day I go back to the same store for some wine, and the VWs are all gone. So, I ask one of the clerks I see all the time if they sold out. He said no, that the manager pulled them off the shelf because they were mis-priced. The clerk seemed relieved when I told him that their prices were exactly what everyone else charged. I got the impression that the clerk thought he had mis-priced them when they came in, so he was relieved to hear that he hadn't screwed up.

Jump ahead a couple of weeks to today, and when I stopped in I notice that their locked cabinet was now full of Van Winkles with the following prices: 10 year old (both proofs) 129.99, the 12 year at 149.99 and the 20 at 249.99.

I guess I screwed myself by being so chatty with that d-bag manager.

[luther.r]

Problem is, that store isn't going to have the advantage of thousands of people looking specifically for Van Winkle products like eBay, so they're going to sit in his cabinet. I wouldn't be surprised if the prices come back down in a couple months...

[DeanSheen]

Ahh thats a great story. Not sure where that bonehead drummed up those prices but hey, more power to him.

They are VW's after all!

When the BT VW really starts flowing across the brand is when all this is going to get really interesting.

[Special Reserve]

I found a 2011 GTS and WLW this week both were $100 over the state price. I called the store owner a greedy bastard and at that price I wasn't interested in doing business with him.

[dohidied]

Wow, reminds me of the place I stumbled into that had an ORVW 10/90 for $80 and an Old Charther Proprietor's Reserve for $230.

[Parkersback]

I think what I maybe miss most in all of this are Old Rip Van Winkle's that were priced, even not that long ago, in the early to mid-2000's, under $30, IIRC. I remember stopping into LeNell's in Brooklyn and after talking about Pappy 20 having her pointing me in the direction of Old Rip. I remember thinking, "OK, I'll buy a Pappy 20 once a year, but Old Rip is a great whiskey that I can buy once every month or two."

But I was in a store last night and they had one of the ORVW's for $69 or something. I didn't even bother checking if it was the 90 or 107 because who cares at that price?

Weller 12 is a fine consolation, make no mistake. But somehow it does feel like a consolation, even if it's basically the same whiskey.

[awachatz]

I found a 2011 GTS and WLW this week both were $100 over the state price. I called the store owner a greedy bastard and at that price I wasn't interested in doing business with him.

I don't blame you at all. I wish I had spoken up early this week.

The store that receives most of my patronage has elected to start pricing gouging me now as well. I was just charged a 25% premium on the Van Winkle bourbons. The kicker is that I really was only interested in the PVW15 and I didn't get any.

I really had to take a step back and going forward might consider shopping elsewhere. At least I can try the PVW23 once, but I will be more conservative with my purchases going forward.

[jburlowski]

People should remember this thread when they complain about BT / VW jacking up the prices ----- most of it happens at the retail level.

[Tony]

I found a 2011 GTS and WLW this week both were $100 over the state price. I called the store owner a greedy bastard and at that price I wasn't interested in doing business with him.

Was it that place in Farmington on Orchard Lake, I could not believe that either. I was thinking that is more than Ebay.

tony

[Special Reserve]

Was it that place in Farmington on Orchard Lake, I could not believe that either. I was thinking that is more than Ebay.

tony

[smokinjoe]

People should remember this thread when they complain about BT / VW jacking up the prices ----- most of it happens at the retail level.

[Josh]

Exactly! Great point, John.

That said, I don't blame the retailers one bit. If I owned a liquor store, I'd be banging the price up too.

[smokinjoe]

Yup. They have the right to jack up the price and we also have the right to call them greedy bastards and not do business with them.

[DeanSheen]

If I owned a liquor store, I'd be banging the help too.

There, fixed that for ya!

[StraightNoChaser]

Exactly! Great point, John.

That said, I don't blame the retailers one bit. If I owned a liquor store, I'd be banging the price up too.

If I owned a liquor store I'd be keeping the whole allocation for myself

[luther.r]

At one of my neighborhood stores, they told me tonight that their allocation of 3 Pappy 15s "went missing." They got their 20s, but the 15s were replaced in their delivery with bottles of tequila they didn't order. Their invoice still had the PVW15s on it. So either the delivery driver took them or somebody in the warehouse pulled a fast one. The distributor won't be able to replace them since they're all out of stock now.

Pretty soon they're going to have to have armored car services delivering these Van Winkles...

[Vosgar]

I had a similar experience with a store I do business with. Their shipment came in last Friday, missing the 3 Pappy 15's that were on the invoice. The 20's and 23's came in, along with a couple of ORVW 10/107's (one of which had a broken seal and had leaked about 1/2 its contents). The store owner called her distributor rep and was waiting to hear back from him.

Good luck on that.

Gary

[luther.r]

I had a similar experience with a store I do business with. Their shipment came in last Friday, missing the 3 Pappy 15's that were on the invoice. The 20's and 23's came in, along with a couple of ORVW 10/107's (one of which had a broken seal and had leaked about 1/2 its contents). The store owner called her distributor rep and was waiting to hear back from him.

Gary

Sounds like we're talking about the same store.

[ErichPryde]

Yup. They have the right to jack up the price and we also have the right to call them greedy bastards and not do business with them.

:banghead: I thought that the whole point of retail was to sell stuff and get repeat customers. I must have been seriously mislead.

[Jwilly019]

:banghead: I thought that the whole point of retail was to sell stuff and get repeat customers. I must have been seriously mislead.

Just because we won't buy at those prices, doesn't mean someone else won't.

[smokinjoe]

Just because we won't buy at those prices, doesn't mean someone else won't.

Double BINGO!!

.............

[DeanSheen]

:banghead: I thought that the whole point of retail was to sell stuff and get repeat customers. I must have been seriously mislead.

There is a point of diminishing returns. It just has not found it's bottom yet.

[SMOWK]

My Van Winkles came in cheaper this fall than last fall or the spring release...Go figure.

[Josh]

:banghead: I thought that the whole point of retail was to sell stuff and get repeat customers. I must have been seriously mislead.

Yes, and? I don't get your point. Are you saying I should pay whatever a retailer wants me to pay even if I don't think it's a fair price?

[ErichPryde]

Yes, and? I don't get your point. Are you saying I should pay whatever a retailer wants me to pay even if I don't think it's a fair price?