Pappy and the hunt...is it worth it?

[Quantum]

1) TPS OWA single barrel picks.

2) TPS FR Single Barrel Private Selections-they had most if not all of the ten recipes

3) BIB's and AAA ten year.

I would take one trip to TPS over any 2-3 bottles of current Pappy.

On a side note, if anyone happens to be driving an empty uhaul truck from KY to Houston, please give me a call first. I just need you to make one small stop for me on the way down.

[WAINWRIGHT]

Made a couple of phone calls,everyone was sold out in a days time and realized that was the extent of my efforts for this year.I'll go home and crack a PHC 4th and be over it all in a matter of minutes.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Made a couple of phone calls,everyone was sold out in a days time and realized that was the extent of my efforts for this year.I'll go home and crack a PHC 4th and be over it all in a matter of minutes.

phone calls about pappy are met with an immediate sold out with us. Your mileage may vary of course. Nearly 100 phone calls about it in last two days. Another 30 or so today.

[squire]

I suppose there's no way around that is there Eric, taking what goes with the territory and all that.

[jwacky]

phone calls about pappy are met with an immediate sold out with us. Your mileage may vary of course. Nearly 100 phone calls about it in last two days. Another 30 or so today.

I was talking with a store owner out here about this and he expressed his extreme frustration with the whole thing... went on and on about having to push 'a bunch of crap' that he can't sell all year only to maybe get a bottle or two of Pappy (or BTAC, or anything of this highly coveted nature). Then, he gets flooded with calls/stop ins and has a bunch of upset customers on his hands, all directed at him even though he's largely out of control of it all. Not a problem he created, ya know? Just the price of doing business, I suppose.

I have no idea how allocation works so maybe his frustrations are justified. Doesn't seem like it's worth it to me - even if he were to double the price of MSRP for a couple bottles, what difference does that REALLY make to him? A couple hundred bucks once a year? At the same time, if he doesn't push the 'crap' all year, he just has a bunch of commonplace bourbons that are available at any liquor store anywhere, so there's no point in even shopping with him. There are already 8,000,000 liquor stores out here, so the customer is not for lack of buying options.

Damned if you have Pappy, damned if you don't.

[nd2005]

I was talking with a store owner out here about this and he expressed his extreme frustration with the whole thing... went on and on about having to push 'a bunch of crap' that he can't sell all year only to maybe get a bottle or two of Pappy (or BTAC, or anything of this highly coveted nature). Then, he gets flooded with calls/stop ins and has a bunch of upset customers on his hands, all directed at him even though he's largely out of control of it all. Not a problem he created, ya know? Just the price of doing business, I suppose.

I have no idea how allocation works so maybe his frustrations are justified. Doesn't seem like it's worth it to me - even if he were to double the price of MSRP for a couple bottles, what difference does that REALLY make to him? A couple hundred bucks once a year? At the same time, if he doesn't push the 'crap' all year, he just has a bunch of commonplace bourbons that are available at any liquor store anywhere, so there's no point in even shopping with him. There are already 8,000,000 liquor stores out here, so the customer is not for lack of buying options.

Damned if you have Pappy, damned if you don't.

This is a very common sentiment among store owners. They either do a "first-come first-serve" system and piss off their regulars who feel they are "owed" a bottle by virtue of patronizing their store, or they reserve bottles for their regulars and piss off the day to day customer who feels they should have as much right to buy as anyone else.

And they face these sentiments armed with an increasingly small allotment that can't satisfy either crowd completely, much less both!

[sutton]

I do sympathize with the situation this has created for store owners. Rock and hard place.

If I'm getting 10 bottles of Pappy/BTAC a year, I just tell everyone we don't play that game - not available here. I keep it in my office. I know who my top five or 10 customers are, so I just ask them if they are interested next time they are in the store. If so, voila, they get a bottle. After 6 months, it goes out on the floor at cost and the first rabid dog who claims it wins. The quicker it is out of my store the better.

[HP12]

I do sympathize with the situation this has created for store owners. Rock and hard place.

If I'm getting 10 bottles of Pappy/BTAC a year, I just tell everyone we don't play that game - not available here. I keep it in my office. I know who my top five or 10 customers are, so I just ask them if they are interested next time they are in the store. If so, voila, they get a bottle. After 6 months, it goes out on the floor at cost and the first rabid dog who claims it wins. The quicker it is out of my store the better.

Best solution I've heard of. Easy, fair, no expectations, nice surprise for your higher end regulars. Good business. Well played!

[WAINWRIGHT]

phone calls about pappy are met with an immediate sold out with us. Your mileage may vary of course. Nearly 100 phone calls about it in last two days. Another 30 or so today.

I think that you failed to see my inadvertent attempt to be humorous, but thanks for your insight on the perfect business model.I might be mistaken here but people with drive and even a chance of hope would equal increased store flow and hence volume of total sales,but what do I know I've only been commission paid for the last 20 years.The general public can be a pain but without them you and I would both be broke my friend.:grin:

[jwacky]

Those who are buying a label with the intent to impress aren't thinking in terms of value because they're in fact displaying a lack thereof.

The irony to me is that even if someone IS impressed by a collection, it's someone whose opinion does not matter even a tiny bit.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I think that you failed to see my inadvertent attempt to be humorous, but thanks for your insight on the perfect business model.I might be mistaken here but people with drive and even a chance of hope would equal increased store flow and hence volume of total sales,but what do I know I've only been commission paid for the last 20 years.The general public can be a pain but without them you and I would both be broke my friend.:grin:

[TheGentleman]

The Louisville release was a joke this year. First, it seemed to be 3 weeks to a month later than the rest of the country. Secondly, I got tired of calling my 2 or 3 shops every day to ask them if they received their shipment. I learned that was bad strategy anyhow, because once the dust settled they told me they sold out in 15 min. I'm not a Pappy hater...I think it's awesome bourbon and I don't mind paying for it because it's always a special treat for me to share with my great friends who are from out of town and feel special that they're "treated" to Pappy. With that being said, my life and schedule can't revolve around trying to locate a bourbon. I'm going to savor my Weller 12 yr, AAA, and VOB BIB, and enjoy life. It's become too stressful/hassle trying to locate Pappy.

[sutton]

The Louisville release was a joke this year. First, it seemed to be 3 weeks to a month later than the rest of the country. Secondly, I got tired of calling my 2 or 3 shops every day to ask them if they received their shipment. I learned that was bad strategy anyhow, because once the dust settled they told me they sold out in 15 min. I'm not a Pappy hater...I think it's awesome bourbon and I don't mind paying for it because it's always a special treat for me to share with my great friends who are from out of town and feel special that they're "treated" to Pappy. With that being said, my life and schedule can't revolve around trying to locate a bourbon. I'm going to savor my Weller 12 yr, AAA, and VOB BIB, and enjoy life. It's become too stressful/hassle trying to locate Pappy.

[Tony Santana]

"I'm going to savor my Weller 12 yr, AAA, and VOB BIB, and enjoy life. It's become too stressful/hassle trying to locate Pappy."

I'm actually amused by this. Weller 12 yr, AAA and VOB BIB are about as common as Pappy around here. Just goes to show you how good some people have it, and they don't even know it. Not that I'm crying about it - still plentiful options (and I can get OWA 107 and the occasional VOB 86) and a lot more than I see some folks have available.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I do sympathize with the situation this has created for store owners. Rock and hard place.

If I'm getting 10 bottles of Pappy/BTAC a year, I just tell everyone we don't play that game - not available here. I keep it in my office. I know who my top five or 10 customers are, so I just ask them if they are interested next time they are in the store. If so, voila, they get a bottle. After 6 months, it goes out on the floor at cost and the first rabid dog who claims it wins. The quicker it is out of my store the better.

[TheGentleman]

That's true because AAA and VOB BIB are not available outside of KY to my knowledge...there has to be some perks to living in bourbon country. The negative is majority of people like bourbon. Everyone should start hoarding Weller 12 yr as it's going to be the next impossible to find. AAA has seen significant price increases and so far I feel good about VOB BIB staying constant.

[Old Lamplighter]

Everyone should start hoarding Weller 12 yr as it's going to be the next impossible to find.

[sailor22]

A liquor store owner recently told me that he saved all his Pappy for the doctors in town. He had three kids and frequently needed to call a doctor on weekends.

[squire]

Smart guy . . . . . . . .

[Frodo]

"I'm going to savor my Weller 12 yr, AAA, and VOB BIB, and enjoy life. It's become too stressful/hassle trying to locate Pappy."

I'm actually amused by this. Weller 12 yr, AAA and VOB BIB are about as common as Pappy around here. Just goes to show you how good some people have it, and they don't even know it. Not that I'm crying about it - still plentiful options (and I can get OWA 107 and the occasional VOB 86) and a lot more than I see some folks have available.

We get mostly Beam, MM and BT/AAA up here. From our angle, you have it pretty good - reinforcing the point in your post.

[kcgumbohead]

Not worth it. For the simple reason that it is not what it was and its rarity is now is intentional not a function of a finite supply. 2013 era PVW15 may be a fine bourbon but the fact that BT is and will be cranking this out each and every year means I am in no rush to go to any extra effort or expense to get some. I may indeed purchase a bottle if the opportunity is presented but I won't seek it out. Now the FRR as I understand it IS and continues to be what it was and has been these past years. I did secure a bottle of 2013 FRR. I really enjoy high rye recipes so lately I have been searching out a good rye, hopefully I will be pleased and I expect I will. It was offered to me and I didn't have to go to any great lengths to acquire it.

[squire]

That's a good point kc, Pappy is not subject to a finite supply. I'm also confident the rye stream will continue to flow.

[TunnelTiger]

Going on a hunt tomorrow @ lunch. A hunt for some VOB, OGD114, AAA 10 Star, EWBIB, and a GD rye. Total cost will be way less than any Pappy I'd ever run up against and will taste real good going down.

[Paddy]

Going on a hunt tomorrow @ lunch. A hunt for some VOB, OGD114, AAA 10 Star, EWBIB, and a GD rye. Total cost will be way less than any Pappy I'd ever run up against and will taste real good going down.

That's some good huntin' right there!

[shoshani]

Going on a hunt tomorrow @ lunch. A hunt for some VOB, OGD114, AAA 10 Star, EWBIB, and a GD rye. Total cost will be way less than any Pappy I'd ever run up against and will taste real good going down.

I think it was squire who came up with the idea of measuring the cost of bourbon by VOBs. Maybe we should have Pappys for the other end of the scale. Four VOBs = one Pappy or something.

I mean, I'm pretty sure I can get a whole case of VOB BIB ($160 for a case at Binny's) for less than the price of a single 20 or 23 year old Pappy. And I'd honestly enjoy it more over a longer period of time.