What's Your Luckiest/Best Liquor Store Find?

[bourbonfoot]

Go check out the old "Show Your Stash" threads from yesteryear. There are many Van Winkle bottles, and other brands, that you have probably never heard of.

Thanks for the heads up. I check it out fairly frequently, but might not pick up on some of these rarer selections. Unfortunately in VA we never get the store selections, but MD isn't too far. That thread and this one are two of my favorite on the board. I dream about the day I'd be able to find something on the shelves like the pic in your avatar :cool:.

[BSS]

Yeah back around 2001 & 2002 & 2003 it was nothing to see Weller 19, ER 17, Stagg, and Sazarac Antique Collection sitting on the shelf months at $40-50. Pappy 20 hanging out for months, rolling your eyes when you would see Hirsch 16 priced at $55 with multiple bottles to be had. Cases of Old Rip 15 for like $35 a bottle thinking it was expensive.

It seemed like around 2002-03 the Hirsch 20 could no longer be found and people went crazy over it. Then around 2005 people started going nuts over the Hirsch 16. And about that time the Van Winkle products really started to gain popularity.......and now we're where we are today......feeling lucky to find a Lot B. Back then I Looked VW Lot b the same way I looked at Woodford, Makers, or any other $30 bottle.

I sound like my dad talking about those Mickey Mantle baseball cards he had back in the 50's.

Edited January 19, 2014 by BSS

[squire]

We turn into our Fathers and our sons become us.

[mbroo5880i]

We turn into our Fathers and our sons become us.

[PaulO]

My impression after reading a lot of posts is; stores in Indiana tend to have a relatively quick turn around time on their inventory. Given that, dusties of anything decent are rare indeed. Anyway, one day I walk into a little store with peeling paint on the outside, and potholes in the parking lot. I look at the Old Charters and there is one with a black label. So, I scored a bottle of Old Charter "Classic" 12 year old 90 proof. Also, a generous fellow SBer tipped me off to where some Old Forester BIB was. I came home with three handles, each with a different label design from different years. I opened the least oldest right after I got home, and it was good!

[WsmataU]

Hmmmm. Between those two bottles I would have been the proverbial dog w two bones turning in circles until I dropped dead.

It was an easy choice for me because I don't really care for rye. In fact, my buddy asked m if I regretted buying it immediately afterword, because it cost $90 (which was pretty ridiculous back then) and I agreed. It all worked out in the end and now I wish I had multiples.

[Restaurant man]

Louisville centennial x2 @ $24.99. Wish I could relive that day over and over #groundhogday #jizzedinmypants

[WsmataU]

Louisville centennial x2 @ $24.99. Wish I could relive that day over and over

The question was when. 10 years ago that could be done every day of the week.

[Jazzhead]

Luckiest day I ever had was about nine years ago in South Jersey when I was driving down the White Horse Pike and went into an little old veteran of a liquor store. I saw a couple of bottles on the shelf with tax stamps! A couple of Wild Turkey Ryes, distilled in Maryland, one of which is unopened to this day. The other one, as long ago memory served, was like liquid dry chocolate.

Anyway, I was gushing with enthusiasm to the clerk at the counter, who was a little Indian lady who with her husband had just bought the place from a guy who had owned it since the heyday of folks making trips down the shore, before the expressway bypassed the old road. I remember we struck up a nice conversation.

Anyway, she let me in the back storeroom, and the fruits of that afternoon still form the core of my bourbon bunker. I still have two Old Forester Bonded dimple bottles, two bottles of 101 Russell's Reserve, a Ten High Ten, a couple of late eighties Evan Williams single arrels, an Old Taylor from the original distillery, an Old Fitz Bottled in Bond from the Stitz Weller days, and an Old Crow 86 proof ceramic crow in top hat and tails! And that's just the stuff that's still left!

Edited January 19, 2014 by Jazzhead

[OldKentucky]

Found 3 bottles of Black Maple Hill with the red label at a liquor store next door to a trailer park.

Found 1 bottle of ORVW 10/107 at a tiny liquor store that was part of a gas station.

[PaulO]

When I was a child, my uncle had one of those Old Crow decanters up on a high shelf.

[jeffrey r]

Luckiest day I ever had was about nine years ago in South Jersey when I was driving down the White Horse Pike and went into an little old veteran of a liquor store.

Yes, and people in NJ are still talking about that dark day, 9 years ago, that Jazzhead made his way down the White Horse Pike... .

[Grain Belt]

A few years ago I was staying with my family at a hotel in Sioux Falls, SD. I went out to grab a six pack of beer to relax with at the hotel. I went to a little Ma and Pa store in a strip mall and as always just walked by the whiskey section. I found a PVW15 for $41 and an EWSB 2000 bottling for $15. An Asian couple had just bought the place and the stock. The funny thing to me about the buy is I did not really have the funds at the time for a $40 bottle of whiskey but knew I must purchase it.

[higgins]

A few weeks ago I went to a liquor store to pick up some Baby Saz, which I saw on their online inventory. When I got there it was nowhere to be seen on the shelves, so I asked the guy behind the counter if they still had any "Sazerac Rye". He said sure, and picked up a bottle of 2013 Handy from underneath the counter for me. Apparently it was unclaimed from their allocation, and they hadn't gotten around to putting it on the shelf yet.

[dmarkle]

OK. This is difficult for me to disclose. But I won't disclose dates, names, prices or places... This really happened.

So I go into my favorite store to get my name on a PVW 20 list. I give my name and phone number to the person at the counter the person takes me into the back to fill out a form. "How many bottles do you want?" I'm thinking if I'm lucky I'll get one.

"Two please, if I can have them." (Thinking I'll share with my buddy who I go whiskeyhunting with, if I am so lucky)

"Sure."

Months pass. The phone rings. My bottles! (With an "s"!) have arrived. I get into the car and high-tail it to the store.

I arrive, thinking I am going to be led to the back. Nope. There, on the shelf, individually labeled, with prices on the shelf are 12 (twelve!) bottles of PVW 20. I pick up my two and say to the person at the counter, "you know, if you're holding these for people, you should really have these in the back."

"Oh, we don't really hold them for anyone, we just put them out and let people know when they're here. Anyone can buy them at any time."

**squeeeee**

I call my whiskeyhunting buddy. "Hey JOHN (not his name), um how many bottles do you want?" After spending minutes to reassure him that he can just call out the number, he says, "four". I up my count to 4, and buy 8. The price is also amazing, I might add. I check out, and am visibly shaking. I make it to the car with my eight bottles, thinking I have done somewhat of a good deed by leaving 4 for others to get, but that somehow I am going to be called out. I drive away.

I drive for 10 minutes. Then I see my phone ring. It's the store. I'm horrified. I know by my personal code of honor and shaky belief in Karma that I will have to go back -- I don't want anyone to get in trouble.

I let them leave a message.

I listen to the message.

It's the store.

They want to let me know that if I am interested in the last 4, I get a case discount. I turn back.

Again, still shaking, they process the RETURN for the 8 bottles, then ring up all 12, this time, with the case discount.

I have since been told of the legend of my purchase by other stores in other places. Local lore has it that a "man came by and swept up the stock to flip it". I have also heard stories of a mysterious gentleman from a local bar coming by and sweeping up the stock in one fell swoop and selling it at a high markup. I don't say that it was me, and, in fact, that NONE of the bottles whatsoever have been flipped or in any way made it to the secondary market.

My friends and I have been drinking very well ever since.

[dmarkle]

OK. This is difficult for me to disclose. But I won't disclose dates, names, prices or places... This really happened..

So I go into my favorite store to get my name on a PVW 20 list. I give my name and phone number to the person at the counter the person takes me into the back to fill out a form. "How many bottles do you want?" I'm thinking if I'm lucky I'll get one.

"Two please, if I can have them." (Thinking I'll share with my buddy who I go whiskeyhunting with, if I am so lucky).

"Sure."

Months pass. The phone rings. My bottles! (With an "s"!) have arrived. I get into the car and high-tail it to the store.

I arrive, thinking I am going to be led to the back. Nope. There, on the shelf, individually labeled, with prices on the shelf are 12 (twelve!) bottles of PVW 20. I pick up my two and say to the person at the counter, "you know, if you're holding these for people, you should really have these in the back."

"Oh, we don't really hold them for anyone, we just put them out and let people know when they're here. Anyone can buy them at any time."

**squeeeee**

I call my whiskeyhunting buddy. "Hey JOHN (not his name), um how many bottles do you want?" After spending minutes to reassure him that he can just call out the number, he says, "four". I up my count to 4, and buy 8. The price is also amazing, I might add. I check out, and am visibly shaking. I make it to the car with my eight bottles, thinking I have done somewhat of a good deed by leaving 4 for others to get, but that somehow I am going to be called out. I drive away.

I drive for 10 minutes. Then I see my phone ring. It's the store. I'm horrified. I know by my personal code of honor and shaky belief in Karma that I will have to go back -- I don't want anyone to get in trouble.

I let them leave a message.

I listen to the message.

It's the store.

They want to let me know that if I am interested in the last 4, I get a case discount. I turn back.

Again, still shaking, they process the RETURN for the 8 bottles, then ring up all 12, this time, with the case discount.

I have since been told of the legend of my purchase by other stores in other places. Local lore has it that a "man came by and swept up the stock to flip it". I have also heard stories of a mysterious gentleman from a local bar coming by and sweeping up the stock in one fell swoop and selling it at a high markup. I don't say that it was me, and, in fact, that NONE of the bottles whatsoever have been flipped or in any way made it to the secondary market.

My friends and I have been drinking very well ever since.

[smokinjoe]

OK. This is difficult for me to disclose. But I won't disclose dates, names, prices or places... This really happened..

[bin31z]

Funny thing is...3-4 years ago...the same stores that have raffles or Winkle now just had them sitting on the shelves. But yeah, my theory is that somewhere out there...pappy is still to this day sitting on shelves in area where no one knows any better.

OK. This is difficult for me to disclose. But I won't disclose dates, names, prices or places... This really happened..

So I go into my favorite store to get my name on a PVW 20 list. I give my name and phone number to the person at the counter the person takes me into the back to fill out a form. "How many bottles do you want?" I'm thinking if I'm lucky I'll get one.

"Two please, if I can have them." (Thinking I'll share with my buddy who I go whiskeyhunting with, if I am so lucky).

"Sure."

Months pass. The phone rings. My bottles! (With an "s"!) have arrived. I get into the car and high-tail it to the store.

I arrive, thinking I am going to be led to the back. Nope. There, on the shelf, individually labeled, with prices on the shelf are 12 (twelve!) bottles of PVW 20. I pick up my two and say to the person at the counter, "you know, if you're holding these for people, you should really have these in the back."

"Oh, we don't really hold them for anyone, we just put them out and let people know when they're here. Anyone can buy them at any time."

**squeeeee**

I call my whiskeyhunting buddy. "Hey JOHN (not his name), um how many bottles do you want?" After spending minutes to reassure him that he can just call out the number, he says, "four". I up my count to 4, and buy 8. The price is also amazing, I might add. I check out, and am visibly shaking. I make it to the car with my eight bottles, thinking I have done somewhat of a good deed by leaving 4 for others to get, but that somehow I am going to be called out. I drive away.

I drive for 10 minutes. Then I see my phone ring. It's the store. I'm horrified. I know by my personal code of honor and shaky belief in Karma that I will have to go back -- I don't want anyone to get in trouble.

I let them leave a message.

I listen to the message.

It's the store.

They want to let me know that if I am interested in the last 4, I get a case discount. I turn back.

Again, still shaking, they process the RETURN for the 8 bottles, then ring up all 12, this time, with the case discount.

I have since been told of the legend of my purchase by other stores in other places. Local lore has it that a "man came by and swept up the stock to flip it". I have also heard stories of a mysterious gentleman from a local bar coming by and sweeping up the stock in one fell swoop and selling it at a high markup. I don't say that it was me, and, in fact, that NONE of the bottles whatsoever have been flipped or in any way made it to the secondary market.

My friends and I have been drinking very well ever since.

[bin31z]

On this forum and in some circles, finding collectible bourbons is like finding the true cross. But in reality, there are alot of people out there that don't know or know or care what pappy is. Like many have posted, alot of older liquor stores of tons of dusties sitting around on shelves. I was just at a store that had 4-5 bottles of Port Charlottle PC5 on their shelf at retail of $150. That whiskey is selling in the UK sells for 1000 pounds per for bottle at auction, that's about 1500 dollars. Just the luck of the draw.

Are you the same guy from the small mid-western college that had the 4 hot and horny coeds across the hall who all showed up naked at your door during Fall Break your Junior year, and begged you to...

With your intro, I thought you were going to repost a Penthouse Forum letter...

[dmarkle]

Are you the same guy from the small mid-western college that had the 4 hot and horny coeds across the hall who all showed up naked at your door during Fall Break your Junior year, and begged you to...

With your intro, I thought you were going to repost a Penthouse Forum letter...

[393foureyedfox]

Well there was that one time I got the invite to that University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's happy hour...

[bin31z]

I just glanced at your post and misread it as "Pennsylvania Nursing Home" for some reason...that gave me a chuckle...

Well there was that one time I got the invite to that University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's happy hour...

[dcbt]

Every time I stop in a new store, I do the same routine: check the shelves, then the display, and finally chat with the manager. Usually while I'm at the display phase, an employee or manager will ask if they can help me. I'll go through my schpiel about looking for some hidden gems, and when I mentioned Pappy or BTAC I get one of two responses. Either they start launching into a condescending, "Oh, you can't get that" before I cut them off, or they just stare blankly at me having obviously never even heard of these. (Which is exactly why I'm there and hopeful to find a hidden gem I suppose.) But one store owner recently, after looking at me blankly, did offer something "new and nice" he just got in. He then pointed to Larceny. Oye.

So it's just like all of your stories. Except totally the opposite.

[smokinjoe]

...and when I mentioned Pappy or BTAC I get one of two responses. Either they start launching into a condescending, "Oh, you can't get that" before I cut them off, or they just stare blankly at me having obviously never even heard of these.

I like when if they give you the second option, they follow-up with, "I can order it for you. If I order it today, it will deliver to me on the Thursday truck!"

[Restaurant man]

The question was when. 10 years ago that could be done every day of the week.