Current Van Winkle Prices 2013/2014

[petrel800]

Re: Empire Wine

That has been on their website for a while. You'll note the following on that page: Shelf Locator: nest-no sale

I was there a couple of weeks ago and didn't see it in the nest (back area behind the cashiers - way up top).

They had plenty of other whiskeys that I hadn't seen before, so it's a pretty cool store if you're in the Albany area.

It says that its in their temperature controlled warehouse. I read it to mean, "if you're crazy enough to pay $799 for a bottle of Pappy, we'll happily front the $300-400 it would take to get a bottle on the secondary market and sell it to you for $799."

[garbanzobean]

Email the VanWinkle's from their site. They will tell you what retail should be. According to the VW's the 2013 release that you see people asking crazy prices for was still at a MSRP of about:

ORVW 10/107 $40

Lot B $50

PVW 15 $80

PVW 20 $130

PVW 23 $180? Not sure about that one, but it's very close to $200

VWFRR $70 or so.

I get a little sad inside when I find myself complementing a local store for ONLY marking the 10/107 up to $69. On the upside, instead of marking up the price to obscene levels or only selling to preferred customers, they spent the whole winter doling the BTAC/VW lineup out onto the shelves one at a time at random days of the month. The markup stings a little, but at least they are spreading out their allotment to keep things fun.

At any rate, the prices I posted awhile back are still valid for one store in the area, and they appear to have not moved a single bottle of the stuff. I wonder if that will change over the summer?

Edited April 6, 2014 by garbanzobean

[tigerlam92]

One store did it as an Eastern Egg hunt with a bottle every month.

[nd2005]

I get a little sad inside when I find myself complementing a local store for ONLY marking the 10/107 up to $69. On the upside, instead of marking up the price to obscene levels or only selling to preferred customers, they spent the whole winter doling the BTAC/VW lineup out onto the shelves one at a time at random days of the month. The markup stings a little, but at least they are spreading out their allotment to keep things fun.

At any rate, the prices I posted awhile back are still valid for one store in the area, and they appear to have not moved a single bottle of the stuff. I wonder if that will change over the summer?

Clever way to keep the foot traffic up, I suppose

[mbroo5880i]

Yeah, both are interesting ways to increase traffic in the store. While we would all like to be able to walk in and pick one up off the shelf for MSRP, those days are gone.

[tylermke]

Clever way to keep the foot traffic up, I suppose

[mosugoji64]

Went to a store yesterday and saw the entire VW lineup, along with some other things, in a glass case. I put the beer I was buying on the counter and asked how much they were changing. The guy said that the stuff in the case was his and not for sale. In that second I thought, "What a jackass, " and got ready to leave without buying the beer. He proceeded to tell me that they are opening a restaurant and whenever he gets something limited he puts one aside in the case for the restaurant. I thought that wasn't so bad and asked how much they changed for the ones he sold, specifically the 10 and 15. He said they solid the 10 for around $30 and the 15 was around $60. At that point I shook the guy's hand and told him I appreciated that he wasn't gouging his customers. He showed me some other things that arrived recently and offered to put me on the list for future releases. We'll see if anything comes of it, but I'm happy to have found a place that doesn't appear to be interesting in fleecing its customers.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Rajesh]

Re: Empire Wine

That has been on their website for a while. You'll note the following on that page: Shelf Locator: nest-no sale

I was there a couple of weeks ago and didn't see it in the nest (back area behind the cashiers - way up top).

They had plenty of other whiskeys that I hadn't seen before, so it's a pretty cool store if you're in the Albany area.

I agree - this is a good store - the location actually seems to have been updated to reflect the "nest" - it earlier was listed as 'in our temperature controlled warehouse'...not sure how much they have in stock anymore...

They definitely have a good selection of whiskeys...

[DBM]

Just frequented an upscale steakhouse that is advertising a "featured" Buffalo Trace bourbon menu. They offer 2oz pours of the PVW23 year for $100, which at first glance seems outrageous, but that means the entire 24oz bottle can be purchased (and consumed) for $1,200... noticeably less than I've seen it sold for on the secondary market.

Really makes me wonder when the hype and the inflated prices are going to crash, or at least drop.

It's too bad Diageo didn't market the Orphan Barrel series in a completely different direction and try to establish a competitive ultra-high-extravagent-premium brand against PVW with advertising in every mens magazine, late night TV channel and paid blog site. The main thing keeping PVW flying high is the lack of competition, and Diageo could have invested and benefited in on a brand/label for the long term, not the weird one-off names they currently have.

[squire]

The main thing keeping Pappy 23 flying high is limited production.

[dcbt]

It's simple supply and demand. You can do everything you want to increase demand, but the other half of that equation (supply) has a large say in the resulting price too.

[Eric B]

I remember the days when I could pull a bottle of 20 of the shelf... We knew it was good whiskey but no celebrities had talked about it yet. I am amused at the lengths people will go to get it now. I won't pay more than $30 or $40 for a bottle of bourbon. There are too many great offerings from private barrel offerings. Weller Antique 7 year, Elijah Craig 12 year single barrel un-chill filtered, Henry McKenna 10 year single barrel un-chill filtered and of course the Four Roses Barrel Strenght un-chill filtered. Sadly the Four Roses offerings are priced outside of my comfort zone.

[gblick]

It's simple supply and demand. You can do everything you want to increase demand, but the other half of that equation (supply) has a large say in the resulting price too.

Well, there is only a finite supply of Stitzel-Weller bourbon to supply the releases of Pappy Van Winkle....oh wait, they don't use Stitzel-Weller anymore, nevermind..

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I remember the days when I could pull a bottle of 20 of the shelf... We knew it was good whiskey but no celebrities had talked about it yet. I am amused at the lengths people will go to get it now. I won't pay more than $30 or $40 for a bottle of bourbon. There are too many great offerings from private barrel offerings. Weller Antique 7 year, Elijah Craig 12 year single barrel un-chill filtered, Henry McKenna 10 year single barrel un-chill filtered and of course the Four Roses Barrel Strenght un-chill filtered. Sadly the Four Roses offerings are priced outside of my comfort zone.

When were you buying 20 year for $30-40?

[Eric B]

I was buying the 12 year. I stocked the 20 and 15 year on the shelf. I've never purchased a bottle of 15 or 20 for myself. I stated I could, not that I did.

[The Black Tot]

Didn't I read somewhere where if a store is reported to the ORVW/BT to be price-gouging on the PVW/BTAC, that they are supposed to take action constricting their allotments?

tbt

[squire]

The distributor, maybe, but after the distiller has sold the product it's gone from their control.

Of course I have no way of determining what other influences may be wielded by the maker of a highly desirable product. Or if they even want to reign in dealers whose price pumping increases the mystique.

[Eric B]

I have a feeling Pappy and other rare offerings will become even more scarce for the price gougers.

[The Black Tot]

The distributor, maybe, but after the distiller has sold the product it's gone from their control.

Of course I have no way of determining what other influences may be wielded by the maker of a highly desirable product. Or if they even want to reign in dealers whose price pumping increases the mystique.

Upon reflection, you're right. I suppose this is one of the many disadvantages of the three-tier system. A distributor who has a store that is moving lots of product is not likely to give said store stick about how it conducts its margins.

All we can do is vote with our dollars as consumers, I suppose. I'm learning a lot very quickly. I'm going to work very hard to go out of my way to frequent the stores that don't inflate pricing. I've already started some retail relationships, and I've also already seen a few stores, some of which are famous and come recommended, who seem to have gone to the dark side, holding out for silly prices. Toddy's in Bardstown, for example, wanted $150 for a Barterhouse last month. I've already spent more than $500 there in the last year, but I think that moment killed Toddy's for me (I didn't buy it, of course).

It's a good question what the VWs think about the pricing, although I think were I them, I'd speak out against the gouging. On the one hand, I see that when your bottle is selling for 700+, there's a mystique. On the other hand, it's a pretty bad experience for the fan base to have to watch people dangling these bottles in front of them for these amounts, when there's none to be had at proper pricing.

I would have to think the VWs would be happier with their product selling out fast at fair prices, and to have the mystique be that the bourbon is amazing value and very difficult to get. I don't see how the flippers could be seen as anything but a negative experience for the fan base - and as the product's producer, that can't be desirable to the VWs. I think they'd like to see it reigned in.

tbt

[The Black Tot]

I have a feeling Pappy and other rare offerings will become even more scarce for the price gougers.

Is this a moderately-to-well-informed feeling? I hope so! It would certainly be cool :cool:

[Eric B]

Upon reflection, you're right. I suppose this is one of the many disadvantages of the three-tier system. A distributor who has a store that is moving lots of product is not likely to give said store stick about how it conducts its margins.

All we can do is vote with our dollars as consumers, I suppose. I'm learning a lot very quickly. I'm going to work very hard to go out of my way to frequent the stores that don't inflate pricing. I've already started some retail relationships, and I've also already seen a few stores, some of which are famous and come recommended, who seem to have gone to the dark side, holding out for silly prices. Toddy's in Bardstown, for example, wanted $150 for a Barterhouse last month. I've already spent more than $500 there in the last year, but I think that moment killed Toddy's for me (I didn't buy it, of course).

It's a good question what the VWs think about the pricing, although I think were I them, I'd speak out against the gouging. On the one hand, I see that when your bottle is selling for 700+, there's a mystique. On the other hand, it's a pretty bad experience for the fan base to have to watch people dangling these bottles in front of them for these amounts, when there's none to be had at proper pricing.

I would have to think the VWs would be happier with their product selling out fast at fair prices, and to have the mystique be that the bourbon is amazing value and very difficult to get. I don't see how the flippers could be seen as anything but a negative experience for the fan base - and as the product's producer, that can't be desirable to the VWs. I think they'd like to see it reigned in.

tbt

$150 for Barterhouse is about double what it should be. I don't like seeing the gouging. However, there are a lot of people complaining about gouging at the retail level who are selling these rare bottles in the secondary market at ridiculous prices. I guess some retailers want a piece of that action!

[Eric B]

Is this a moderately-to-well-informed feeling? I hope so! It would certainly be cool :cool:

Let's call it an experienced opinion!

[The Black Tot]

Let's call it an experienced opinion!

I like that. Sounds good!

[The Black Tot]

$150 for Barterhouse is about double what it should be. I don't like seeing the gouging. However, there are a lot of people complaining about gouging at the retail level who are selling these rare bottles in the secondary market at ridiculous prices. I guess some retailers want a piece of that action!

Yes I know. I've got mine bunkered at $75-79. Even Liquor World wanted 110.

I understand the desire to get in on the action. But it's short-sighted. In that case, the $75 markup is certainly going to cost them more than $75 in margins with my first boycott next month. I'm sure they don't need my business, but it's too bad - I liked the store. I even enjoyed the aggressive sarcasm.

Don't mean to derail the thread - but price gouging is price gouging.

tbt

[squire]

Yes and my gouge acceptance threshold is very, very low.