squire Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Plus, it's not even the same bourbon that once was.That ironic bit is not lost on those of us who appreciate the details but it could be pig swill for all the label conscious care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uofljosh Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 You mean the government f'd up and underestimated something? Did they pass the blame onto another department?In Florida, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is a private company that operates throughout the state.....its not an "ABC store" like in PA or VA or any similar state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uofljosh Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Well, FWIW, ABC in FL recently tried an online sale May 22, offering a very limited number of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 yr for $54.99 & the Family Reserve 13 yr old Rye for $69.99.Of course, it was a complete clusterf*#€k! & the number of buyers predictably froze up the website, so a lot of people came away frustrated & pissed off they didn't get any.They're trying to redo the system for the next offering...SHHHHHH! lol. I actually got lucky and got a bottle of the 15 for $79.99 through their site yesterday. There were only 14 bottles to be had statewide. 23 bottles of the ORVW 10/107. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusto16 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 SHHHHHH! lol. I actually got lucky and got a bottle of the 15 for $79.99 through their site yesterday. There were only 14 bottles to be had statewide. 23 bottles of the ORVW 10/107.Niiiiiccceeee!!!I was busy & completely missed yesterday's notice. Those were the two I really wanted. Oh well, c'est la guerre.Congrats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 My top sekrit honey hole is still holding firm for it's $500 PVW15 $1000+ for PVW23 pricing scheme. I wonder if they'll continue to do this if they haven't sold any of them by the time the next release comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1bomber Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Was in upstate New York somewhere near Lake Saratoga a couple weeks ago and came across this poster on a liquor store's shelf. I was really disappointed they were limited to only one per customer. Not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 "The mid palate features lead pencil" ???? Seriously? Never detected that, that's a new bourbon descriptor for me, can't wait to through that one around LOL!!! Gotta say that was nowhere in the P15 I tried, different strokes I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 That tired old canard was kicking around wine tasting circles for decades and I expected it would eventually show up here. Anyone who tastes pencil shavings in Bourbon has a palate I wouldn't trust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBadley Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 That tired old canard was kicking around wine tasting circles for decades and I expected it would eventually show up here. Anyone who tastes pencil shavings in Bourbon has a palate I wouldn't trust.I detected a bit of Ticonderoga #2 pencil from a freshly opened bottle of 1967 Glen Scotia 27yo. Wonderful stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BootsOnTheGround Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I did a West Coast swing from San Diego up to San Fran in March of this year. Nearly every LQ store I went into besides BevMo or had a PVW20 on the top shelf for $1000, GTS for $500, Michter's 20 for $500, etc. In fact, on Coronado Island, two stores kitty corner to each other (same owner I suspect) both had Michter's 25 yr rye's for $600 each. First time I've ever seen one of those bad boys.Point is: the stuff is everywhere, just probably not where you're looking or at the price you think is "fair." The market doesn't exist to find price fairness, it exists to move thing A to buyer B in an efficient way. ORVW 10 for 10x the SRP seems like a great price when the next guys is asking 12x. Obviously if those bottles don't sell for that much, the market will price them out eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smknjoe Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Why didn't you grab the PVW and GTS since they are at "market" prices?You can pay $1000 for that PVW 20 or go down the street to another retailer who has it priced at $175. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 · Hidden Hidden Throw!!! Damn autospell Link to comment
kcgumbohead Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Throw!!! damn auto-spell"The mid palate features lead pencil" ???? Seriously? Never detected that, that's a new bourbon descriptor for me, can't wait to through that one around LOL!!! Gotta say that was nowhere in the P15 I tried, different strokes I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewj Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) at a local bar (five star hotel, pretty much best bar in town with incredible spirits selection) they sell pvw15 for $150/4cl and pvw20 for $200/4cl pour. apparently they sold 3/4 of the pvw20 to two customers im one night (poured and drunk on the spot)... Edited July 25, 2014 by ewj forgot price per pour for pvw20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicktrav Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 My sister in law was looking for a good whiskey to buy her husband for his bday. She bought him a bottle of ORVW for about $200. Definitely a huge mark-up, but you should have seen the look on his face when he opened it. So I guess it's worth paying the markup in certain cases; if you want to make a splash with a gift, for example. By the way, that was the first I tried ORVW. Found it to be shockingly good. I was expecting good, but not that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebo Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 What the hell does pencil shavings taste like? And, a better question..... how do you know!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Oh I know. Had a bad habit in elementary school of chewing on my pencils. weird I know but it is what it is.Nothing I have tasted since them resembles it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I've decided to adopt the whole "lead pencil shavings" thing for bourbons I don't like. I thought it was odd when I first read it in relation to a PVW15 tasting and its still an odd term for a bourbon characteristic, less odd more just damn funny so I am going to run with it when something strikes me as unpleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooklynBorbone Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My sister in law was looking for a good whiskey to buy her husband for his bday. She bought him a bottle of ORVW for about $200. Definitely a huge mark-up, but you should have seen the look on his face when he opened it. So I guess it's worth paying the markup in certain cases; if you want to make a splash with a gift, for example. By the way, that was the first I tried ORVW. Found it to be shockingly good. I was expecting good, but not that good.People's tastes can be incredibly compromised by price - or even a hint at something being a "great" product, which in my mind what a high price does. It's not just bourbon, but anything else subjective...books, cars, clothing, and even schools. It's very hard to have your mind "forget" what something costs. It's one of the primary reasons I try to never buy VW for above retail, even if it is "market value". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicktrav Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 People's tastes can be incredibly compromised by price - or even a hint at something being a "great" product, which in my mind what a high price does. It's not just bourbon, but anything else subjective...books, cars, clothing, and even schools. It's very hard to have your mind "forget" what something costs. It's one of the primary reasons I try to never buy VW for above retail, even if it is "market value".Totally agree with you. But in the case of a gift I think it's fine to pay above sticker to get someone something special. He certainly wasn't expecting to open something with Van Winkle on the label. That reaction was worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP12 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Totally agree with you. But in the case of a gift I think it's fine to pay above sticker to get someone something special. He certainly wasn't expecting to open something with Van Winkle on the label. That reaction was worth the money.I agree. Paying 2nd market prices, especially as a gift is worth the price if given to someone who can appreciate it. The Van Winkle mystique continues to march on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickbourbon Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I was in a store yesterday I have had luck with in the past finding a few gems and was looking for the 2014 FRLe. I asked the owner if he had any special bourbons and he said he did, as he was opening the door he said he wasn't giving it away anymore. What an understatement not only did he have a few bottles of the 2014 FRLE but a rack full of PVW from 10yr to 23 yr. some Handy etc., I asked what the 15 yr cost was he said $545 he showed me the price list and the 23 yr was $999. A 2013 OFBB he had at $250. I asked what he wanted for the 2014 FRLe and he said he didn't know yet as it just came in he had a 2011 for $120. During the conversation he said this is what it's going for. I said yes on the internet I felt sick to my stomach and didn't care to argue with him. Last winter he said he was going to have a lottery after he moved to his new location but I guess that changed and now he is just going to wait for the very well heeled to come in and sell it at secondary market prices. I didn't bother with the FRLe after that. I could have afforded anything he had but I am not willing to pay what to me is unfair price gouging. I will not name the town or store it was and only want to forget the whole experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) I was in a store yesterday I have had luck with in the past finding a few gems and was looking for the 2014 FRLe. I asked the owner if he had any special bourbons and he said he did, as he was opening the door he said he wasn't giving it away anymore. What an understatement not only did he have a few bottles of the 2014 FRLE but a rack full of PVW from 10yr to 23 yr. some Handy etc., I asked what the 15 yr cost was he said $545 he showed me the price list and the 23 yr was $999. A 2013 OFBB he had at $250. I asked what he wanted for the 2014 FRLe and he said he didn't know yet as it just came in he had a 2011 for $120. During the conversation he said this is what it's going for. I said yes on the internet I felt sick to my stomach and didn't care to argue with him. Last winter he said he was going to have a lottery after he moved to his new location but I guess that changed and now he is just going to wait for the very well heeled to come in and sell it at secondary market prices. I didn't bother with the FRLe after that. I could have afforded anything he had but I am not willing to pay what to me is unfair price gouging. I will not name the town or store it was and only want to forget the whole experience.He never did give it away, even in the old days. He got his retail markup selling at MSRP.I probably wouldn't have come up with this on the spot, but I wish I could say to a guy like this "I know exactly what you mean - I'm not giving away my business anymore. There are sellers who will sell me BTAC at MSRP, and that's who I spend all year round with. That's the state of retail these days - that's what gets the good customers. I spent about 6K in the last year on liquor, but I couldn't ever spend a dime in a place with a policy like this. Nice collection though"tbt Edited August 16, 2014 by The Black Tot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewj Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 two weeks ago I sold a bottle each of orvw10/90proof, lot b, pvw15 & pvw20 for a total of $2130 to a retailer I knew would be able to resell them again with a remarkable premium (apparently they sold the pvw20 a few minutes after I left the store for an unbelieveable price).for me it was a very nice deal though because I would've only drunk the pvw15 for the price and I don't care much for the others.I can only speak for Europe, but here secondary market prices are CRAZY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 When this kind of thing happend to concert tickets, I stopped going to large concerts for the last 15 years.If whiskey gets so out of balance that I need to pay prices like that for bottles, then I've probably already got enough to wait another 15yrs.That, or I'll distill my bloody own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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