Buffalo Trace Distillery & North Carolina

[BeAnalog]

Ok, so what the heck is the deal with BTD not properly serving the state of NC? What's the real story? Their product line is so hard to get in this state, why? It's a random crapshoot to get Colonel Taylor, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace and others in the line. Surrounding states have no issues.

 

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[fishnbowljoe]

IIRC, North Carolina is a control state. The state decides the who, what, when, where, why and how of what's available. Therein lies the problem. I'm not 100% sure this is the case, so somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Biba! Joe

[$helby]

I have been told that NCABC and BTD are at odds on the way BTD allocates product as the NCABC does not want to buy quantities all at a specific time so they can control inventory dollars tied up.   True or not I do know for a fact that NCABC holds certain brands like Blanton's in the warehouse and only release it to the county boards once per quarter.   This quarter release just happened and of course most boards have already sold their allotted cases.  They also just released another wave of ER and BT.    To my knowledge NCABC has not carried RHF in the past due to the riff with BTD.    Not 100% sure this is correct but from a very reliable source.   

[Bourserker]

1 hour ago, fishnbowljoe said:

IIRC, North Carolina is a control state. The state decides the who, what, when, where, why and how of what's available. Therein lies the problem. I'm not 100% sure this is the case, so somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Biba! Joe

I think you are probably fairly accurate here.  NC is indeed a control state, and even though I don't know the specifics of how NC operates I would assume it's similar to VA where changes in offerings come slowly. 

 

I have hunted in NC a little as I travel through there periodically, and they have some of the worst selection I have seen in all of my travels, which include most of the East coast, the Midwest and occasionally the West coast.  If you live in NC, SC and VA stores typically have much better selection.

[BeAnalog]

Thanks fo all the feedback. This really sucks.

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[JT3NSB]

its THE worst state for Bourbon connoisseurs! 

[Hop]

Let’s remember that the state and BT are not the deciding party necessarily in what and how much is distributed. At least that’s the system I recall.

The three level system means there is a distributor between the two parties and they decide much of what happens.

That said, I just heard this week that there is a new person in charge of the ABC warehouse in Raleigh and they are making some changes in how things that do make it to the state are distributed to the various cities and counties.

As to RHF the last known distribution was one case to a county in the Eastern part of the state. I learned this when I checked with BT a couple of years ago.


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[tanstaafl2]

Don't know about NC but in some states the state government is the distributor and exercise what is essentially a monopoly. And generally a pretty poorly run one at that.

 

Distributors are bad enough as it is but I typically hear very little that is positive about state controlled liquor distribution.

[elmossle]

6 hours ago, Hop said:

Let’s remember that the state and BT are not the deciding party necessarily in what and how much is distributed. At least that’s the system I recall.

The three level system means there is a distributor between the two parties and they decide much of what happens.

That said, I just heard this week that there is a new person in charge of the ABC warehouse in Raleigh and they are making some changes in how things that do make it to the state are distributed to the various cities and counties.

As to RHF the last known distribution was one case to a county in the Eastern part of the state. I learned this when I checked with BT a couple of years ago.


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All very good points made by Hop. One other item to consider, or at least the way it was explained to me when we lived there; the state ABC makes the distilleries pickup the cost of shipping on the front end. So in a non-control state, X distributor orders 100 cases of Blantons from the BT. BT passes along the cost of shipping to distributor who does the same to stores owners who order Blantons for their shelves. From what I was told, the distilleries have to pick up the initial cost of shipping product to NC. How they get paid for this I do not remember at this time, but I was told this is part of the reason for limited supply in NC of BT products. Fact or fiction, this is what I was told a year or two ago.

 

Bottomline, we all know there is greater demand for BT products all around the country and BT is happy to limit the supply being sent to keep demand elevated.

[kevinbrink]

One of the benefits typically preferring HH, WT & JB to BT is that I rarely get worked up about their shenanigans.

[Canarse]

I have a connection to the NCABC administrator and from what I have heard is there is not a rift between NC and BT.  The allocation amounts of BT whiskeys are just low.  Now, if the NCABC would be willing to buy more of BT's non-whiskey products, I bet there would be more whiskey to go around.  I've heard that can be an issue.  The explanation I have been given is the state holds back the shipments they get from BT until they have enough to send to every county.  That is generally sent on a quarterly basis.  I would start looking for it again in March. 

 

In NC the state controls what liquors come into the state warehouse, but each county controls what they buy from the warehouse and put on the shelf.  There is a HUGE difference between stock from county to county.  Some counties are lazy as hell and don't stock squat.  Others have very aggressive buyers who work hard to get more whiskey on the shelf.  One county I know usually has 3 private barrels a year and they are usually sold out well in advance of their arrival.  I live in Wake County (Raleigh/Cary) and they are generally pretty lazy about what they sell.  The BT stuff arrives and each store seems to handle it in their own manner.  Most give it to their preferred customers. 

 

If you live in NC make sure you check out the ABC stores in other counties while you travel around the state.  Some of the rural counties will surprise you.  Use Google maps to find the ABC Commission in the county you visit.  That is usually their main store and will have the best selections.  Good luck!

[DCFan]

^^^^ Canarse that was very informative. Thanks!

[BeAnalog]

I have a connection to the NCABC administrator and from what I have heard is there is not a rift between NC and BT.  The allocation amounts of BT whiskeys are just low.  Now, if the NCABC would be willing to buy more of BT's non-whiskey products, I bet there would be more whiskey to go around.  I've heard that can be an issue.  The explanation I have been given is the state holds back the shipments they get from BT until they have enough to send to every county.  That is generally sent on a quarterly basis.  I would start looking for it again in March. 
 
In NC the state controls what liquors come into the state warehouse, but each county controls what they buy from the warehouse and put on the shelf.  There is a HUGE difference between stock from county to county.  Some counties are lazy as hell and don't stock squat.  Others have very aggressive buyers who work hard to get more whiskey on the shelf.  One county I know usually has 3 private barrels a year and they are usually sold out well in advance of their arrival.  I live in Wake County (Raleigh/Cary) and they are generally pretty lazy about what they sell.  The BT stuff arrives and each store seems to handle it in their own manner.  Most give it to their preferred customers. 
 
If you live in NC make sure you check out the ABC stores in other counties while you travel around the state.  Some of the rural counties will surprise you.  Use Google maps to find the ABC Commission in the county you visit.  That is usually their main store and will have the best selections.  Good luck!

I'm in Chatham county so I will look outside of that. The three I visit always give me a stupid story. I am a preferred customer too!

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[BDanner]

On 12/22/2017 at 2:03 PM, Canarse said:

I have a connection to the NCABC administrator and from what I have heard is there is not a rift between NC and BT.  The allocation amounts of BT whiskeys are just low.  Now, if the NCABC would be willing to buy more of BT's non-whiskey products, I bet there would be more whiskey to go around.  I've heard that can be an issue.  The explanation I have been given is the state holds back the shipments they get from BT until they have enough to send to every county.  That is generally sent on a quarterly basis.  I would start looking for it again in March. 

 

In NC the state controls what liquors come into the state warehouse, but each county controls what they buy from the warehouse and put on the shelf.  There is a HUGE difference between stock from county to county.  Some counties are lazy as hell and don't stock squat.  Others have very aggressive buyers who work hard to get more whiskey on the shelf.  One county I know usually has 3 private barrels a year and they are usually sold out well in advance of their arrival.  I live in Wake County (Raleigh/Cary) and they are generally pretty lazy about what they sell.  The BT stuff arrives and each store seems to handle it in their own manner.  Most give it to their preferred customers. 

 

If you live in NC make sure you check out the ABC stores in other counties while you travel around the state.  Some of the rural counties will surprise you.  Use Google maps to find the ABC Commission in the county you visit.  That is usually their main store and will have the best selections.  Good luck!

My local (rural county) store recently got a new manager who has decided that he is going to cater to the bourbon aficionados in his area. He actively pursues harder to get stuff, and though he doesn't get everything he asks for I have gotten a crack at some harder to find items. The one good thing about a control state, when you do get it it's at retail. I don't know how other stores do it, but he has a rather lengthy email list that he sends out. If anything makes it past the email folks, it goes on the shelf.

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by BDanner

[BeAnalog]

My local (rural county) store recently got a new manager who has decided that he is going to cater to the bourbon aficionados in his area. He actively pursues harder to get stuff, and though he doesn't get everything he asks for I have gotten a crack at some harder to find items. The one good thing about a control state, when you do get it it's at retail. I don't know how other stores do it, but he has a rather lengthy email list that he sends out. If anything makes it past the email folks, it goes on the shelf.
 
 
 

Where?

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[BDanner]

11 hours ago, BeAnalog said:

Where?

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Brunswick