Availability

[Matthew]

How do people know when buffalo trace products reach a specific pa liquor store.  It’s is very discouraging going there at noon and eagle rare, blantons and the bt handles are gone.  Also they do not have OGD 114 in pa anymore?   

[PhantomLamb]

We have OGD114 for special order on the FWGS website.  Regarding Buffalo Trace, it's a crapshoot and is hit or miss, no science to it IMO.

[fishnbowljoe]

Being a control state, I’m not quite sure how things play out in liquor stores in PA. Below are some things that I know or have heard of elsewhere. I don’t know if any of them really pertain to PA stores, but I’d guess that some version of these shenanigans go on there.
 

There are dozens if not hundreds of bourbon groups across the country. Most are probably decent groups, but others appear to be a bit unscrupulous. (FWIW, I’ve posted most of the following before.) People in some of these groups know the whys, when’s and wherefores of the bourbon world, and use it to their advantage. I’d say it’s a pretty good bet that some of these groups have members that are privy to inside information regarding stores and/or distributors. Other groups have members that have scouted out stores and have a pretty good idea of when and where certain products normally show up. Some even have people that stop at stores on their breaks or days off and report on products that show up at stores. I read on one site where a guy stopped at a store and spotted something out of the norm. He posted his find and wondered if he should notify “the other guys”. I’m not quite sure what that meant unless there was a sub-group or two groups in play. 
 

There are also stores where the managers cater to certain groups or people. I mentioned in another thread that products do go out the front door, but in a back door manner. I know for a fact this happens. I saw it firsthand recently when I was able to basically shame a store manager into selling me a bottle of Blanton’s from the back room. This happened after I saw him talking to another customer (whom he afterward pretended not to know) that had a couple of bottles from the “back room”.  He’d told me before that he tries to keep the limited release items in the back room for his good customers. I’m not quite sure how I fit in at this store anymore. I’ve spent a bit of money there, and myself and some friends have generously supported his charity tastings in the past. Maybe I’m a good customer, but not quite good enough. Being a good customer and developing a relationship with a store owner or manager helps some. Still, in some instances it seems that when push comes to shove, a normal customer can be left on the outside looking in. Another example would be something that was posted about here a while back by another member. A liquor store groups entire Pappy/BTAC allocation was seemingly sold to a single person or group.
 

Underhanded employees can also be a problem. There’s a store that I stop at occasionally. A while back when I stopped there, I realized that one employee that was usually there had been absent on my last couple of visits. When I asked about the employee, I was told that person now worked elsewhere. Another person said that the rumor was that certain customers seemed to only come in on the managers days off. They would only deal with the above mentioned employee and get “preferential” treatment, so to speak. My guess is that it was noticed that limited edition items, both from on the shelf and from the back room, seemed to sell more when this employee was working on the managers day off. 
 

I know this is some crazy stuff. Sadly, there’s probably more and worse going on out there.
 

Biba! Joe

[RobWayne]

It is hit or miss with BT and Blanton's.  I have been told that Wednesdays are their delivery days so check every Wed. Also, at my store, BT is usually behind the checkout counter so check there first.  My issue is with the on-line lotteries and special release sales.  Virtually impossible to get on the FWGS website when the email goes out and by the time I'm on, everything is sold out.  Was able to get Stagg Jr. in my cart, but site timed out and was not able to complete my purchase and lost out. Good thing is the state doesn't gouge you, but usually impossible to get as their website can't handle the traffic.  Good Luck!

[Jazzhead]

I try to just see it as a hunt, conducted on terms I find enjoyable.   LEs from the major distilleries don't really interest me;  there is so much more out there.   Today I was in Collingswood NJ and found a local packie that made an earnest effort to appeal to someone like me. 

 

Not a BT product in sight but I could care less.  Knob Creek and Stellum single barrels and a host of odd stuff.   I ended up with a Leopold Bros BIB,  5 years old and with a bit more barley than rye in the mashbill.   Should be fun to try.

 

Availability?   There's plenty out there.  

[RobWayne]

Agreed, there is a lot out there and more $$ doesn't always mean better.  Although I have participated in the FWGS Limited Release lotteries hoping to land a big one!  Fingers crossed for the Pappy releases!

[fishnbowljoe]

The availability of ER was brought up in another thread. New member @MissMohawk  asked for suggestions for her next bottle. ER was the winner. Some comments were made including one from @PaulO. I thought I’d post my observations here.
 

It’s been tough finding ER here in my area too, although I did luck into a couple of bottles lately. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time for both. The first bottle was at a Schnuck’s grocery store. We usually don’t shop there, but when we do, I always check out the liquor department. Last time there, I spotted one lone bottle of ER on the shelf. The other bottle I found was at another store we don’t shop at all that often. There was a tag on the shelf for it, but none were there. I asked an employee about it. That person seemed to be caught completely off guard. “According to the inventory on our site we have some. Uhhh wait a minute, maybe not. Hmmm, I dunno, let me check. (makes phone call) Mmmm, It looks like it hasn’t been put out yet. Maybe you better check with customer service.” Turns out there were a couple of bottles in a cage in an open hallway/storage area behind the customer service counter. The customer service person was nice, and was slightly surprised that they were stored there. FWIW, I got the distinct impression that the first employee I talked to was covering for a manager or other employee. Also and again FWIW, I’ve heard that this store chain may have come under scrutiny regarding their questionable liquor practices in another area.  It seems that some of us consumers don’t have much of a real chance at getting a bottle of bourbon at a decent price because of distributor antics, tater stores, questionable practices by managers, and seemingly less than honest employees. Of course I could  just go out and get a bottle of ER tomorrow for $119.99. Yeah, y’all know that ain’t happenin’.

 

Biba! Joe