wrbriggs Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 I was trying to special order some Van Winkle rye through my state liquor board. Their distributor said that the Van Winkle distillery told them that the 13 yr old rye was no longer available.Is this true? Are they not bottling the VWFRR any more? If that's true, it would be very disappointing. If it's not true, I'd like to know why I've been told this.Anyone know any more about this?Thanks,Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 Van Winkle Rye is now highly allocated. As we make Julian's whiskies available throughout the U.S., there is less product going into the older, better established markets, however, we are able to introduce more folks around the country to these nice products.That being said, I tried the Binny's website and they are out of it. I know that www.internetwines.com has it in stock.Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgonano Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 I believe Julian tanked his (much older than) 13 yr rye and is only bottling limited amounts of it over the coming years until new product reaches maturity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted December 28, 2004 Author Share Posted December 28, 2004 I know that www.internetwines.com has it in stock.Ken It looks like there is some special process I can follow to legally order liquor from out-of-state, but I'm having trouble getting the details from the state liquor board. I would be willing to pay the premium that internetwines charges if it meant a chance to try the VWFRR.On a happier note, I should be getting my bottle of Sazerac Rye from my NH friend soon. They also are supposedly getting some Stagg in, but are pointing the finger at Sazerac for "forgetting" to ship them the Stagg. My wager is that they guessed when it would be available, and now that it's a month off, they want to blame someone else.My aging grandparents gave all their grandchildren a nice Christmas check this year, and I'm planning to allocate some of it to 2-3 bottles of Stagg once it finally arrives up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 ...They also are supposedly getting some Stagg in, but are pointing the finger at Sazerac for "forgetting" to ship them the Stagg.Guess they figure you won't know (or else, they don't know -- which is perhaps more likely) that the shippers of Sazerac and Stagg are one and the same -- Buffalo Trace. Sazerac, Stagg and Eagle Rare 17yo all come off the same bottling line -- which several of us watched happen on Buffalo Trace's distillery camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted December 28, 2004 Author Share Posted December 28, 2004 Guess they figure you won't know (or else, they don't know -- which is perhaps more likely) that the shippers of Sazerac and Stagg are one and the same -- Buffalo Trace. Sazerac, Stagg and Eagle Rare 17yo all come off the same bottling line -- which several of us watched happen on Buffalo Trace's distillery camera.Well, I think the parent company of Buffalo Trace is called "The Sazerac Company" out of New Orleans. That's who they're pointing the finger at.Regardless, they think they'll have some Stagg in 3-4 weeks. Then I'll be taking a road trip down to West Lebanon, NH to pick up a few bottles for myself. I can't wait to try it, after all the hype I've heard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cas Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 I've been unable to get the Van Winkle Rye here in SC since sometime last spring. Though Sazerac, Stagg, and Eagle Rare have been readily available for about 2 months now.Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 When we produced the Antique Collection, all of our distributors (and bailment warehouses) were advised that an allocation had been determined for each state and that if orders were not entered and shipped by the end of October, their allocation would be shared with other distributors who had acted in a timely fashion. Control states don't always move very fast under normal circumstances and no amount of encouragement will get that to change. I know that we are out of stock here at the distillery. For the state to say that some is coming in a few weeks causes me to wonder where they are getting it.Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvanwinkle Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 We re-allocate to each state in July, so if any rye is to be available, look for it in July or August each year.Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted January 14, 2005 Author Share Posted January 14, 2005 Ken, I'm not sure where they got it, but I just received confirmation that NH just got in 3 cases of Stagg. I'm purchasing 2 bottles from a case of 3, and my friend who lives in NH and is picking this up is buying the 3rd bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 What! You're leaving two cases for others?! You'll be sooorrry. Seriously, if you're coming to the Sampler or Festival, it makes great trading stock because it's so hard to find (as you've discovered) in so many places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted January 14, 2005 Author Share Posted January 14, 2005 If I had the $$, I'd be getting more. I just don't have the cash for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voigtman Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 Well, I ordered some Stagg 2004 last month and just got the e-mail telling me it was in! So, count one of those three bottle cases as gone, unless they screw up! Ah, NH is a control state, but they are VERY good folks! Ed V. (who has yet to try Stagg 2004 because it doesn't spread out of Kentucky very fast. At all! Did I mention how g*dda&^ed slow it is sent out of Kentucky?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musher Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 You might have to blame the distributor serving your state for that one. The meager amount sent to Minnesota arrived in mid-October, and we're no closer to KY than is Massachusetts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voigtman Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Got my case of George T. Stagg from NH today! $42.99 per bottle. THANK YOU, NH! THANK YOU, Buffalo Trace! I know NH is a control state, but they are great: the folks in the stores are helpful, and they followed through on my special order request for Stagg. I have not opened a bottle yet, but I'm truly stunned, and I'll explain why later! Cheers, Ed V. wrbriggs, please PM me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Is Van Winkle still shipping to the Australian Distributor? Last time I spoke to them they had some 13yo Rye & 20yo Pappy, but weren't sure if they'd be getting more.They also mentioned they'd picked up the Antique collection in previous years, but not recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvanwinkle Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 We just shipped some 12-year and 15-year Pappy to Burwood Cellars in Melbourne.They may have some 20-year in stock also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Thanks for the update Julian... I'll be talking to them soon as I need to place an order for some ORVW Rye 13yo and Pappy 15yo (which just went to the top of the list ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voigtman Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 OK, so now it can be told: the case of Stagg I got last Friday in NH was Stagg 2002! That is what wrbriggs got also and another SB.comer, WEG3, who helped me get Stagg 2003 last year, got that last case of Stagg 2002 today! And he lives in the blizzard part of MA (out here in western MA, we got maybe 15 inches of snow, max). So, who knows where those cases of Stagg 2002 were for more than two years, but, like I said in another thread, distribution out of Kentucky is painfully SLOW! Maybe there is another poor Stagg 2002 herd awaiting rescue operations! Cheers, Ed V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 While I won't have the bottles in-hand until Wednesday, my friend who picked it up (and is getting 1 bottle from the case) confirms that it is 138 proof, 2002 Stagg. Really, really bizarre. But I won't complain. I guess if I'm going to have my first bottle of Stagg, it might as well be from the first bottling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Really, really bizarre. But I won't complain. I guess if I'm going to have my first bottle of Stagg, it might as well be from the first bottling. Bizarre and yet, strangely, not. One hobby practiced by some bourbonians is to search around in liquor stores (old, urban, mom-and-pop stores are the best) for old bottles from discontinued distilleries that have sat on the shelf for 20 years or more. I, myself, found three bottles of Old Taylor, with tax stamps intact indicating a 1972 distillation (the last year Old Taylor operated), at a liquor store right around the corner from me, in 1993 or thereabouts.And let me also take this opportunity to congratulate you on your good fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voigtman Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 So who knows how much Stagg might be caught up in eddy currents in the distribution stream? This is great: Stagg 2002, 2003 and 2004 might still be available, but there is no way of knowing without hunting it down. Win-win situation ... Ed V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 I wonder if NH could get in more Stagg if we asked nicely... their distributor could have more, and they might have only ordered 3 cases due to perceived low demand I think I will email Kathleen from the state liquor board and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voigtman Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Boy, you are great! This is absolutely what is needed! Cheers, Ed V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrbriggs Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 Done, and done. She's usually very prompt about returning emails, so I assume I'll hear at least a "No" or an "I'm working on it" tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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