Van Winkle Allocated Program at LCBO

Is this the famed Pappy van Winkle? It's listed as 45% online. Is it worth getting when you can et a slightly younger Booker's for cheaper at >60%?

My bias is that I tried a pappy at SOT and it was not as good as the others I had.

There's something to be said for quiet confidence, but creating more competition during an allocation is definitely a bold move.

In 2015 those are both excellent prices. (take a look at wine-searcher.com) If you don't want them, someone else will. I can barely remember the last time I walked into a US liquor store and saw any Van Winkle on the shelf. They don't sit on shelves.

The 12 yo is at 45.2%. In most batches it is a very delicate bourbon, but lovely. When you become familiar with the 12 yo 'Lot B' you learn to know within yourself when it is the proper mood to drink it.

Unless the LCBO is selling very old stock the 10 yo Old Rip Van Winkle is at 53.5% abv, and has tons of flavour. In 2015 $ 85 Canadian = $ 60 US is a steal for Van Winkle 10 yo. Even at a 30% higher price than what you are being offered the price is very good, and the Van Winkle 10 yo is the best buy for money among the Van Winkles.

@Victor, you are correct. The 10 YO Van Winkle is 107 proof. The LCBO has made an error.

Errors are common at LCBO as they do not pay attention to detail when providing product information. There are too many examples to mention; one of my favourites is there description of Canadian Club 20 YO. They describe it as an 8 YO Sherry Cask.

I've tossed my name in the hat for some bottles of this stuff. I struck out with the BTAC lottery, so hoping my luck is better with this one. Will let you folks know if I "win" any.

@mscottydunc

remember if you win.. a problem shared is a problem halved. A joy shared is a joy DOUBLED.

SO if you win...share the joy!

@Nozinan No worries, Ill be willing to share if I do happen to get any :)

Well, how did everyone do? I struck out....

@Nozinan, My friend got lucky and got a bottle of the 10 year old. We will be opening this when we meet in Las Vegas in September.

@DevD

Will you be drinking the whole bottle? because once it's open...what happens in Vegas...

@Nozinan Put in for 12 bottles (6 of each), got zero. I'm done with these lotteries. Until they start releasing the quantities of what they are getting, I don't trust the system in the least.

I struck out as well on the Pappy lottery. I also struck out on the BTAC lottery too. Some day....some day. it's a hell of a system.

Whisky/Bourbon lotteries are here to stay as long as the "Whisky Bubble" remains. They now also include EHT, Weller 12, and ETL. Single malt wise, a few years back Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 went on lottery in the UK. The "rare stuff", even in Canada has gone in this direct. It's ushered in new opportunities for the flippers, trade baiters, and collectors. That's a separate rant for a different thread.

The most recent lottery in Ontario, Canada. My result zero for zero.

• notice the MSRP prices from four years

In 2010-2012 I put away all the bottles of Van Winkle and BTAC I could get. Starting in 2012, when those started to dry up I put away all the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof I could get. Now, if I lived in Canada, I would be putting away all of the Lot 40 CS, Dissertation, Wiser's 35 etc. i could get. I fully expect that within 2-5 years that getting the Canadian high end will be just like getting BTAC is now.

Just because you can get it now doesn't mean that you will be able to get it the next time you want it. Whiskey was very much "out" when I started storing it away. If you wait until something is "in" and fully appreciated, then you have waited too long. It will no longer be available.

@Victor

My sentiments exactly. I squirrelled away a few bottles of Dissertation, Legacy, and some of the older FC special releases before I really appreciated them to their fullest. I’ glad I did because all of those are no longer in production and for the most part unobtainable.

Th problem with the current batch of NBC spirits is that there are a number of varieties, all are more expensive than they used to be, and some are priced way out of my range.

Also, they’re hard to get at any price. I’m lucky I have a couple of each year’s Lot 40 CS release, my favourite of the NBCs. I didn’t get to try this year’s yet, but I am willing to get as many as I can untasted, as long as the price hasn’t risen again.

I know my grandchildren will cherish them when I’m gone...

@fiddich1980 I also went o-fer...

@fiddich1980, I went oh-fer on Elmer T Lee, but I did get one bottle of WL Weller 12 YO, my first in almost 5 years. I should pull the trigger on that, now.

@fiddich1980 My personal record of 0 bottles allotted remains intact. However, some family members were allotted a couple of ETL's and will turn them over to me.

I also have an unbroken oh-fer record in the LCBO lotteries but I haven't been entering them as long as you folks. I was hoping to get an ETL, I got a sample from a friend recently and enjoyed it quite a bit, a nice bourbon for when you don't want the intensity of cask strength. I personally think I should just bunker down a bunch of Stagg Jr. as it's consistently my favorite BT product and was quite accessible at SAQ last year, hopefully that doesn't change.