5 Tips for Securing Allocated Bottles

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I started my whiskey journey interested in the history of bourbon. At the time, I cared more for the historical value of bourbon than the way it tasted. To me, there was something special about knowing that bourbon was America’s only native spirit that compelled me to learn as much as could about its legacy, its production, and finally its taste.

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Once I learned how much went into crafting each bottle, I began enjoying the nuanced flavors of various brands and mash-bills, appreciating the techniques, the time spent, and the labor of love that producing bourbon requires.

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Like many other bourbon enthusiasts, I was not content with only trying a couple; I wanted to try them all– and so, my insane obsession with collecting bottles began. Quickly though, I realized that no matter how much effort I put into it, some bottles were just impossible to find. These “allocated” bourbons were as elusive as Big Foot, and the more difficult they were to find, the more I doubted they even existed.

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Eventually I realized a process of certain techniques to gain access to some of the unicorns out there, and in an effort to help our readers enjoy some of their dream bottles as well, I wanted to share my 5 Tips for Securing Allocated Bottles.

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Tip #1 – Build Relationships

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The bourbon community is more accepting than you’d expect. While there are always going to be a few gatekeeping bad apples in every fandom, you’ll find that the majority of bourbon collectors love to help newbies, enjoy giving advice, and even like to share their good stuff.

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Making friends and building relationships with other collectors can be an easy way to come across some hard to find bottles, but even better than that, the friendships made are more valuable than any dusty old whiskey you’ll add to your shelf. I’d even go so far as saying that I’ve enjoyed the conversations with other bourbon enthusiasts more than the actual drinking of bourbon.

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So, while there are whiskey benefits to making friends in the bourbon community, the best part is the friendship itself.

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Tip #2 – Support Local

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Your best access to allocated bottles are your local liquor store. While location, size of the store, and the management themselves will cause their access to rare bottles to vary, your support of a local business day-in and day-out can set you up with some pretty cool opportunities to buy items that never make their way to the shelf.

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It is important to note though that not all local stores are created equally. Some will take advantage of customers with insane price-gouging, while others simply have no interest in helping bourbon collector’s find unicorns. You’ll actually come across a good many stores that I would suggest you stay as far away from as possible– however, in the midst of the slime, you will find some real honey holes where the management treat their customers right and reward loyalty.

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So, find a great store and support the hell out of them whether they have allocated products or not, and eventually, once you’ve made it clear that you are a regular who cares about their business, they’ll be more than willing to call you when a Pappy finds its way to the store.

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“I needed special gift for an important donor and Jake pulled out a Weller 12 Year from the back, and helped me make one hell of an impression. All the years spent supporting his store was well worth it in that moment .” – GBS Member

Tip #3 – Join the Gamecock Bourbon Society

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Joining a bourbon club like the Gamecock Bourbon Society can help you access allocated bottles in a number of ways. First, GBS has regular events that showcase allocated bottles for tastings. If you’ve wanted an opportunity to try bottles you’ve never seen before in real life, events like these can help you! Second, GBS offers allocated bottle giveaways frequently. We have been blessed with connections to some rare bourbons, and instead of hoarding them, we like to give those away at events, on social media, and in other fun ways! Lastly, the GBS community has a proven track record of helping one another find hidden gems. I personally have had members hook me up with bottles I simply could not find (Woodford Double Double Oaked, Jos. Magnus Cigar Blend, Elijah Craig 18, Midwinter Night’s Dram, Van Winkle Lot B, and 1792 Port Finish) and I, in turn, have the done the same for dozens.

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In addition to these ways, when we launch our upcoming premium membership option, The High Proof Club, participants will automatically be entered into monthly allocated giveaways, get first access to barrel picks, and even have an opportunity to join our tasting panel to help us select barrel picks (including some great allocated ones)!

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The truth is, GBS members love helping others, so joining a community like ours is a great way to get access to bottles you can only dream of.

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Tip #4 – Don’t Pay Secondary Pricing

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This is something I wanted to address and encourage you to stay away from. While it can be tempting to drop a large sum of cash on a bottle just because it is sitting on a shelf ready to be bought, doing so can actually hurt your chances of finding rare bottles at a decent price in the future.

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I want to be clear, I’m a person who supports people doing whatever they want with their own money, but there is a reason that I am firmly against supporting businesses and individuals who charge ridiculous amounts over MSRP. In my opinion, every time we as consumers overpay for our bourbon, it encourages price-gougers to continue taking advantage of us. Instead, if we could stay strong, buy at as close to retail as possible, and show loyalty to the retailers who are doing things the right way, we could break the cycle and potentially all have access to better pricing.

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Tip #5 – Travel Often and Enter Lotteries

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One of the best parts of bourbon collecting is the thrill of the hunt. Nothing is more rewarding than choosing a random hole-in-the-wall store to visit while on vacation, and then, when your expectations are incredibly low, happening upon a unicorn in the wild. If you have experienced this before, it is enough of an adrenaline rush to keep you stopping at every store you pass. And if you are someone who primarily shops at stores within one city or town, taking the time to travel to the next city over, or even across a state line, can prove to be rather effective.

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In addition to traveling, and all the other tips listed here, if you are still having trouble finding the ELITE BOURBONS out there, most big chain stores (and some states like NC and VA) do ABC Lotteries. This allows customers to enter their name free of charge in hopes that it will be randomly selected at a pre-determined time. If your name is called, you will then have a choice of several highly allocated bourbons and the opportunity to buy it at retail pricing.

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Either Way, Don’t Forget…

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Who you drink with is more important than what you drink. Allocated bourbons can be fun to find, but never sacrifice great friendships just to taste a whiskey that is more than likely overpriced.