The post 2023 NC ABC Allocated Bourbon Lotteries appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>Given the influx of traffic here, I know people are interested in the schedule of allocated bourbon lotteries for 2023. Unfortunately, no such “official” schedule exists. Each local county/ABC board handles the distribution of allocated products as they best see fit for their stores, community, and customers. While some of these boards elect to use a lottery system to distribute these products, others use preferred customer lists, and some offer them on the shelf for a first-come, first-serve basis. Sometimes a board will make a big announcement for a release, and there will be a…. party… in the parking lot.
Durham ABC Lottery Is Wrapping Up
Durham ABC has been running their lottery, and announced that they’d finish making calls to winners the week of January 9th.
Wake County ABC Lottery
Wake County has finally opened their entries for their lottery for 2023 releases (despite it being early 2024 already. Entry is open until Valentine’s day, and winners will be announced no later than February 19th. The Wake County ABC Bourbon Lottery is open to Wake County residents only. For more information and regular updates, visit the Wake County ABC website or follow their socials on Facebook.
Entrants will be able to select their priority order of available bourbons offered in the lottery. Here’s the full list:
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23Y | $399.95 |
| OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON | $169.95 |
| VAN WINKLE FAMILY RES RYE 13Y | $169.95 |
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 15YR | $169.95 |
| MAKER’S MARK CELLAR AGED | $149.95 |
| BLANTON’S STRAIGHT FROM THE BARREL | $149.95 |
| WOODFORD RESERVE MASTER COLLECTION | $149.95 |
| OLD FITZGERALD BIB 10Y | $139.95 |
| THOMAS H. HANDY | $124.95 |
| WILLIAM LARUE WELLER | $124.95 |
| GEORGE T. STAGG | $124.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD | $119.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD BOURBON | $119.95 |
| VAN WINKLE SPL RESERVE 12YR | $109.95 |
| OLD RIP VAN WINKLE 10Y | $99.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SINGLE BARREL BOURBON | $79.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. BARREL PROOF BOURBON | $77.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL | $69.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $64.95 |
| WELLER FULL PROOF | $55.95 |
| WELLER CYPB | $55.95 |
| WELLER ANTIQUE 107 | $55.95 |
| STAGG JR (BTB) | $54.95 |
| STAGG BOURBON | $54.95 |
| WELLER SINGLE BARREL | $53.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SMALL BATCH | $49.95 |
| 1792 FULL PROOF | $47.95 |
| WELLER 12Y | $47.95 |
| ELMER T. LEE SINGLE BARREL | $44.95 |
| WELLER SPECIAL RESERVE | $33.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $32.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON WHISKEY | $32.95 |
Again, www.nc-whiskey.com is not affiliated with the North Carolina ABC or Wake County board.
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NC ABC Bourbon Lottery FAQ
Who can enter North Carolina ABC whiskey lotteries?
As for the lotteries, some of these may be offered to county/local residents only (this is how Wake County has handled the process in recent years), while others are open to anyone and everyone. Of course, all entrants to lotteries must be over the age of 21. Most lotteries will be open for one entry per person, though some may limit to one per household. Again, this is all handled at the local level, not by the state.
How do I enter an ABC bourbon lottery?
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, entry methods are also handled, of course, by the local ABC board or individual stores. In past years, many counties like Wake, Durham, and Mecklenburg offer an online entry form. Others, like Gibsonville, require an in-person entry. Other lotteries work on a same-day event, where you must come be present, get a number, and hope yours gets called. If you’re curious how to enter lotteries with your local ABC board, ask employees at a local shop.
When is the next allocated bourbon lottery?
Typically, the “big” lotteries happen closer to the holiday season. Many of the major allocated releases like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and Van Winkle releases come out in the mid to late fall, so ABC boards wait for their full allocation to come in before hosting their lottery.
Sometimes, however, boards may do more periodic lotteries. They may not be as chock-full of the ultra-rarities, but they might contain Stagg, Weller, Old Fitzgerald, or other similar-tier products. Again, check with your local ABC store to see how they handle the distribution of these products, and when they might be hosting a lottery. Some ABC boards will have email lists of their own.
If I get wind of new lotteries around the state, I’ll try to keep a running list of them here on this page. Bookmark this page, or sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear something.
Usually we get information about the following ABC lotteries, but if you hear of something missing, please share!
- 2023 Wake County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Durham County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Orange County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Cumberland County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Greensboro ABC Lottery
- 2023 Pitt County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Mecklenburg ABC County
- 2023 Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Lottery
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]]>The post Wake County ABC Introduces Product Search appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>The wait is over: Wake County ABC has finally announced a product search feature on their website. This feature operates similarly to the ABC product searches that are offered by both Durham County and Mecklenburg County.
A great augmentation tool to the NC ABC Stock Status, which only provides periodic details at the State-wide level, the Wake County ABC product search allows customers to search for specific brands of whiskey, bourbon, tequila, or any other product. Results will include which stores have the product in stock, and the quantity.
Is The Wake County Product Search Feature Up-To-Date?
According to their website, this new search function on WakeABC.com is update twice daily. We have been unable to confirm if this is updated at the same time for all stores, or day-to-day. They offer a caveat that items that appear in stock online may not actually be in stock when you get to the store. This could be due to delays in the inventory reporting or other complications.
It’s also worth knowing that most stores reserve the right to distribute rare whiskey and bourbon in various ways. Some will put things on the shelf immediately, others will keep them behind the counter. It also may be true that a store will ring in their inventory before putting the stock out. This doesn’t mean they’re “hiding” anything in back, they just have a process.
Remember to always be patient with employees at your local ABC stores. The best way to find good whiskey is to foster great relationships with the people who keep it!
How To Find Rare Whiskey and Bourbon in Wake County, NC
This new feature from the Wake County ABC Board is a great way to help you track down good whiskey, though it will likely mean a mad rush to stores when the ‘tater bottles come in stock. Most really rare whiskey will likely still be released in the annual holiday lottery (sign up for our newsletter and we’ll let you know when we hear something).
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]]>Have a tip or info on a bourbon lottery? Leave a comment at the bottom of this page or send an email to lotteries@nc-whiskey.com.
Bookmark this page, follow us on Instagram (@ncwhiskey), or sign up for our newsletter if you’d like to receive updates.
2022 Durham County ABC Whiskey Lottery
Durham’s allocated bourbon lottery was officially announced on October 13th and registration is officially open. As of now, it sounds like Durham is still waiting to receive their final allotment of allocated bourbons, so no list of available whiskeys has been posted. The current announcement does not seem to limit who can enter the lottery, other than by age.
The Durham County ABC board is limiting the lottery to one entry per person, but anyone 21+ can enter. No date has been given for the final drawing, but winners will be called and asked to select their bottles (more info on this to come). To find a link to the registration, view the official announcement. We’ll post more info as it becomes available.
2022 Wake County ABC Bourbon Lottery
Wake County has finally announced that they’ve received all their allocated bottles, and entry to this winter’s lottery is now open. This lottery is open to residents of Wake County, exclusively, and you’ll have to prove your residency with a valid NC ID when you go to purchase your bottle (if you win).
Entries to the Wake County Allocated Bourbon lottery are open from now (December 8th, 2022) through January 3rd 2023. See the Wake ABC website for entry details.
The list of bottles available in the lottery are:
- Blood Oath (P7 and P8)
- Colonel EH Taylor
- Single Barrel
- Small Batch
- Elijah Craig 18 Year
- Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
- Eagle Rare 17 Year
- George T. Stagg
- Thomas Handy
- William Larue Weller
- Sazerac Rye BTAC is mysteriously missing from the list.
- All The Pappy
- 10 Year
- 12 Year
- 13 YEar Rye
- 15 Year
- 23 Year
- Stagg Jr.
- Weller Lineup
- Weller 12
- Antique 107
- Weller CYPB
- Weller Special Reserve Barrel Pick
- Woodford Reserve Master Collection
- Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
- Old Forester Single Barrel Pick
- Michter’s Toasted (presumably the barrel strength)
- Old Fitzgerald
- Heaven Hill Heritage
- Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
2022 Orange County ABC Lottery
The Orange County ABC website indicates that their specialty lottery will take place in December, right on schedule. The registration page indicates that they taking entries all year round, but that window will close on October 31st. Entries are open to anyone over the age of 21. See more details here.
2022 Greensboro ABC Bourbon Lottery
Greensboro has also announced their 2022 allocated bourbon lottery, with registration opening on Saturday, October 15th 2022 and remaining open until the 15th of November. The Greensboro ABC board is open exclusively to Guilford County residents 21 years old and up. One entry per person, but multiple entries are allowed to household.
More details on the lottery rules and registration are available through the Greensboro ABC Website.
2022 Mecklenburg County ABC Whiskey Lottery
Details of the 2022 Meck ABC Lottery are still TBD.
2022 Cumberland ABC Lottery
No real details yet, but the Cumberland ABC website does have this cryptic webpage up: https://www.cumberlandabc.com/lotteries
Shop Bourbon and Whiskey Online
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]]>The post NC ABC Stock – July 2022 Roundup appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>| Date Found | Name | Size | NC Retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-30 | Heaven’s Door Single Barrel (BTB) | .75L | 59.95 |
| 2022-07-28 | Old Elk Rum Cask Finish Rye Single Barrel | .75L | 99.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Family Res Wheat Bourbon (BTB) | .75L | 66.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Family Res Rye Whiskey (BTB) | .75L | 66.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Family Res Bourbon (BTB) | .75L | 66.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey Sm Batch BIB | .75L | 53.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Bourbon Sm Batch BIB | .75L | 53.95 |
| 2022-07-25 | Wilderness Trail Wheated Bourbon Sm Batch BIB | .75L | 56.95 |
| 2022-07-15 | George Remus Single Barrel (BTB) | .75L | 64.95 |
| 2022-07-08 | Yellowstone Limited Edition 2022 | .75L | 124.95 |
| 2022-07-07 | WhistlePig 18Y Double Malt | .75L | 400.7 |
The Summary
July was a relatively quiet month as we await the start of the fall release season, but there were some awesome finds. Yellowstone Limited Edition 2022 finally got keyed into the warehouse, and that stock has already started to land in ABC store across the state. We’re also seeing a slate of Wilderness Trail Bourbon finally being distributed to North Carolina. Wilderness Trail has a great reputation across the country, so make sure to grab a bottle if you see one.
WhistlePig 18 Year Double Malt is a high-end bourbon with a $400 price tag. WhistlePig is known for their age-stated premium bourbons, and I suppose if you have the cash burning a whole in your pocket you could try it.
Our Favorite Whiskeys
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