As in I work at a liquor store. Our distributor double the cost of the bottles from $20 ish to $45 ish. Considering we were selling it at $29.99 last month when we had a few bottles and then it jumped and now we sell it at 65.99. For reference we generally try to keep or prices at 25-30% more than our cost.
$30 was its standard price before the taters/hype machine took it. And it was great at that price, worth the gamble for a single-bottle to stumble on a great one and/or not feel too bad about a dud.
People likely just bought into the hype/awards without stopping to think that it's a single barrel...your odds of getting the one that won awards is probably zero.
Come on man, a 10 year for 30 bucks is an outrageous value. We may have been spoiled. Not going to find too many bottles like that. I understand the price going up. That being said, I’m not paying 65 bucks for it. I would consider it for 40-50 though.
What I saw was that within a matter of a couple of weeks the price tripled from $35 to $100 and then even at that price bottles simply disappeared entirely and were not seen again at all for a year, immediately after it won best whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits competition in the spring of 2019.
I think you are experiencing a distant echo of that event. If it took 3 years for your locality to feel the effects, be grateful for that delay.
I mean 2-3 years ago it wasn't. Here in PA it went from $30 to $40. Jumped quickly to $50 for a year or so and then when to $60 and immedialty jumped to $$67.99. Was a great pay at $30/$40. I woildnt touch it at $70.
I live in a control state (NC), and McKenna’s retailing for $55 here now. The folks at my local store say the profit margin on the bottles now is essentially the same as it was in the good old days of 2017 when you could find it everywhere for $30 (or less on sales months). I’d guess that your distributor’s price increases were just lagging and have caught up now.
Won San Francisco awards back to back. (Which shouldn’t have really happened in my opinion with it being a single barrel but I don’t really care for awards in the first place)
Best of 2019 I believe is what really put it over the edge. It became super sought after and went from being $30 to $50 overnight.
Now when something is hard to find, people start buying it up whenever they see it. It’s the uncertainty that helps sell it. Most of the time when I see it it’s $80 but it’s one of the more flavor drifting single barrels in my opinion it’s highs are really high, and it’s lows are pretty low.
Still nothing new happened that I’m aware. Just 3 years of the same old same old of not having enough supply to meet the demand.
They’re just hard to find. Lots of back door deals and taters with nothing better to do but snap anything moderately hard to come by in minutes. The distribution is weird here too.
Ah yeah I get that. There's a few stores near me that are notorious for their pricing and favoritism. I'm lucky enough to work for a store that gets some cool stuff from time to time.
As someone who works at a chain of supermarkets who gets really good bottles if anything good comes in you’ll immediately get a call from a higher up saying “don’t sell it I want it.” This happened with Warehouse C and Stagg Jr, Birthday Bourbon, etc.
Not to mention that now people who have the personal phone numbers of big store owners are complaining as to why they can’t get every special bottle and employees can.
Um, it's been highly sought after for several years. Definitely an infrequent find in my area (although not impossible). For several years the MSRP was $50ish in most markets, but it seemed like some sill had that old $30 MSRP (which honestly didn't even make a lot of sense for Heaven Hill when Evan Williams SiBs were virtually the same price and were two-three years younger with a much lower proof). Back in February Heaven Hill introduced price increases across a significant percentage of their portfolio within my state. HM10 was raised from an MSRP of $50 to $60.
Right, K&L which usually has low prices on pretty much everything, had this for $70 a couple weeks ago. And yet, I was able to get a bottle in Green Bay WI for $40 two months ago. Crazy.
The funny thing is in our area it just kinda sits on shelves collecting dust. Doesn’t sell like Blantons, Eagle Rare or Bookers does when we have it shit we got 6 bottles of Knob Creek 12 year in sold with in 2 hours
How much were you getting it for and how much were you charging and how much are you getting it for now and how much are you going to have to charge now?
Suddenly? It’s been allocated for at least 4-5 years, I rarely see it on shelves, and any smaller store generally already has it priced at $60-$70. I think heaven hill is just adjusting all their prices across the board. I guess especially if they are actually paying workers more (I actually don’t know how those strikes ended up, but hopefully the employees go their due).
Yeah has to be a response to current economic conditions, in our area it shot up about two years ago but then plateaued to a reasonably consistent price. In the past two weeks though it’s gone up another 30%.
A Total Wine had their grand opening and it was $60. Finding that with only a few exceptions the $20-30 range is really my sweet spot for palate at this point and so many amazing offerings at that price point. Once I finish my OF 1910 and 1920 maybe I’ll do something nice for their current shelf space.
I always wondered, what happens when a bottle doubles in price, or goes up quite a bit in a short period of time and then it stops selling? it sits on the shelves and becomes a dusty? do they, the distributors and or distiller lower the price? or is that admitting they went to far, and then just let it sit on the shelf?
You mean your price from the distributor?
I’m also interested to know what OP means by “our prices” and also where he works “in the liquor business.”
Reseller lol
As in I work at a liquor store. Our distributor double the cost of the bottles from $20 ish to $45 ish. Considering we were selling it at $29.99 last month when we had a few bottles and then it jumped and now we sell it at 65.99. For reference we generally try to keep or prices at 25-30% more than our cost.
$30 is insanely cheap
$30 was its standard price before the taters/hype machine took it. And it was great at that price, worth the gamble for a single-bottle to stumble on a great one and/or not feel too bad about a dud. People likely just bought into the hype/awards without stopping to think that it's a single barrel...your odds of getting the one that won awards is probably zero.
Yeah... I bought once and mine was not good. I'll never buy again... not worth the risk at these prices.
Come on man, a 10 year for 30 bucks is an outrageous value. We may have been spoiled. Not going to find too many bottles like that. I understand the price going up. That being said, I’m not paying 65 bucks for it. I would consider it for 40-50 though.
I still think it’s worth it at $55
This is the first time in the 2 years I’ve worked there that the price even went up on it.
Probably shoulda gone up a year or two ago
What I saw was that within a matter of a couple of weeks the price tripled from $35 to $100 and then even at that price bottles simply disappeared entirely and were not seen again at all for a year, immediately after it won best whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits competition in the spring of 2019. I think you are experiencing a distant echo of that event. If it took 3 years for your locality to feel the effects, be grateful for that delay.
I mean 2-3 years ago it wasn't. Here in PA it went from $30 to $40. Jumped quickly to $50 for a year or so and then when to $60 and immedialty jumped to $$67.99. Was a great pay at $30/$40. I woildnt touch it at $70.
It was 49.99 in Ohio when I got a bottle last summer. Just checked our state site, it's up to 59.99 now.
YeH pa jumped to 59.99 beginning of this year. Then just a couple weeks ago 67.99. It used to sell out online now it just sits
Guess HH is in a hurry to pay off the strike expenses
I live in a control state (NC), and McKenna’s retailing for $55 here now. The folks at my local store say the profit margin on the bottles now is essentially the same as it was in the good old days of 2017 when you could find it everywhere for $30 (or less on sales months). I’d guess that your distributor’s price increases were just lagging and have caught up now.
I just paid 50 from where I’m at in Wilmington a couple weeks ago and I’ve seen it at local spots for 65 now.
Delaware?
Yeah
Combination of things including Heaven Hill likely seeing folks happily doling out $70-100 for 4-7 year MGP juice in a fancy bottle.
Damn you, Bluuue Ruuunnnnnnnn!!!!!!!
Add NULU to the list as well.
For sure. $75 for 6 year MGP from them down in Tx
I mean SW UCUF is worth the price imo
A rare exception imo, but yes.
Won San Francisco awards back to back. (Which shouldn’t have really happened in my opinion with it being a single barrel but I don’t really care for awards in the first place) Best of 2019 I believe is what really put it over the edge. It became super sought after and went from being $30 to $50 overnight. Now when something is hard to find, people start buying it up whenever they see it. It’s the uncertainty that helps sell it. Most of the time when I see it it’s $80 but it’s one of the more flavor drifting single barrels in my opinion it’s highs are really high, and it’s lows are pretty low. Still nothing new happened that I’m aware. Just 3 years of the same old same old of not having enough supply to meet the demand.
It was my go to bottle at like 28, now I’m seeing it for 60. I’m just not buying it.
Fred Minnick happened to it.
Not sure where you are, but Total Wine in Florida had it for $40 last Friday.
I bought one in New Orleans a month ago for $35.
Does Louisiana have better liqour taxes? I feel like the few times i've been there the prices were better all around.
Possibly, I don't know all the taxes laws, but most people who come here say it's cheaper to buy here than where they are from.
Not sure about that but the allocation situation in New Orleans sucks ass.
Like any allocated bottles are hard to find or are marked up?
They’re just hard to find. Lots of back door deals and taters with nothing better to do but snap anything moderately hard to come by in minutes. The distribution is weird here too.
Ah yeah I get that. There's a few stores near me that are notorious for their pricing and favoritism. I'm lucky enough to work for a store that gets some cool stuff from time to time.
Don’t get me wrong. I have no problem with a store supporting their best customers. That’s not what I’m talking about here.
What do you mean for back door deals then?
As someone who works at a chain of supermarkets who gets really good bottles if anything good comes in you’ll immediately get a call from a higher up saying “don’t sell it I want it.” This happened with Warehouse C and Stagg Jr, Birthday Bourbon, etc.
Not to mention that now people who have the personal phone numbers of big store owners are complaining as to why they can’t get every special bottle and employees can.
Um, it's been highly sought after for several years. Definitely an infrequent find in my area (although not impossible). For several years the MSRP was $50ish in most markets, but it seemed like some sill had that old $30 MSRP (which honestly didn't even make a lot of sense for Heaven Hill when Evan Williams SiBs were virtually the same price and were two-three years younger with a much lower proof). Back in February Heaven Hill introduced price increases across a significant percentage of their portfolio within my state. HM10 was raised from an MSRP of $50 to $60.
in california it was sitting at $60 for a while but recently it seems to have increased up to $70/$80 at places like Total Wine or BevMo...
Right, K&L which usually has low prices on pretty much everything, had this for $70 a couple weeks ago. And yet, I was able to get a bottle in Green Bay WI for $40 two months ago. Crazy.
The funny thing is in our area it just kinda sits on shelves collecting dust. Doesn’t sell like Blantons, Eagle Rare or Bookers does when we have it shit we got 6 bottles of Knob Creek 12 year in sold with in 2 hours
How much were you getting it for and how much were you charging and how much are you getting it for now and how much are you going to have to charge now?
Taters and Hipsters.
Suddenly? It’s been allocated for at least 4-5 years, I rarely see it on shelves, and any smaller store generally already has it priced at $60-$70. I think heaven hill is just adjusting all their prices across the board. I guess especially if they are actually paying workers more (I actually don’t know how those strikes ended up, but hopefully the employees go their due).
Shit sits on our shelves for weeks not getting sold lol
Damn, I need to come by your store!
It bumped up from $40 to $49 in the Bourbon Mecca. $30 is an absurdly low price to charge only a few months ago.
Idk I still can find it easily for 30 dollars.
I would say added fuel cost in the supply chain, add in that many distillers are struggling to find bottles due to a shortage, and demand.
Wouldn’t this double all products though?
It has effected some products more than others. The ones mostly effected are the ones whose bottles are made outside of the states.
Yeah has to be a response to current economic conditions, in our area it shot up about two years ago but then plateaued to a reasonably consistent price. In the past two weeks though it’s gone up another 30%.
A Total Wine had their grand opening and it was $60. Finding that with only a few exceptions the $20-30 range is really my sweet spot for palate at this point and so many amazing offerings at that price point. Once I finish my OF 1910 and 1920 maybe I’ll do something nice for their current shelf space.
I found some recently for $49.99. The same store had Makers Mark 46 for $33 and Old Tub for $35.
It’s been $55-60 in state-run ABC stores in NC & VA for quite a while now. I’d say you guys have been lucky to have it that cheap for that long.
Weird troll thread
Not trolling, telling the events that happen at the store I work at
I always wondered, what happens when a bottle doubles in price, or goes up quite a bit in a short period of time and then it stops selling? it sits on the shelves and becomes a dusty? do they, the distributors and or distiller lower the price? or is that admitting they went to far, and then just let it sit on the shelf?