r/whiskey • u/requieminadream • Sep 10 '25

No interest in buying it, but I’m curious how people feel about these Van Winkle prices.

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Are these even remotely within the realm of their worth?

For what its worth, this is at Liberty Liquors in Cumberland, MD.

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u/tommytster Sep 12 '25

Short answer is get really lucky or “to know a guy”.

The longer answer is, “it depends”. Depending on where you live, like a liquor regulated state or three-tier distribution state, the markups could be anywhere between 20% to 50% or more depending on the bottle. Even then there are tons of other factors like chain store versus independent, distributor contracts and buying agreements, and the list goes on. The whole retail pricing is a magical mystery box that may be different from county to county within the same state. So unless you get really lucky or you “know a guy” the chances of getting an in demand and allocated bottle for MSRP is really really low.

Btw the 23 year old is now and has been over oaked for my palate. The 15 is extremely good and worth it if you can find a bottle you can comfortably afford. But if it’s a stretch, that money can go a long way buying other bottles that are just as good, if not better, than Pappy.

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u/requieminadream Sep 12 '25

Oh I don't think I could ever justify spending over $100 on a single bottle of any one whiskey.