HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) announced it will hold a lottery to allow registrants the chance to buy 1,208 bottles of rare whiskeys.
Interested residents and licensees have until 5 p.m. on Jan. 28 to opt in for one or more of the drawings. To register and/or opt in, visit the Limited-Release Lottery web page at FWGS.com.
The whiskeys available for purchase are produced by Pappy Van Winkle’s grandson, using recipes dating back four generations, and are among the most sought after in the world, according to the PLCB.
Since 2002, the Van Winkle bourbons have been produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery, enabling the Old Rip Van Winkle distillery the ability to increase production while still ensuring strict standards for quality.
Wine Enthusiast magazine and the World Spirits Championship have rated the 20-year-old bourbon 99 out of 100.
Separate drawings will be conducted for each of the limited-release whiskeys, and lottery participants may opt in to one, several, or all drawings, the PLCB said.
The right to purchase is limited to one bottle per participant for the lottery.
If a participant wins the right to purchase a bottle in a drawing within this lottery, they will be removed from subsequent drawings in the lottery, according to the PLCB.
Because these incredibly popular bourbons are aged for at least 10 years, annual production numbers cannot meet the current demand for these products, the PLCB said.
According to the distillery, this year’s Van Winkle allocation features significantly fewer bottles of the 10-, 12-, and 15-year-old products than in previous years due to lower than anticipated barrel yields.
There is no 2021 release of the Van Winkle Family Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey 13-Year-Old. Quantities of the 20- and 23-year-old products are up slightly, according to the PLCB.
Drawings will be held, in the following order, to award the right to purchase individual bottles as follows:
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 23-Year-Old 95 Proof, $399.99 each – 31 bottles for individual consumers, 10 bottles for licensees
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 15-Year-Old 107 Proof, $149.99 each – 59 bottles for individual consumers, 19 bottles for licensees
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 20-Year-Old 90 Proof, $249.99 each – 70 bottles for individual consumers, 23 bottles for licensees
- Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Straight Bourbon 10-Year-Old 107 Proof, $89.99 each – 211 bottles for individual consumers, 70 bottles for licensees
- Van Winkle Special Reserve Straight Bourbon 12-Year-Old 90 Proof, $99.99 each – 537 bottles for individual consumers, 178 bottles for licensees
Individual consumers and licensees interested in entering one or more lotteries or drawings must have an active account with FWGS.com with billing information on file. Each participant is encouraged to verify that accurate, up-to-date billing information is associated with his or her customer account, to prevent transaction delays or cancellations.
Store delivery of Limited-Release Lottery products is required; failure to identify a valid store for delivery may result in the loss of the right to purchase that product. Every winner will be required to show valid photo identification at the store to claim the product.
"In light of attempts by previous lottery winners to illegally resell products obtained through Limited-Release Lotteries, the lottery Terms and Conditions remind residents that the sale of alcoholic beverages without a license is strictly prohibited under Pennsylvania law," the PLCB said. "When entering a Limited-Release Lottery, a participant will be asked to acknowledge that he or she has read and understands these terms and conditions."
Limited-Release Lotteries are open to Pennsylvania residents and licensees age 21 or older who provide both a verifiable Pennsylvania billing address and a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store address at registration.
Any registrant with a billing address that cannot be verified as a Pennsylvania address will be removed from the lottery.
Entries will be vetted for duplicative names, addresses, and other information, and duplicates will be deleted from the lottery pool.
Lottery drawings will be witnessed by an independent third party. Winners will be selected at random by computer program. Participants will be notified by email when the lottery process is complete.
