Every fall, the same scenario plays out: Buffalo Trace announces the Old Rip Van Winkle lineup—aka Pappy—is rolling out to stores, and whiskey lovers feel a twinge of excitement as they imagine that this year they’ll actually find a bottle. After all, limited-edition or allocated whiskies are hard to get your hands on.
Alas, for most of us, it’s not to be. There’s just not that much of it. Or, if you do happen to stumble across a bottle in the wild, it’ll be priced many times more than Buffalo Trace’s SRP—usually in the thousands of dollars.
But isn’t Pappy kind of passé? Sure, it’s good whiskey, but it’s also yesterday’s news. There are so many whiskies that are every bit its equal when it comes to flavor—and clout. Will these be easier to find? That’s the hope. But since whiskey is so hot right now it’s impossible to predict which bottles are going to be snatched up quickest.
Be on the lookout, keep your wallet at the ready, and good luck!
Best Allocated Whiskies to Hunt for (Besides Pappy)
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1. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson C
Wild Turkey Distillery’s other brand, Russell’s Reserve, is low key one of bourbon’s best buys year-round. But the new line extension hits a higher price with a more exclusive selling point: It pulls from barrels matured in specific warehouses, highlighting the differences that arise from the distillery’s varied maturation environments. The debut bottling comes from Camp Nelson Warehouse C, which was legendary for its honey barrels. The warehouse was decommissioned in 2021, making this expression the final chance to sip some very special bourbon.