PLCB spirits catalog changes for the week of May 9th:
New in-store and online products:
The other BT whiskey that many bourbon drinkers have been longing for is Old Weller 107, which we were finally able to get our hands on. Being the only wheated bourbon with any real character, it was a noticeable hole in the PLCB's selection, but we had to wait a bit until BT could allocate us any. My understanding is that we should be able to get as much as we want from here on.
In addition to the new products above, Bols Genever is back in stock online. Six cases arrived this week, and another six are on their way. I know some of you have been waiting for that to show up again.
Delisted SLO products:
Reactivated SLO products:
New SLO products:
Also notable is the Berentzen Apfelschnapps, which is again available after being delisted a few months ago due to supply issues. It seems Admiral Imports has recovered from their financial difficulties and they promise that the Berentzen products will be in ready availability.
New in-store and online products:
- Comandon VS Cognac 750 ML (#003599, Regular, $30.99)
- E H Taylor Jr Old Fashioned Sour Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon 750 ML (#030611, Online, $60.99)
- William Larue Weller Bourbon 107 Proof 750 ML (#030699, Online, $22.99)
The other BT whiskey that many bourbon drinkers have been longing for is Old Weller 107, which we were finally able to get our hands on. Being the only wheated bourbon with any real character, it was a noticeable hole in the PLCB's selection, but we had to wait a bit until BT could allocate us any. My understanding is that we should be able to get as much as we want from here on.
In addition to the new products above, Bols Genever is back in stock online. Six cases arrived this week, and another six are on their way. I know some of you have been waiting for that to show up again.
Delisted SLO products:
- Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 750 ML (#068985, SLO, $84.99)
- Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon 750 ML (#060058, SLO, $29.99)
- Jannamico Super Punch 1 L (#057358, SLO, $26.99)
- Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 750 ML (#503137, SLO, $29.99)
- The Irishman Whiskey 750 ML (#502967, SLO, $32.59)
Reactivated SLO products:
- Casa Noble Crystal 750 ML (#063994, SLO, $41.79)
- El Dorado Rum Cream Liqueur 750 ML (#051148, SLO, $20.79)
- National Original Vodka 750 ML (#506391, SLO, $12.99)
New SLO products:
- Berentzen Apple Schnapps 750 ML (#512435, SLO, $19.99)
- Burnetts Grape Flavored Vodka 750 ML (#512191, SLO, $9.99)
- Burnetts Lemon Flavored Vodka 750 ML (#512193, SLO, $9.99)
- Burnetts Sour Apple Flavored Vodka 750 ML (#512194, SLO, $9.99)
- Burnetts Watermelon Flavored Vodka 750 ML (#512195, SLO, $9.99)
- Cadenhead's Green Label Rum 750 ML (#512333, SLO, $79.99)
- Chateau du Busca Hors D'Age Armagnac 750 ML (#512493, SLO, $113.99)
- Chieftain's Rare Single Malt Scotch Ardmore 18 Year 750 ML (#512156, SLO, $98.49)
- Chieftain's Rare Single Malt Scotch Glendullen 11 Year 750 ML (#512157, SLO, $62.69)
- Chieftain's Rare Single Malt Scotch Isle of Jura Bourbon Barrel 14 Year 750 ML (#512158, SLO, $73.99)
- Chieftain's Rare Single Malt Scotch Mortlach Sherry Cask 15 Year 750 ML (#512160, SLO, $102.99)
- Chieftain's Rare Single Malt Scotch Strathisla 10 Year 750 ML (#512159, SLO, $61.99)
- Chieftain's Single Malt Teaninich 1982 28 Year 750 ML (#512161, SLO, $181.59)
- Courvoisier Erte Degustation Cognac 750 ML (#512342, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte Distillation Cognac 750 ML (#512340, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte L Esprit du Cognac 750 ML (#512343, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte La Part des Anges Cognac 750 ML (#512344, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte Vendanges Cognac 750 ML (#512339, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte Vieillissement Cognac 750 ML (#512341, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Erte Vigne Cognac 750 ML (#512338, SLO, $748.59)
- Courvoisier Imperial XO Cognac 750 ML (#512478, SLO, $141.29)
- Courvoisier Rose Cognac 1 L (#512460, SLO, $31.29)
- Cruzan Rum Strawberry 1 L (#512459, SLO, $15.49)
- D'Aristi Special Reserve Rum 10 Year 750 ML (#512334, SLO, $35.59)
- Distillerie des Moisans Passionne Liqueur 750 ML (#511935, SLO, $8.59)
- Don Q Rum Pasion 750 ML (#512461, SLO, $17.39)
- English Harbour 10 Year Old Antigua Rum 750 ML (#512331, SLO, $101.39)
- English Harbour 25 Year Old Antigua Rum 750 ML (#512332, SLO, $345.99)
- English Harbour 5 Year Old Antigua Rum 750 ML (#512330, SLO, $30.39)
- Glengyle Kilkerran Single Malt Scotch 750 ML (#512497, SLO, $63.99)
- Grand Fond Galion White Rum 1 L (#512337, SLO, $34.49)
- Heavy Water Vodka 750 ML (#512514, SLO, $36.99)
- Jim Beam Devils Cut Bourbon 1 L (#512454, SLO, $31.29)
- Luxardo Bitters 750 ML (#512494, SLO, $27.39)
- Luxardo Fernet 750 ML (#512495, SLO, $21.89)
- Malibu Black Coconut Rum 1 L (#512328, SLO, $20.79)
- Malibu Coconut Rum 375 ML (#512147, SLO, $8.69)
- Mangoustan's Rhum 750 ML (#512335, SLO, $30.39)
- National Pepparo Bitters Spice Infused Spirits 750 ML (#512151, SLO, $12.99)
- Pucker Vodka Cherry Tease 1 L (#512458, SLO, $20.79)
- Pucker Vodka Citrus Squeeze 1 L (#512457, SLO, $20.79)
- Pucker Vodka Grape Gone Wild 1 L (#512455, SLO, $20.79)
- Pucker Vodka Sour Apple Sass 1 L (#512456, SLO, $20.79)
- Saint Paul Dark Rum 1 L (#512336, SLO, $31.59)
- Springbank 15 Year Distillery Bottling Single Malt Whisky 750 ML (#512366, SLO, $113.99)
- Springbank 18 Year Distillery Bottling Single Malt Whisky 750 ML (#512368, SLO, $156.99)
- Springbank CV Single Malt Scotch 750 ML (#512367, SLO, $51.59)
- Springbank Hazelburn 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750 ML (#512372, SLO, $109.99)
- Springbank Hazelburn 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750 ML (#512371, SLO, $105.99)
- Springbank Longrow CV Peated Whiskey 750 ML (#512369, SLO, $74.29)
- Springbank Longrow Peated Whiskey 10 Year Old 750 ML (#512370, SLO, $113.99)
- Xtabentun D'Aristi Liqueur 750 ML (#512498, SLO, $22.89)
Also notable is the Berentzen Apfelschnapps, which is again available after being delisted a few months ago due to supply issues. It seems Admiral Imports has recovered from their financial difficulties and they promise that the Berentzen products will be in ready availability.
As an aside, the description of the Weller Antique 107 in the listing on the PLCB site is incredibly inaccurate. It is definitely NOT "William Larue Weller, part of the 2010 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection."
This product is also a good example of the short-sightedness of the PLCB. This was a regular item just a couple of years ago, then was delisted. Now it's back to fill a "noticeable hole in the PLCB's selection." The PLCB made that hole all by itself!
That said, I did order a bottle. Glad to see it back in the system. I miss the $17 price that it used to carry here, but still a good deal.
The price on the Col. Taylor might actually make me get a bottle!
I'm not seeing that, maybe it's been fixed already? Admittedly I rarely read the website descriptions so I don't notice when they're wrong.
So, the story behind Weller 107 is that the PLCB planned to put it in the online store shortly after it was delisted from the regular selection in January 2010. However, Sazerac's PA sales manager wouldn't even quote it out for us, saying that there was none available, but he would notify us when he could get us some.
Fast forward to a few months ago, when Sazerac decided to manage their PLCB relationship directly from their head office. The product managers asked if BT had an ETA for Weller, and their answer was "We've got tons of it, how much do you want?"
So...not entirely the PLCB's fault. They probably should have confirmed that it would be available for online before delisting it from stores, but it was not the PLCB's intention to make it completely unavailable.
So why delist it at all? Delisting obviously can cause unintended consequences, and if it's a product the PLCB wants to keep available to its customers, just keep it in the stores!
Again, my major complaint is that there is no consideration given to local or regional sales strength of a particular product, only statewide performance. This is a problem that would disappear entirely under a private system. Not that privatization doesn't come with it's own glitches.
I'm waiting to see what happens in Washington state. They're on the move to privatize, too.
They have fixed the listing somewhat. The reference to the 2010 Antique Collection is gone, but the product is still listed as William Larue Weller, not Old Weller Antique.
When I was into the wheated bourbons, the Weller 107 was tops on my list. I'm glad to see it back in PA as an option for the wheater drinkers. With the slowly expanding selection of American whiskies, my favorite is still missing- Rittenhouse Rye. What's the latest word on if and when we can see it here in PA???
Last I heard, the soonest we might see any Rittenhouse is the end of this year, but even then we might get only a few cases for the whole state. It's in such high demand that Heaven Hill is only supplying it to their most "appreciative" customers, which does not include the PLCB.
Turns out Heaven Hill managed to get us 10 cases of Rittenhouse from their April run. Five cases will be showing up in the online store any minute now, and another five will be available on SLO for licensees.