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PLCB lottery features rare $450 Van Winkle bourbon and prized Buffalo Trace whiskeys

Pennsylvania residents and licensees have until Feb. 28 to enter the PLCB's limited-release lottery for exclusive bottles from the Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace Antique Collections.

A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old is one of the bottles available on the PLCB rare whiskey lottery.
A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old is one of the bottles available on the PLCB rare whiskey lottery.Read moreDamian Dovarganes / AP
    by Sam Ruland
    Published 

Pennsylvania residents and liquor licensees now have a chance to purchase some of the state’s most sought-after whiskeys.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has launched its Limited-Release Lottery, offering registrants the opportunity to buy from two prized collections — the Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection — with 1,775 total bottles up for grabs. These lotteries are held periodically, giving collectors and enthusiasts another eagerly awaited opportunity to secure bottles that are rarely available at these attractive prices.

The lottery, which closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, splits the offerings into two drawings. Interested participants can enter by visiting the Limited-Release Lottery page at FWGS.com. To qualify, entrants must be 21 or older, have a verifiable Pennsylvania billing address, and register through an active account on the Fine Wine & Good Spirits website.

Two lotteries, two collections

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection lottery

This drawing will award a total of 496 bottles. Winners are limited to one bottle per participant. Once a winning entry is selected, that registrant is removed from further drawings in this lottery. The collection includes:

  1. Eagle Rare Straight Bourbon 17 Year Old — 16 bottles for individual consumers, five for licensees

  2. Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey 18 Year Old — 18 bottles for individual consumers, six for licensees

  3. William Larue Weller Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof — 68 bottles for individual consumers, 22 for licensees

  4. George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof — 126 bottles for individual consumers, 42 for licensees

  5. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Proof — 145 bottles for individual consumers, 48 for licensees

Each 750-milliliter bottle in this lottery retails at $149.99.

Van Winkle lottery

In the second lottery, 1,279 bottles of Kentucky whiskey await. This collection is produced by Pappy Van Winkle’s grandson using family recipes dating back four generations. Similar to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection drawing, each winner is entitled to one bottle; subsequent wins within the lottery are barred. The sequence of drawings in this lottery is as follows:

  1. Van Winkle Family Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey 13 Year Old — 45 bottles for individuals, 15 for licensees at $199.99 each

  2. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 23 Year Old — 52 bottles for individuals, 17 for licensees at $449.99 each

  3. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 15 Year Old — 52 bottles for individuals, 17 for licensees at $199.99 each

  4. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon 20 Year Old — 129 bottles for individuals, 42 for licensees at $319.99 each

  5. Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Straight Bourbon 10 Year Old — 207 bottles for individuals, 69 for licensees at $129.99 each

  6. Van Winkle Special Reserve Straight Bourbon 12 Year Old — 476 bottles for individuals, 158 for licensees at $149.99 each

How to participate

To enter, individuals and licensees must:

  1. Visit FWGS.com and log in or create an account with current billing information.

  2. Confirm that both the billing and designated FW&GS store delivery addresses are accurate.

  3. Submit only one entry per household for each lottery; duplicate entries will be disqualified.

Once registration closes, no further updates to payment information can be made. Winners will be chosen at random by a computer program and notified by email after independent third-party witnessing of the lottery drawings.

Winning entrants must personally pick up their purchase at their designated Fine Wine & Good Spirits store — identification will be required, and no alternate pickup is permitted.

A cautionary note

The PLCB reminds participants that reselling lottery-obtained bottles without a license is illegal under Pennsylvania law. Entrants must acknowledge this rule when submitting their entries.

For those looking to score a bottle of one of the nation’s most coveted whiskeys, the clock is ticking. Ensure your billing and delivery information is up to date, and head over to FWGS.com before 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 to enter the lottery.

For more details on the lottery terms and conditions, visit FWGS.com.