How To Track Down Rare Bourbon Bottles Like A Pro

If you've become enamored with the fascinating and delicious world of bourbon, it's only a matter of time before your interest is piqued by the prospect of starting a unique collection. However, finding the best rare bourbons can be more complicated and costly than you might think.

Bourbon can become rare and highly sought-after for a number of reasons. On one hand, you have bourbons that were bottled decades ago and hold value due to their scarcity. The quality of these might vary, but some collectors are looking to own a piece of history rather than a bottle they intend to drink. As bourbon has become more popular, some producers have run through older whiskey, making it harder to locate those with longer age statements. Distilleries also frequently release the most premium expressions of custom bourbon — small batch and single barrel bottles — in limited quantities and at set times throughout the year, so you need to be on the ball if you want a chance at securing one. While tracking down rare bourbon isn't a cheap or easy task, there are still ways you can improve your ability to locate what you're looking for.

Once you've got a clear idea of why you want to track down rare bourbons, the next step is setting yourself a budget. Once in a while, you might luck out and find a unique bottle tucked away in a liquor store that's being sold below its current value, but generally, rare bourbon is extremely expensive.

By setting yourself a budget, whether it's an overall amount you're willing to spend on whiskey or a set price for a particular bottle, you'll avoid putting yourself at a financial disadvantage for the sake of something that isn't worth doing so. Part of this includes doing enough research to get a clear idea of how much bourbon is worth and how the prices change over time. It's also important to remember that when we want something badly, we're more likely to move our own goalposts and stretch our budgets. Unless you've got unlimited funds to throw at collecting rare whiskeys, it's crucial to set yourself limits and practice discipline when sticking to them. No bourbon is worth putting yourself in a financial pickle, and you might get another shot at picking up a bottle for less in the future.

As irritating as constant prompts to sign up for mailing lists can be, they're often the key to getting your hands on rare bourbon before anyone else. Distilleries, online retailers, and brick-and-mortar liquor stores all usually have mailing lists that will keep you up to date with their very latest news, including when limited-release items are due to launch.

In fact, sometimes a mailing list might be the only way you'll hear about a special bourbon launch in enough time to grab a bottle. Mailing lists also tend to come with a range of other advantages for whiskey lovers. Many retailers offer a sign-up discount for new customers, and regularly send out special offers and discounts, while some also offer loyalty schemes and reward systems that can save you money on repeat purchases from that particular store or distillery. It's also not unheard of for these programs to give priority purchasing for special releases to the most loyal customers.

Being organized is one of the key skills necessary for sourcing limited-release bourbons. Once you start signing up to enough mailing lists and bourbon lotteries to give yourself a solid chance of success, you'll realize just how many dates and countdowns you'll need to keep track of.

To avoid letting key dates and buying opportunities slip past you, set up a whiskey calendar on your phone or computer that you can update with all new information the moment you get it. If you don't feel the need for a standalone calendar, make sure you're adding the dates to your current calendar with notifications. These will give you enough time to make sure you're free to get in line the moment specific releases go on sale. Even if you're not available at the right times due to other commitments — not everything is as important as bourbon, at least not to everyone — then having enough notice means you might be able to ask a friend, family member, or one of your whiskey group contacts to get in line on your behalf.

Launched way back in 2003, Google Alerts is a service that allows users to request email notifications when specific keywords or keyword phrases show up online. You can even tailor what kind of resources are scanned, including web pages, blogs, articles, or online stores.

While you won't want to set up notifications for broad search terms like "whiskey" or "bourbon" at the risk of being inundated with thousands of irrelevant alerts, it's an excellent tool for tracking down specific bottles. Even if an alert doesn't end up being a hot lead for locating your desired bourbon, it's still a great way to catch online updates the moment they happen, whether you're keeping an eye out for new releases or hoping an older bottle might spring up for sale. Google also allows you to set up price tracking, so if you've located a rare bourbon that doesn't fall within your current budget, you can request a notification if the price suddenly drops and becomes more palatable.

If you're serious about tracking down rare bourbon, you're going to want to download a few whiskey-focused apps to give yourself the best chance of finding what you need. It can take some trial and error to figure out which best suits your needs, but Distiller, Drizly, and Whizzky are all good places to start.

Distiller is a great app for logging your own tasting notes and discovering new reviews, and its premium version has excellent perks, including weekly giveaways. Drizly is an app that links you with local retailers, making it easier to search for specific local bottles and order them as soon as they become available. Whizzky is similar to Distiller in that it allows you to create a tasting log, but it also allows you to search for local events and the latest news updates that might give you access to rare bourbons, and you can search for new whiskeys based on specific taste profiles and budgets. Many apps also give you access to expert communities to aid in your hunt for elusive bourbon bottles.

There's no better place to find bourbon than at its very source — the distillery. Here, you'll enrich your whiskey knowledge and be able to meet experts who'll have unparalleled insights on how to track down rare bourbon bottles.

Distilleries almost always have shops, too, and frequently stock bourbons you won't find anywhere else. It's also a good idea to track down specialist whiskey bars that are likely to offer unique bourbons you've yet to try. Aside from being able to taste-test new bourbon before you decide to buy a bottle yourself, the staff in these locations might have access to bottles you wouldn't be able to find through regular retail channels. Independent retailers are another excellent resource for getting your hands on rare bourbon. Aside from supporting a small business, these outlets survive thanks to a passion for whiskey and by attracting customers with spirits they wouldn't find at a standard liquor store or chain retailer.

One of the most effective ways to get your hands on rare bourbon is through trading with like-minded collectors. If you've done a good job of building your network of trusted whiskey enthusiasts, you should find no shortage of connoisseurs willing to make a worthwhile exchange.

To avoid sacrificing a bottle you're particularly fond of, especially if you've gone through a lot of effort to source it, your best bet is to double up on your purchases when you can. This won't always be possible, as some special releases and bourbon lotteries have strict one-per-person policies, but take the opportunity whenever you can afford to do so. In a worst-case scenario where you can't find anyone interested in taking a spare bottle off your hands, it just means you can save one for your collection and crack open the other to enjoy yourself. Bourbon is meant for drinking, after all.