Where To Find Rare Bourbon For Cheap: Try These 7 Popular Stores

There is always a paradox with rare bourbon that any enthusiast struggles with. Trying to get your hands on a rare bottle can be incredibly frustrating. However, if it were easy, then these bottles wouldn't be rare in the first place and such an exciting find. Even if you can get your hands on a bottle, prices can vary hugely. Bottles of Pappy are the best example of this. The 15-year bottle of Pappy has a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $199.99, yet its average price on secondary markets is over $2,500. This type of huge price difference is common throughout the whole Old Rip Van Winkle range but is also the case with more or less any bourbon that isn't easily available in stores. Thankfully, there are a few stores where any rare bourbon they stock is done so at a reasonable price.

As a longtime bourbon expert, I'll not only let you know what these stores are, but also give you some tips and tricks along the way to give yourself the best chance of finding a rare bottle. Even with knowing these stores, it can still be a lottery, especially as stock always sells out quickly. However, it gives everyday bourbon lovers the opportunity to grab a bottle before the collectors and flippers get their hands on them. Hopefully after reading this, you'll soon be able to buy a special bourbon to savor.

Costco has grown to become one of the best places to get rare bourbon. Not only do they sell bottles at a reasonable price, but there is also usually a range of bourbon to choose from. The company has massive buying power, and it sometimes seems they can stock bourbon that can't be found elsewhere. A good and bad thing about Costco is that it's unpredictable. It's good because it means you never know what you'll get your hands on, and that sometimes means running into a special treat. It's bad because it doesn't allow you to plan for a release, and you may miss out if something comes into stock. The stock of rare bottles may only last for a few hours.

To keep track of what's in stock, it's good to engage with online communities. There are Facebook groups for Costco bourbon, along with many Reddit threads. Even though Costco could charge a lot more for their premium bottles, they always keep prices dramatically lower than what you find on secondary markets. Another good aspect of the wholesaler is they will usually limit the sale of rare bourbon to one or two bottles per customer. This helps prevent people from taking advantage and gives genuine bourbon lovers a better chance. As with all of the shops on this list, it's all about timing. Many times, there'll be nothing special on offer. At other times, you can get incredibly lucky in grabbing a bottle of bourbon or other types of rare liquor.

One crucial tip with Costco, Sam's Club, and any other store on this list is to develop a relationship with the staff. If you're polite, they will often give you insights into store deliveries and allocation schedules. If you know what day and roughly what time a delivery is going to be made, it gives you a better shot at finding a rare bottle before it sells out. Sam's Club has similar buying power to Costco. Buying power is the ability to get expensive items more cheaply as you are buying them in huge quantities. This saving can then be passed onto the customer. It's a privilege that many smaller stores sadly don't have.

Where Sam's Club and Costco do differentiate is with consistency. It feels as though Sam's Club has closer partnerships with trusted distilleries, especially Buffalo Trace. I couldn't find any official affiliation to back up this hunch, but it's common to see bottles from the whole Buffalo Trace Distillery range. If you see a rare bottle at Sam's Club, it feels like you have more chance of seeing it again soon than you do at Costco. Sometimes if the timing isn't right, then you may miss out, but a little bit of persistence can go a long way.

Don't let the name fool you, as Total Wine is a great place to get any type of alcohol. As with Sam's Club, it's a good idea to see what type of membership perks you can receive. With Total Wine, "Grand Reserve" members have the opportunity to be placed in a random draw for early access to some premium bottles. One of the bottles you could potentially get is George T. Stagg, which has an MSRP of $149.99. On secondary markets, this can jump up to over $1,400, so you can see an example of the huge savings that can be made here. There are others available too, but even if you're not lucky enough to get drawn for these exclusives, Total Wine is still a good place to find rare bottles.

The company has a range of locations across the country as well as an extensive range on their website. Perhaps the biggest perk of Total Wine is how they generally stick to retail pricing. Sometimes when hunting down rare bourbon, you can be elated at being able to find the bottle you wanted before being utterly deflated when you see the price. That never happens at Total Wine if you have a general idea of the expected retail price. Along with rare bottles, Total Wine is also great for stocking lesser-known and craft bourbons as well.

BevMo mostly has stores along the West Coast but also an excellent website you can check out. Whether it's rare bourbon or underrated bottles of beer, it stocks plenty of well-known bottles but also more obscure labels that are never overpriced. One of the best parts of a BevMo store is the versatile selection it has. Even if you're disappointed that you're unable to find something rare, they will usually have plenty of bottles you've not tried before. The biggest problem here is a common theme with all these stores: Those rare bourbons rarely stay on the shelf for long.

However, you can often find the likes of a single-barrel release or a seasonal small-batch bourbon. As with Total Wine, there is also a useful membership program on offer. This can give you early access to allocated releases along with discounts that can save you even more money. If you live near a store, it's worth checking it out. Even if you don't, see if you can get deliveries online, as the competitive pricing makes it an impressive option to buy budget-friendly liquor.

Duty-free stores can be hard to access unless you're traveling, but they are always worth a look if you are passing through. Usually located in airports around the world, they are called duty-free as they are able to sell products without charging any local taxes on top of your purchase. They often stock premium goods, as they allow travelers to treat themselves at reasonable prices. What's more, there are even some bourbons that are only available as travel exclusives, meaning duty-free shops are the only places to get them without spending a fortune.

The availability of these bourbons is always going to vary by location, so it can be hard to plan on getting a specific bottle unless you inquire ahead of time. There are also other bourbons that are only sold overseas, and duty-free stores can be a good place to pick up these as well. A big part of hunting for rare bourbon is the thrill of the chase and never quite knowing what you'll find. If you love bourbon, or indeed any other type of spirit, you should never pass through an airport without seeing what hidden treasures you can discover.

You may not initially think that Kroger would be a place to hunt out rare bourbon. However, America's oldest grocery chain is much more reliable than many other supermarket chains. Instead of just stocking the same old standard brands, Kroger often displays an impressive range of bottles. As with many stores listed here, this mainly comes down to how they use their strong distribution networks. Each chain will have different relationships with distilleries. That means no one store will ever have a complete monopoly over all of the rare bourbon. It's why I've not ranked this list, as it's best to check out as many of these stores as you can.

How good they are can also be dependent on your location. Prices are usually close to MSRP, and it's another store that offers a membership scheme, albeit without a promise of early access to special bottlings. However, the membership can give you perks that make treating yourself to that special bottle even more affordable. It has less of a reputation for great bourbon finds than others here, but that can be an advantage, as you'll have less competition for those rare bottles.

Local liquor stores can be hit or miss depending on your location and the quality of the store. The other potential downside is that prices are usually a little higher here, as they won't have the same buying power. That being said, they'll still most likely sell bottles far below secondary market prices. Sometimes, that lack of buying power can be an advantage. Some big stores may pass over limited-edition bottles if there is not enough stock to justify adding them to their distribution network. Due to this, there is the possibility of them having rare bottles you won't find in big chains.

In these types of stores, being a friendly regular can go a long way. If you strike up a relationship with the employees, they may tell you when deliveries are likely and if they have any unique expressions coming in. If you're a highly valued customer, they may even set some aside for you. Competition for bottles in these stores can also be lower, as they are lesser-known and don't have the online community's big retailers such as Costco do. The best thing you can do is strike up a conversation. If your local liquor store has a good selection of bourbon, it could end up being a goldmine for getting your hands on future releases at a good price.