Pappy Van Winkle and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection are notoriously difficult to find on shelves, and when they are available, it’s usually at astronomically marked-up prices—but now whiskey fans have a chance to own these bottles and other rare finds for only $100. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) is raffling off a package of 20 hard-to-find whiskeys in its Buddy-Up! raffle and is aiming to raise $200,000. Only 2,000 raffle tickets are available—for $100 each—and will be on sale until Nov. 15, or until they sell out. The proceeds will benefit Best Buddies New Hampshire, an organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The NHLC has been raising funds for Best Buddies New Hampshire through rare whiskey raffles for the past four years, and its lineup last year boasted some similar hard-to-find names. This year, the assortment is even larger, with another rare Buffalo Trace bourbon, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, and a full set of Blanton’s. Two lucky people will receive one bottle each of the following:
- Van Winkle 12 year old Special Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon
- Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old Handmade Kentucky bourbon
- Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old Family Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon
- Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old Family Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon
- Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old Family Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon
- William Larue Weller Kentucky straight bourbon
- George T. Stagg Kentucky straight bourbon
- Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Kentucky straight rye
- Sazerac 18 year old Kentucky straight rye
- Eagle Rare 17 year old Kentucky straight bourbon
- Buffalo Trace O.F.C. 1994 Kentucky bourbon
- Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
- Eight bottles of Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Kentucky straight bourbon bearing stoppers spelling out the full name (a bottle and stopper for each letter), along with a complete eight-bottle stopper collection with display stave
Winners must claim their prize in person, so the prize package also includes airfare for two to New Hampshire and hotel accommodations for two nights. All U.S. residents of legal drinking age are permitted to purchase raffle tickets, and there is no limit to the number of tickets an individual can buy.
This is the first year that two winners will receive the full prize package, as in past years only one was selected. The 20-bottle package has a suggested retail value of around $5,000, but given the limited production and high demand, all the whiskeys being raffled off are commonplace on the secondary market, where sky-high prices are the norm. The NHLC estimates—perhaps generously—that the secondary-market value for the package is close to $35,000. For the price of a $100 raffle ticket—and the opportunity to benefit a nonprofit—two lucky winners could walk away with the whiskey deal of a lifetime. To purchase raffle tickets and read additional details, check out the raffle website.
