Pa. offering up rare whiskeys in lotteries

It’s a bourbon and rye whiskey lovers’ heaven this week in Pennsylvania.

Keystone State residents will have a chance to purchase 213 bottles of 28 rare whiskeys this week.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is holding five separate lotteries, each with multiple drawings, for Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon and Straight Rye Whiskey and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Bourbons and Rye Whiskeys among others.

The whiskeys range in age from 10 to 25 years.

Pennsylvania residents and licensees will have until 5 p.m. Friday to opt in to one or more of the lotteries by going to the Limited-Release Lottery web page at FWGS.com.

For the first four lotteries, if a participant wins a bottle in a drawing, they’ll be removed from subsequent drawings in that lottery. Purchase is limited to one bottle per person per lottery, according to the PLCB.

For the lottery featuring various other bourbons, participants can enter and win in multiple drawings with purchases limited to one bottle per drawing.

Highlighting the list of the items available is a 23-year-old bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon and three 25-year-old bottles of Michter’s Straight Bourbon, two for individual consumers and one for licensees.

The PLCB says these Limited-Release Lotteries are open to licensees and Pennsylvania residents age 21 or older who provide both a verifiable Pennsylvania billing address and identify a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store for delivery at registration.

After attempts by previous lottery winners to illegally resell products obtained through Limited Release Lotteries, the PLCB is reminding residents that the sale of alcoholic beverages without a license is strictly prohibited under Pennsylvania law.