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Charlotte Liquor


Scribe

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I've lived in Charlotte for 20+ years now and have not run into this issue until now.

For the past month or so I have been looking for some Blanton's without shipping it half way across the country. I have now checked with multiple stores both NC and SC without luck.

In the process found out Frugal MacDoogal stopped carrying anything from Buffalo Trace Distillery (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, etc). Where do the good folks of UP get their decent Bourbon?

Thanks for your help!

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From what I understand, demand has outstripped production to the point that the state is allocated only a small number of bottles of Blanton's at a time, and those get somehow allocated to specific ABC stores, and they are gone almost as soon as they hit the shelves (sometimes, they don't even make the shelves). I typically ask the cashier jokingly "do they have any Blanton's today", and they just kind of laugh at me. It does pay off to ask if there is anything "special" they have in the back. I found a bottle of Buffalo Trace recently that they didn't have on the shelves. They only allowed a single bottle if you asked for it. You can always drive to Kentucky also.


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For the past 7-8 years I have bought my preferred scotch online. I search for best price, consider only east of Mississippi River to reduce shipping costs, buy six at a time since this is my only scotch, and pay well less than what I would pay in NC or SC. I save money on the purchase as this is a 54-60$/bottle purchase here locally (Talisker 12 year). I feel certain you could accomplish something similar. 

NC does not prohibit online liquor purchases since there are no private stores to steal business from.

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18 minutes ago, Scribe said:

I've lived in Charlotte for 20+ years now and have not run into this issue until now.

For the past month or so I have been looking for some Blanton's without shipping it half way across the country. I have now checked with multiple stores both NC and SC without luck.

In the process found out Frugal MacDoogal stopped carrying anything from Buffalo Trace Distillery (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, etc). Where do the good folks of UP get their decent Bourbon?

Thanks for your help!

For the past couple of years we have had significant difficulty finding Blantons anywhere, even Kentucky. We found a bottle traveling overseas last December and snapped it up. 

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I have to get my Blanton's from friends and family out of state (VA & PA).   Buffalo Trace occasionally pops up in Fort Mill places (I got some at State Line  on 51 around Christmas).   Basically Blanton's is a unicorn in CLT.  Eagle Rare is just freaking rare anymore as it used to be in every ABC store in Charlotte which is a total shame.  Now you have check MeckABC to see if anyone has it in stock.  

But overall, State Line Beverage on 51 just over the border has been my  go to place.  State Line Elite is the same owners but their stock seems to get picked over quickly from the folks in Ballentyne. 

 

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On 8/7/2019 at 10:09 AM, Scribe said:

I've lived in Charlotte for 20+ years now and have not run into this issue until now.

For the past month or so I have been looking for some Blanton's without shipping it half way across the country. I have now checked with multiple stores both NC and SC without luck.

In the process found out Frugal MacDoogal stopped carrying anything from Buffalo Trace Distillery (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, etc). Where do the good folks of UP get their decent Bourbon?

Thanks for your help!

There's a national Blantons Shortage. I got a photo of a bottle with an almost $200 price tag from a friend.

On a side note, the day ABC is abolished, I will open a really cool craft liquor store in NoDa.

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There's a national Blantons Shortage. I got a photo of a bottle with an almost $200 price tag from a friend.
On a side note, the day ABC is abolished, I will open a really cool craft liquor store in NoDa.


Gold mine indeed would need. Need an investor? :)

Hope this bill gets traction long over due. Meck county commission pretty asinine with their opinion on this. Kind of emblematic of lots of situations.
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Well the one good thing about state run ABC is that all the stores are neatly organized and cleaned. I’m not against privatization, but private liquor stores in other states can be in horrible locations or can be poorly run down looking.  Stateline Elite is one of my favorite privately owned stores, I just find Frugal MacDougal a cluster fudge

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Well the one good thing about state run ABC is that all the stores are neatly organized and cleaned. I’m not against privatization, but private liquor stores in other states can be in horrible locations or can be poorly run down looking.  Stateline Elite is one of my favorite privately owned stores, I just find Frugal MacDougal a cluster fudge

All my favorite liquor stores in NYC are filed with folks with personality and passion for wine and spirits. There are crappy ones for sure, but you can tell the difference before even walking through the door.


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On 8/9/2019 at 10:54 AM, Scribe said:

Interesting that Mecklenburg County is the current impedement to getting rid of the ABC charade https://www.charlotteagenda.com/174638/north-carolina-could-close-its-abc-stores-and-privatize-liquor-sales-but-mecklenburg-county-isnt-on-board/

Completely ridiculous.  Hurts Mecklenburg citizens and hurts businesses.

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On 8/9/2019 at 2:00 PM, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

There's a national Blantons Shortage. I got a photo of a bottle with an almost $200 price tag from a friend.

On a side note, the day ABC is abolished, I will open a really cool craft liquor store in NoDa.

Will you open one in Uptown too? It’s ridiculous that the most urban zip code in NC with a population of 30,000+ still doesn’t have a liquor store.  I have to walk 2 miles or get in my car, which gets driven 1-2 times a month.

Also, please don’t close on Sundays. It’s the one day of the week I most often find myself needing to restock.

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On 8/10/2019 at 2:09 PM, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:


All my favorite liquor stores in NYC are filed with folks with personality and passion for wine and spirits. There are crappy ones for sure, but you can tell the difference before even walking through the door.


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Completely agree.  My favorite one - between 6th and 7th, on the south side of 58th street, has a lot of Charlotte customers.  The family is incredibly knowledgeable, generous with tastings, knows everything about the supply chain and remembers everything.  I picked up a bottle of Codigo Rosa (can't get it in NC anymore...) this weekend.  

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6 hours ago, Commoner said:

Completely agree.  My favorite one - between 6th and 7th, on the south side of 58th street, has a lot of Charlotte customers.  The family is incredibly knowledgeable, generous with tastings, knows everything about the supply chain and remembers everything.  I picked up a bottle of Codigo Rosa (can't get it in NC anymore...) this weekend.  

love that store! I go there whenever my parents stay in the city.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was down in Augusta. Went to a liquor store, they had Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller all in stock.

Told me exactly when Blanton's arrives and said that the waiting list for Pappy Van Winkle is long enough to last a few years... (so no cigar)

All that to say, I am back in stock on some good bourbon... but dang why is it so difficult to find around here...

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