Liquor distribution is controlled different ways in the USA by the States. On the retail side, two common ways is either the States give out licenses for individuals to own/operate liquor stores or the State owns/operates the liquor stores directly. Depending on how the State sets up each rule for beer, wine and spirits a store will sell what is allowed.
Maryland is not a control State as for example VA, PA, and OH, but two counties inside MD are controlled by the local government. Montgomery and Somerset have stores owned and operated by the county.
The county has their own Bourbon lottery, for highly sought after bottles, just like most the control states do. The catch is you must be a resident of that county to enter and win. Whiskey Rock is open to everyone.
So now the fun. The fliers had been out at the Montgomery county liquor stores for months and the rumors were flying about as well. Recently Montgomery county has been stock piling some allocated Bourbons to be sold at an annual event called Whiskey Rocks. There was one in early 2019 which only 100 or so people showed up. This time it was publicized way more and with the help of the internet, word of mouth spread like hot cakes. ALL FOR SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICES !!!!!
Calling all Whiskey Lovers!
“Montgomery County Liquor & Wine is kicking off 2020 in style. On Friday, January 17, 2020, we are hosting our next celebration of all things whiskey, Whiskey Rocks. The day-long event will be held at our Clarksburg Village Liquor & Wine Store 12051 Chestnut Branch Way, Suite 1, Clarksburg, MD 20871 from 10 am to 7 pm. We’ll start the day with limited release products available for purchase on a first-come, first-serve basis — and, to keep the excitement going throughout the day, there will also be a combination of timed product releases, tastings, engravings, barrel picks, bottle signings and an exclusive whiskey lunch with Maker’s Mark Master Distiller, Denny Potter. “
There were scheduled tastings with the Heaven Hill rep, which we got lucky to get in on Montgomery county’s “store pick” selection group. Eric and Deb got in on the lunch with Master Distiller Denny Potter, a raffle for George T Stagg BTAC bottles at noon, a second sale release opportunity starting at 2 pm for Little Book Chapter 03, Baker’s Single Barrel 13 Year, Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series RC6, Four Roses Limited Edition 2019, High West Midwinter Nights Dram, Weller Antique, Michter’s 10 Year, and many more. Another raffle from 5-7 pm, every 15 minutes and you have to be present, for Elmer T. Lee 100th Tribute Edition (12 bottles), EH Taylor Amaranth (12 bottles), Yamazaki 12-Year( 5 cases), Michter’s Toasted Sour Mash (18 bottles), Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old (1 bottle), Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Thomas Handy Rye (9 bottles), Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: William Larue Weller (13 bottles), Rip Van Winkle 10-Year-Old (15 bottles), Pappy Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 (3 bottles), Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year (3 bottles).
Now… do I have your attention?
The line started outside the store located in Clarksburg Village Liquor & Wine Store around 9pm on Wednesday evening as the store was closing. A list of items first available on Friday morning was posted on the window was a bourbon fans wishlist. First Come, First Serve Offerings: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year (99 bottles) O.F.C. 1994 by Buffalo Trace (1 bottle) Weller Full Proof (12 bottles) Weller 12 Year (60 bottles) Orphan Barrel Rhetoric Library Pack (1 pack) Old Fitzgerald 15 Year Bottled-In-Bond (42 bottles) Orphan Barrel Foragers Keep (2 bottles)
Me and Jon arrived at 5:05 pm on Friday and we counted ourselves as number 64/65. The line has already wrapped from the front of the store, which is in a shopping center, down one side and we are setting our tent up in the middle of the backside of the building. So glad we made a supply run to Walmart a few days earlier because the temperatures were foretasted to be in the low 20’s and high winds as we found out later they were on the money this time. After getting setup and situated the line was already stretching out to the end of the back wall and up the other side of the shopping center by 8pm. We started talking with the other campers and some good friends of ours from VA were 15 or so behind us setting up camp. As the night started so did food deliveries and everyone pulled out their “keep me warm” stashes which became a large outdoor tasting event. The wind was brutal, the temperature kept dropping and dropping as some people started taking turns sitting in their running cars, which we thought was cheating, but we had a tent with propane heaters. Don’t get me wrong, the tent helped, but the wind would blow it up every few minutes with a gush of 20 degree surprise. We didn’t bring anything to stake into the concrete sidewalk so our bags and coolers became temporary mounting points.
Early on a few people tried to start a bonfire but the Police shut that down right away. Around 2 am a speaker was cranked up with some repetitious foul mouthed rap song which incited a bunch of people to sing along for at least 30 minutes. Finally some of us that were exhausted couldn’t handle it anymore and it was shut down. Our friends from VA moved into the tent and Deb and I passed out but Jon and Eric kept the party going and kept our tent on the ground though the night.
The doors opened at 10 am so we all started getting up and packing around 8 or so. Deb and Eric brought donuts and coffee and my wife showed up with McDonald’s. A couple of county employees were passing out cards in the line. These were for the first round of bottles being sold and instead of a stampede or fights breaking out they already had cards matching the quaintly of items available. By the time they reached us, the super hard to get stuff was already called for but we were lucky enough to both get a reservation for a bottle of Old Fitzgerald 15 yr which was the 2019 fall release. Funny how the people in front of us passed on this bottle to get an Old Rip 10 instead. 10 am came and the line started moving. At this point the number of people camping out was around 400 as the line stretched around 2 more shopping center buildings.
Entering the store was a well deserved exciting relief after camping out all night in the cold and wind. Holding our reservation cards for the Old Fitz, we started going through the shelves and filling up our cart with anything we could not get on a regular basis. Buffalo Trace store picks, Parker’s Heritage, Weller 107 and Blanton’s. We entered in the Stagg BTAC raffle and made our way to the car with the first haul of the day and get ready for the Elijah Craig tasting.
The line was way bigger than the county expected and was still going strong moving through the store trying to empty it out for the next run. This led into some confusion and we ended up having our tasting/ store pic event in the back supply room. It was crazy seeing all the case boxes of our favorite juices stacked up like it was adult Christmas. Jon even snuck a picture. The Heaven Hill rep, was awesome as we got to vote on our top samples of Elijah Craig for Montgomery County picks. It still, after all these years amazes me how different the same mashbill can taste just a few yards away from each other in the barrel.
It’s a little after Noon and we were all trying to sort out the next step to get ready for the 2 pm re-opening. We now kind of all recognize the groups from our overnight stay and we all started gathering up ourselves to get a line going since there was no direction from the store employees. To their defense, it was mayhem everywhere. 400 plus people all trying to shop in a couple hour window. So now this make shift line started in the side parking lot of the shopping center as someone deemed a traffic sign as ground zero. Soon the line was off and trailing across the parking lot until we were finally directed to change the starting point to the opposite side of the shopping center building. Surprisingly enough the restructure did not cause any problems other than a cartoonish shorter man, styled like a steampunk but looking more like he was from a Charles Dickson’s book, decided he had a saved place in line, but no one would vouch for him. This intern made him more aggressive in claiming his spot. Reminded me of an angry little person from the Wizard of Oz.
In line we realized the number of bottles available were way less than earlier and if you were not in the first 60 or so, there was no reason to wait any longer. This made the line shrink and become way more controllable as some of us had lunch delivered. The doors re-opened at 2 pm and we starting filing in and out like cattle. Jon scored a Baker’s 13 and I got a Michter’s 10 along with some other extras. Once again off to the truck to stash away our treasures and wait for the next thing on the list. We didn’t schedule for any other tastings, signings or lunches so this was time to relax and re-group. Of course that didn’t last long as a few people started trading and obviously there were the black market upsellers offering their $50 bottles for $800 to the right buyer. Jon ended up doing a three way trade and got a Four Roses Limited, which is his favorite. Then off to the restaurant next door for guess what? Drinks!
5 pm came along quite quickly and a group of last standers, around 200, filled the store and outside area to wait for the final wave of raffle winners. One by one they called names and what they won, with only a couple minutes to scream you were there to collect before they called the next winner of that bottle. Things seems fishy when the same guy won 4 times and the crowd was on the verge of rioting, but stayed calm not to miss the names being riffled off inside. It was a chain reaction as the winners names were announced, the crowd would repeat like a chain letter to make sure no one missed out. Then, I won a Pappy 12, Eric won a barrel, Deb won a Yamazaki 12yr. Then the cartoon character from earlier heard his wifes name yelled out as a winner, but she was not there. He screamed and made a fuss saying she was on the way or he would hold it for her, with no avail from the people in charge and no sympathy from the people who had to deal with this obnoxious fellow before. The whole crowd seem to lavish in the irony as I know we did. Then I won again, a Michter’s toasted, and I promise I did not do anything underhanded. If things couldn’t get any better, other than Jon winning something, the troll’s wife won again! The crowd went wild like we were at a soccer game and his cries of wrong doing and unfairness were muffled by the cheers.
What a day, or should I say two. Thanks Montgomery county and we can not wait until next time.
*Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel came in the mail that weekend, not from Whiskey Rocks.
