If you’re involved in the buying, selling, or drinking of fine whiskies, chances are that you’ve seen the term “allocated whiskey”. This is one of those terms, originally used mainly in the whiskey market itself, which have now been co-opted into whiskey pop culture. Of course, however, the main question you’ll probably ask is “what is allocated whiskey”? The answer is a bit complex, but we will explore that term here and examine why allocated whiskies are worth so much on the market right now. Understanding what allocated whiskies are will help you become a better-informed whiskey buyer, and, almost certainly, will awaken within you a treasure hunter. You’ll see what I mean in just a minute.
What is Allocated Whiskey?
So, what is an allocated whiskey? An allocated whiskey is a whiskey that is limited in its distribution by the distributor. No whiskey is infinite, of course, so all whiskies are in some sense limited by the producer or the distiller. Allocation, however, happens on the part of the distributor, the business that purchases the whiskey from the distillery and sells it to liquor stores, restaurants, bars, and so on. The distributor can limit who they distribute a certain whiskey to and how much of it they actually distribute. This does a number of things: first, it controls the market, allowing various places to get certain whiskies rather than all of the stock being bought up by a single store. While that is a benefit, the downside is that distributors can allocate special whiskies to the stores they choose, which are typically those that do the most business for that distributor or sell what the distributor wants them to sell. This can make finding some allocated whiskies harder to find because not every store will have them. If you keep a “treasure hunt” mindset, that isn’t all bad, but it can make finding that exact bottle you want more difficult.
Which Whiskies are Allocated Whiskies?
The next question you’ll undoubtedly have is “which whiskies are allocated whiskies”? Allocated whiskies will usually be rarer or more limited edition bottles, running the gamut from a particular barrel, an unusually long aging cycle, a special blend from a master distiller, or any number of things. They can also be whiskies from very sought-after distilleries. Examples of commonly allocated whiskies are Pappy van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and Blue Spot, though which whiskies are allocated constantly changes.
To put it simply, allocated whiskies are usually those that are highly sought after in the market and of which there is typically a smaller production number. A good way to discern if a whiskey is allocated or not is to see if a liquor store has a large supply of it. If a store has ten or a hundred bottles, it isn’t allocated. If the store has a single bottle behind glass, that whiskey is probably allocated. If you cannot find a bottle at any store around you, it’s almost certainly allocated.
Buying and Selling Allocated Whiskies
Since allocated whiskies are so hard to find in stores, they will often turn up on the secondary market, especially at dedicated spirits auctions like Good Bottle. This means that the prices of these bottles will almost almost be above MSRP, but the prices are variable. The price of an allocated whiskey is almost as fluid as the juice in the bottle – it can rise and fall based on demand, supply, or even who’s bidding on it.
Your best option when buying or selling allocated whiskies is to do so at a reputable auction house like Good Bottle Auctions. The first reason is simple: you won’t get ripped off. We are an established business operating in the public eye, and we have our reputation to protect. This means that we will always provide you with the facts as we know them, and you can be sure that your purchase or sale with us will be fair. You also will not need to worry about finding the right buyer, as we have an excellent clientele and serve any state in the Union that allows the shipping of alcohol.
The final reason to buy or sell with us is that, quite simply, we handle allocated whiskies all the time. For a seller, this is an advantage, as our buyers know they can find their preferred allocated whiskies with us. Thus, we’ll have very little trouble finding a buyer for your precious bottle. For a buyer, this means that you do not need to look any further than our online auction catalogs to find that bottle you’ve been looking for. Your endless search for the perfect bottle can end with us, and you’ll be sipping it in no time at all.
If you would like to buy or sell your whiskey collection with us, let us know! We’d love to hear from you and to tell you more about what we do here at Good Bottle.
Sources:
Brian Freedman, “To Understand Why Some Bourbons Are So Expensive, You Need to Understand Allocated Whiskey”. Food & Wine. Published July 23. 2024. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://www.foodandwine.com/allocated-whiskey-explained-8681961.
Evan Rail, “Is Allocated Bourbon Worth the Hype (and the Hassle)?”. Wine Enthusiast. Published June 6, 2023. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/spirits/allocated-bourbon/.
