Greetings, just got into allocated and hard to find bourbons about 4 months ago.
I ended up with a connection at a local store that pulled my name in the lottery fairly regularly, and started giving me tips on what was coming win and to decide when I wanted to win. I told them, "You tell me".
A couple months later, they don't even have to "draw my name" to get Blanton's, Eagle Rare, MKH 10, etc. if they have it. The connect will just escort me back. Anyhow, reading this, it seems I've got a nice small collection and WONDERFUL connection on my hands... in that time frame, I've managed to score (at retail):
EHT SB, 5X Blanton's, W107, W12, WFP, ETL (x2 in the SAME week, let my wife buy a bottle under her number! Really good stuff, may be my all time favorite so far, the second bottle may be unopened until I see another), some other less hard to find stuff, HH BIB, Bookers, Eagle Rare, etc.
I'm hoping to keep this going, as I'm alerted the week before what's there, and if it's something special, I'm about the first in the door, with a guaranteed lottery draw. Connect claims they enjoy that I'm not hunting for resale as so many do.
Hope to keep up with the thread and enjoyed reading the last few pages, just thought I'd share. Pretty stoked to see some of the things I have trading at such prices.