Going Hunting

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, we are entering spring turkey hunting season! What a perfect time to release a new article titled Going Hunting! Many of you may be familiar with deer hunting season in the fall. The title brought me back to one of my favorite books as a fifth grade teacher, Where the Red Fern Grows. A fabulous book by Wilson Rawls about a young boy, Billy, dreaming of owning his own hound dogs to hunt racoons. If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, but keep the tissues handy as you get toward the end!

Well, this is a bourbon article, so we won’t be talking about animals or rifles. This article will focus on a good old fashioned bourbon hunt! A time where one jumps into their vehicle and hits those smaller stores in search of those unicorns! For any newbies, a bourbon unicorn is that elusive bottle that we all know is out there, but can never seem to be found. If unicorns are found, they typically are way above MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price). The real challenge is finding that unicorn at a reasonable price!

I have been on a few bourbon hunts in my early bourbon journey. This story will share one particularly successful hunt! As you read this, hopefully you reminisce on a recent hunt of your own. Feel free to share yours either on Facebook or as a comment to this article.

Success! Maybe not!

It was a cool fall day in St. Louis. The wife and kids were busy, leaving the day open for me to go on a hunt! At the time, I lived in what I called Northwest St. Louis County, in the Maryland Heights area. I decided to head to north county. I stepped into a store right off of highway 270. All of its bourbon was behind the register and protected by glass. This usually isn't a great sign. I see what I think are multiple bottles of Blantons. Jackpot! I ask for the cost and the cashier casually says $250. What?!? I guess that explains why there were at least six bottles there. See, found a unicorn, however MSRP was around $65 at the time, so no thanks. I bet some of you have seen this too! Am I correct?

Onto the next store. I type liquor stores into the google machine to determine my next stop. Unfortunately nothing too exciting was present at this location. Quickly onto the next store. Nothing terribly exciting here either, but there was a bottle of Pappy’s behind the register. I inquired and learned its way out of my range! ($1700) 

I hit a couple more stores with no luck and was beginning to feel defeated. I had one other store I was willing to try before calling it an afternoon.

Strike Gold!

Just like the other stores, I hadn’t been to this store before. And just like some of the other stores, all of their bourbon was behind the counter. There wasn’t much back there so I was about to give up. I saw one of my go to bottles, Russels 10 Year. I hadn’t bought anything the whole hunt, so maybe I will come away with at least one bottle I like. I ask the price for this bottle which should be around $35. The guy behind the counter had to get a stool out to get the bottle down. Once he grabs it, he relays that it is $50. Goodness! No thanks! 

But wait!! What is that bottle behind the Russels? That looks like a Stagg Jr.!! NO way! If the Russels was fifteen over, can’t wait to hear what this one is marked at! The same guy goes back up the step ladder to grab the bottle. Sure enough it is indeed a Stagg Jr.! The moment of truth, what are they asking for it? The guy didn’t know. He had to call his manager/owner. I patiently await the horrible news. He hangs up the phone and walks back toward me. “Boss said it is $60.” Oh wow! Ok, I will take that! But wait, there’s a sticker on the bottle after all. It says $49.99. Even better! Just when I think this couldn’t get better, I step back for some unknown reason. As I do so, I look back up at the top shelf. By golly there is another bottle up there. 

After what were probably 8 stores with no success, I ended up having a very successful hunt and came home with not one but two bottles of Stagg Jr. I was as proud of the hunt as Billy was with his hounds in Where the Red Fern Grows. Couldn’t wait to get home and crack a bottle to taste this unicorn for the first time!

I have been on a few hunts since this fortunate day, but have not been that lucky! I figure my luck will take some more time to replenish! Yes, I have finished one of those bottles and no I haven’t cracked the second bottle just yet. I will someday and it will be delicious! 

What is your hunting story? What is it about the hunt that captivates you—is it the chase, the find, or the taste of victory in each sip? Share your most memorable bourbon hunt story in the comments below or on our Facebook group with the hashtag #BourbonHuntTales. Let's celebrate our victories and learn from each other's quests! Don’t feel like writing a story? Snap a pic of your finds to share with you fellow hunters!

 Enjoy the read? Don't forget to share!

Sip Wiselee