Category: OHLQ Lottery

OHLQ 2022 Autumn Bottle Lottery Announced – Starting November 7th

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the Autumn Bourbon Bottle Lottery. The lottery will begin at 12:01 a.m. on November 7th and end at 11:59 p.m. on November 14. This lottery includes: Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel ProofKing of K…

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the Autumn Bourbon Bottle Lottery. The lottery will begin at 12:01 a.m. on November 7th and end at 11:59 p.m. on November 14. This lottery includes: 

  • Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof
  • King of Kentucky
  • Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond 17 Year
  • Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2022
  • Weller C.Y.P.B.

In order to enter, you'll need to provide the following:
  • Ohio Driver’s License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win
Must be 21 years old. Military service members stationed in Ohio are also eligible to enter. 

Prices & Historical Odds

It looks like this is a combination of last years Expensive Bourbon Lottery and another lottery they had in October. Out are the crazy expensive bottles from the expensive lottery (Double Eagle Very Rare, Michter's 25 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and OFC Bourbon 1993) as well as Rock Hill Farms Bourbon Barrel and the Parkers Heritage Collection. 
  • Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof - $69.99 + tax
  • King of Kentucky - $259.99 + tax (up from $249.98 in 2021)
  • Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond 17 Year - $199.99 + tax
  • Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2022 - $159.99 + tax (up from $149.98 in 2021)
  • Weller C.Y.P.B. - $49.99 + tax
It's hard to do a 1 for 1 mapping of historical odds, but similar lotteries in the past are:

2021 - Parker's, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, Mister Sam - 49,625 entries for 631 bottles - 1.27% chance of winning

2022 - Michter's 20 Year, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond (11 year), Parker's Heritage 15th Edition, Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, Weller 12 Year - 55,272 entries for 966 bottles - 1.74% chance of winning

My Take

All of these bottles are in huge demand so this is probably our only chance to ever pick them up at retail prices. I usually enter for everything except the King of Kentucky because I don't know anything about that brand, however, people always trash me in the comments for that so maybe I'll include that in my entry this year. Hopefully, this will be the lottery we all start our winning streak on!

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below. 


Source: OHLQ

Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) Announces Spring Bottle Lottery – Old Fitzgerald 11, Parker’s Heritage, and More – Live Now

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced what they are calling their Spring 2022 Lottery for Michter’s 20 Year, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond (11 year), Parker’s Heritage 15th Edition, Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, an…

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced what they are calling their Spring 2022 Lottery for Michter’s 20 Year, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond (11 year), Parker’s Heritage 15th Edition, Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, and Weller 12 Year. 

The lottery starts April 4th and ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 11th. As mentioned, this lottery is for the following: 
  • Weller 12 Year - 90 Proof - $39.98 
    • Caramel runs through this like a river, with eddies of vanilla, mint, toast, mocha, and pancake syrup. It has a nice but not overpowering char and oak, a little cinnamon, raspberry, blackberry, and raisin.
    • Aromas of lanolin, almond oil, and creamed corn. 
  • Michter's Single Barrel 20 - 114.2 Proof - $749.99
    • Intense notes of black cherry, rich molasses, honeysuckle, roasted pecans, and toasted charred oak.
  • Old Fitzgerald 11 Year with Decanter - 100 Proof - $109.99
    • Aroma: Soft, subtle notes of toasted bread, red cherries, and oak sweetness.
    • Taste: Brown sugar and toasted oak, followed by caramel and butterscotch with a creamy mouthfeel.
    • Finish: Medium-long and warming, baking spice notes with hints of barrel smoke and char.
  • Parker's Heritage Collection 15th Edition: Heavy Char Wheat - 122 Proof - $139.99
    • Aroma: Honey and soft oak with subtle cinnamon and nutmeg spices.
    • Taste: Rich, soft, and sweet with hints of molasses and butterscotch.
    • Finish: Long and warm, fading to pepper spices.
  • Heaven Hill Heritage Collection - 118 Proof - $274.99
    • Nose: Vanilla, old wood, and aged oak.
    • Taste: Walnut, cedar, and leather.
    • Finish: Caramel, smoke, and char.

In order to enter, you'll need to provide the following:

  • Ohio Driver’s License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win

All entries must be submitted online at the OHLQ lottery website and must be purchased at the Ohio Liquor location designated during submission. Entry is free. 

My Take

I'll be entering for the Old Fitzgerald and Weller. I don't have a desire for the expensive bottles and I'm not usually a fan of wheat. However, I know there is a HUGE secondary market in Ohio (even though it's technically illegal) and these bottles will fetch a giant price. For instance, I couldn't find the Heaven Hill online (I think this is actually a 27 year, not 17 year like the State website says) and it's retailing for $2-3k. The Michter's 20 is going for 7k and up... As always, best of luck to my readers. I hope we win all the bottles!

What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.


Source: OHLQ

OHLQ Announces Lottery – Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill High Proof Single Barrel – Starting March 7 (today)

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced a Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill High Proof Single Barrel bottle lottery. This is a lottery to win the opportunity to purchase a a bottle at 16 select store locations. The lottery begins at 12:01 a.m. Ma…

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced a Jack Daniel's Coy Hill High Proof Single Barrel bottle lottery. This is a lottery to win the opportunity to purchase a a bottle at 16 select store locations. The lottery begins at 12:01 a.m. March 7 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 11, 2022.

Entrants must be an Ohio resident 21 years or older and the following is required:
  • Ohio Driver’s License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win

Bottles are $64.99 plus tax and contains the following tasting notes:

  • Aging in our most elevated barrel houses where extreme conditions create complex whiskeys
  • Dark burnished wood hue with aromas of seared oak and dark brown sugar
  • Each sip explodes with bold baking spices, toffee, and smoke
  • Rich leather lingers almost infinitely
New with this is you can enter separately at all 16 locations, but you are only eligible to win 1 bottle. You can enter the lottery by going to THIS LINK and selecting the store(s) you want to enter, then filling out the information. 

Additional information

The ingredients and whiskey-making process are the same as for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey — 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, mellowed drop by drop through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal before entering the barrel. Aged on the top floor, similar to Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel collection, it's how we create our most complex whiskey. Coy Hill High Proof is bottled in its purest form straight from the barrel, uncut at full proof.

The Select store locations are:

NORTHWEST:

  • Joseph's Beverage Center, Toledo
  • Pauken Wine & Liquor, Maumee
  • Beverage Barn, Findlay

NORTHEAST:

  • Giant Eagle, Warren
  • Minotti's Rocky River Wine Shop, Rocky River
  • Chagrin Valley Beverage, Warrensville Heights
  • Buehler's North Court, Medina
  • Fishers Foods, Canton

CENTRAL:

  • The Hills Market, Columbus
  • Chateau Wine & Spirits, Dublin
  • 1837 Wine and Spirits, Gahanna

SOUTHEAST:

  • Houch's, Chillicothe
  • Food Center Emporium, Caldwell
  • The Pit Stop, Lancaster

SOUTHWEST:

  • Kroger, Engelwood
  • Red Bank Wine and Liquor, Cincinnati
My Take

When I first saw this, I thought I was going to sit this one out... but after a quick Google Search... the retail for these bottles goes upwards of $1000 (note: reselling bottles is illegal in Ohio). In terms of the lottery itself... what a pain in the butt to have to submit individually for each store. I don't think it would have been much more effort to do it by region or have the person select which location they want to pay for the bottle at (similar to EVERY OTHER OHLQ LOTTERY!!!). Alas. Anyway, this is a lottery I recommend entering. 

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below. 

Source: OHLQ

OHLQ Pappy Lottery Historical Odds Break Down

As I’m sure you know, this week is the Pappy Van Winkle lottery through the Ohio Department of Liquor… perhaps our only opportunity to purchase a bottle without spending multiple paychecks. I’ve been tracking the OHLQ lotteries since 2018 so we’…

As I'm sure you know, this week is the Pappy Van Winkle lottery through the Ohio Department of Liquor... perhaps our only opportunity to purchase a bottle without spending multiple paychecks. 

I've been tracking the OHLQ lotteries since 2018 so we're looking at three historical years. As you can see by the chart below (or not see, the image appears a bit blurry), the range of bottles is from 359 to 493 per lottery and the odds of winning have never been higher than 0.688%... or 1 in 145... meaning... if I live another 141 years, I should definitely win. 

One other thing to note, is the number of entries spiked last year. A lot of that could be due to the pandemic with more people at home. It could also be that interest in bourbon continues to rise. It'll be really interesting to see how many entries are received this year. 


The takeaway for me is the odds of winning are really bad, but, like being a Minnesota Twins fan... this is the year it all comes together for me!

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below. 

Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) Announces Bonus? Lottery – Baker’s Single Barrel Select

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced what they are calling a ‘Bonus’ lottery for a limited supply of Baker’s Single Barrel Select for $99.99 + tax per bottle. By making this a ‘Bonus’ lottery, the State has made it much more inconve…

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced what they are calling a 'Bonus' lottery for a limited supply of Baker’s Single Barrel Select for $99.99 + tax per bottle. By making this a 'Bonus' lottery, the State has made it much more inconvenient for anyone interested in entering or anyone who wins. For instance, the lottery is only open beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, December 1, and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 5 as opposed to the usual week. Additionally, if you win the chance to purchase a bottle, there are only 16 locations where you can purchase your bottle as opposed to every OHLQ location.

There are two barrels allocated for Ohio:
  • Barrel 1476919 - 107 PROOF (CENTRAL, SOUTHEAST, AND SOUTHWEST) - With flavors of dark chocolate & cocoa that coat the palate and aromas of vanilla & candied pecans roasting in the oven, this select barrel has an almost desert-like quality. The finish is well-rounded, ending with notes of light tobacco and espresso.
  • Barrel 1476968 - 107 PROOF (NORTHWEST AND NORTHEAST) - This complex bourbon with a robust finish has flavors reminiscent of chewy caramel changing to light butterscotch as it travels across your palate, and a citrusy aroma of bright orange zest leading to a soft char.
In order to enter, you'll need to provide the following:
  • Ohio Driver’s License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win

All entries must be submitted online at the OHLQ lottery website and must be purchased at the Ohio Liquor location designated during submission. Entry is free. 

My Take

As far as I can tell, this is the 7th lottery already this year and lottery fatigue is definitely starting to set in. As far as the product, $99.99 + tax seems like a fair price and I recommend you enter. Especially around the holidays... this could make a really cool gift for your friends (or favorite blogger). 

What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.


Source: OHLQ

OHLQ Announces Parker’s, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam Lottery Winners

The Ohio Department of Liquor has posted the results of the 2021 Parker’s, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam lottery. Sadly, there were zero Mark R.’s who were winners, keeping my lifetime losing streak intact. F…

The Ohio Department of Liquor has posted the results of the 2021 Parker's, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam lottery. Sadly, there were zero Mark R.'s who were winners, keeping my lifetime losing streak intact. 

For this lottery, there were 631 available bottles and 49,625 entries... which puts the odds at 1.27% or 1 in 79. I requested from OHLQ the breakout of number of bottles available of each product and number of entries for each product, but did not receive the information.  

Some of my favorite winners....

  • Zubin N. 1156284
  • khristopher o. 1150609
  • Christopher B. 1121249
  • John W. 1153882
  • Quincey D. 1132548
  • Adam R. 1117973

Congrats to all the winners. To see the entire list, click here. 

Let’s Have An Honest Talk About These OHLQ Lotteries

Ohio laws are such that the only way liquor can be sold is through the State. It’s a ridiculous system that harms the consumer by allowing a monopoly and limits the availability and flow of the products that consumers actually want. I would also argue …

Ohio laws are such that the only way liquor can be sold is through the State. It's a ridiculous system that harms the consumer by allowing a monopoly and limits the availability and flow of the products that consumers actually want. I would also argue that it costs Ohio millions and millions in lost tax revenue by consumers going to neighboring states to buy bottles they can't get in Ohio. Another casualty of this policy is that no liquor can be ordered online, neglecting Ohioans the opportunity to buy many wonderful bourbons. 

Additionally, the State runs several lotteries throughout the year... presumably to fairly allocate a limited supply of hard to find bourbons and whiskeys... These lotteries are becoming more and more prevalent each year... in fact, this year alone, we're already on our 7th lottery. 

All this is fine in a vacuum... the lotteries are supposed to make to make the high demand bourbons available to everyone in a fair way.... the allocation of bourbons are supposed to make it so everyone and all various locations across the State have fair access when non-lottery bourbons are released, and not having online sales is supposed to keep consumers safe? Not really sure on the logic on the no online sales. Let's focus on each one individually. 

Lotteries

Since the start of COVID, the State has relied more on lotteries than geographical limited releases. This makes sense in order to limit in-person interactions... especially before there was an effective vaccine. Everything was going fine until some eyebrows were raised when 5 individuals won multiple times in the same lottery (in this lottery, there was a Pappy Van Winkle and a Buffalo Trace lotter). The odds of winning one bottle were 0.364% (around 1 in 270)... I'm no mathematician, but I'm fairly confident the odds of winning two are going to be worse than winning one... and for it to happen 5 times certainly brings up questions. 

The second issue with the lotteries is the complete lack of transparency from the State. I did an information request from the October lottery so I could report to the wonderful people of Ohio what the final odds were. This hasn't been a problem in the 20+ lotteries I've covered... however, this time, the State has outright refused to provide this information, even questioning when and where the data would be published... If the State won't provide information on how winners are chosen (I've heard rumors that it's through an excel query), or provide the number of entries or other information, it's hard to believe that the lotteries are done in a fair way. 

Allocation

There are countless stories of people somehow knowing about allocation before the inventory is available... Check this reddit thread of someone who got an 'insider tip' and arrived at the store at 3:30am only to find 12+ people already there. 

Another issue I've personally seen is stores hoarding the allocated releases behind the counter or in the back office and not making them available to the general public (Arena Liquor, I'm looking in your direction). It also means that if you want a hard to find bottle, the only option you have is to troll various sites or Facebook groups to find ahead of time when allocation leaks, and then stand in line with the others for ungodly amounts of time. A better system would be to decentralize everything and allow the stores to compete on price and selection

Summary

With everything detailed above, it's fair to question the Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) practices and if everything is above board. Without providing lottery specifics (number of entries, way users are selected), I'm beginning to question the fairness and legitimacy of the lotteries and with so many issues about allocation, it's time to start thinking about OHLQ in a bigger picture and start questioning many of their processes, which have become antiquated and adversely impact all Ohioans. I think we can all agree this isn't the System we want.... it's sad that it's our only option. 

Last Day to Enter Parker’s, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam Lottery

 Today is the last day to enter the The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) lottery for the following:Rock Hill Farms Bourbon Barrel ($54.99)Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey ($249.98)Old Fitzgerald BIB 8 Yr Decanter ($85.00)Old Fitzgerald BIB 13 Yr Decante…

 Today is the last day to enter the The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) lottery for the following:

  • Rock Hill Farms Bourbon Barrel ($54.99)
  • Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey ($249.98)
  • Old Fitzgerald BIB 8 Yr Decanter ($85.00)
  • Old Fitzgerald BIB 13 Yr Decanter ($139.99)
  • Parkers Heritage Collection 10 YR Heavy Char. ($119.99)

The lottery ends at 11:59 p.m. on October 18th. You can enter at this site. In order to enter, you'll need to provide the following:
  • Ohio Driver's License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win
Good luck everyone!

Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) Announces Another Lottery We’re Not Going to Win – Parker’s, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced yet another lottery. This time for bottles of Parker’s, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam. This new lottery will begin at 12:01 a.m. on October 11th and en…

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced yet another lottery. This time for bottles of Parker's, Old Fitzgerald 8, Old Fitzgerald 13, Rock Hill Farms, and Mister Sam. This new lottery will begin at 12:01 a.m. on October 11th and end at 11:59 p.m. on October 18th.



In order to enter, you'll need to provide the following:
  • Ohio Driver’s License Number / Ohio Identification Card Number
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address
  • Preferred OHLQ store location for purchasing the product if you win
Should you win, the prices are:
  • Parker's ($119.99 plus tax)
  • Old Fitzgerald 8 ($85.00 plus tax)
  • Old Fitzgerald 13 ($139.99 plus tax)
  • Rock Hill Farms ($54.99 plus tax)
  • Mister Sam ($249.98 plus tax).
All entries must be submitted online at the OHLQ lottery website and must be purchased at the Ohio Liquor location designated during submission. Entry is free. 

The OHLQ had a similar lottery last year... below is the breakdown of entries, bottles available, and your overall odds of winning.


My Take

This lottery isn't super exciting to me. I haven't had experience with any of these brands so I don't really have much interest or advice on this lottery. The Old Fitzgerald 8 seems intriguing... if for no other reason than it comes in a really nice bottle. The rest seem kind of 'meh to me... 

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below. 


Source: OHLQ