OHLQ Announces Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon and Rye Lottery - Starting October 24

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced an upcoming lottery for bottles of Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon and Rye. The lottery will begin at 8:00 a.m. on October 24 and end at 8:00 p.m. on October 28th. Bottles may only be picked up from a select set of 16 stores (details below). Per the announcement page: 'Please note:  while you may enter for any or all products at any or all locations, you are only eligible to win the right to purchase one bottle from one location.'

It's unclear if selecting more stores increases your odds of winning. I have a question out to OHLQ and will update this if I hear back.  

Details

The bottles available for this lottery are:

• Willett Family Estate 6 Year Bourbon – $130.99 (Plus Tax) - A light and oaky aroma with dusty and funky undertones preludes an earthy, smooth flavor profile that finishes sweet on the mid-palate — a decidedly distinct bourbon.
  
  
• Willett Family Estate 7 Year Bourbon – $175.99 (Plus Tax) - A red wine lover’s delight, this selection is complex on the nose with hints of coffee, dark fruit, and herbal notes, followed by a viscous sweetness on the front palate brightened by baking spices, and concludes with a long-lasting finish.
  
  
• Willett Family Estate 8 Year Bourbon – $235.99 (Plus Tax) - Creamy, nutty almonds alongside vanilla, mint, and candied cinnamon aromas arise on the nose, continuing to an effervescent blend of sweet and spice to taste, with a lingering finish from front to mid-palate.
  
  
• Willett Family Estate 7 Year Rye – $175.99 (Plus Tax) - Infused with uniqueness, this rye begins with an herbal and floral nose that heralds minty, balanced flavor with sweet undertones, finishing on the front palate with a delicate layer of wood sawdust. 
  
  
• Willett Family Estate 10 Year Rye – $360.99 (Plus Tax) - A rye that bourbon taste buds will love, this selection begins with a balanced aroma, complemented by a brown sugar profile of mellow rye spice, and a finish that can only be described as “classically Willett.” 

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. Winners will be notified on November 4th by email of their winning product, purchase location, and purchasing time period.

The locations to enter are

Northwest:

• Walt Churchill’s Market, Maumee
• Joseph’s Beverage Center, Toledo
• Beverage Barn, Findlay
• Pauken Wine and Liquor, Maumee

Northeast:

• Giant Eagle, Solon
• A&C Southway, Youngstown
• Joe D’s Beverage, North Royalton
• Top Shelf, Canton

Central:

• Giant Eagle, Kingsdale
• Ale Wine & Spirits, Powell
• Giant Eagle, Grandview Yard

Southeast:

•  The Pit Stop, Lancaster

Southwest:  

• Spirits of Madeira, Madeira
• Springboro Spirits, Springboro
• Arrow Wine & Spirits, Mason
• O’Bryan’s Wine & Spirits, Loveland

You can enter at ohlq.com once the lottery is live.

My Take

This is a very strange lottery with the limited number of stores where winners can pick up the bottles. It's unclear if selecting more stores increases your chances of winning... this would mean that each location would have a certain number of bottles and would almost be a separate lottery. Usually on these, the participants select one store to pick it up from and everyone has the same odds. Having 16 separate lotteries seems like a lot of extra burden... not only for consumers, but also OHLQ. I've reached out to them for an explanation and will update this post if I hear. 

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

Source: OHLQ