[2][3][4] The name "dusty" refers to the fact that many such now-collectible bottles had been sitting on a liquor store shelf or unopened in a home or in a restaurant bar for years, collecting dust.
[4] In the United States, sales of vintage liquor is generally illegal, the exception being Kentucky, which is a frequent hunting ground for dusties for a variety of reasons.
[5] According to bourbon expert Fred Minnick, laws surrounding the resale of liquor are “usually about restricting or empowering distilleries.
While distillers historically included bourbon in employee compensation packages, Kentucky is part of the Bible Belt, an area of the United States where many disapprove of drinking alcohol[5] and where the temperance movement retains some adherents.
[citation needed] In Kentucky it is not uncommon to find unopened cases dating back decades stored in attics or basements.
[10] Until the 2010s, it was not uncommon for collectors of vintage spirits to find bottles in liquor stores that had gone unsold for decades and buy them at their original sticker price.
[2] Top professionals use sources such as chefs, writers, and owners of liquor stores who have knowledge of collections in their local area.