Rare Kentucky Bourbon Stolen from Historic Distillery

Sixty-five cases of 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle were swiped in an alleged inside job

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Buffalo Trace

The Buffalo Trace warehouse.

If you thought that Pappy Van Winkle—the most highly-coveted bourbon in the world—was hard to find before, you better believe it won’t be any easier now.

Sixty-five cases of the 20-year-old variety have been stolen from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in what the Franklin County Sheriff’s office is calling an inside job. Though the theft was only just reported on Tuesday, according to the Courier-Journal, police believe the bourbon has been getting swiped from the distillery for the last few months. A new batch of the highly sought-after bourbon—approximately 7,000 cases—is released each fall.

The sheriff’s office says that the pilfered bourbon has a retail value of $25,350. Unlike stolen jewelry, however, Pappy has a far greater street value. Bottles of the 20-year-old bourbon—which its bottled at 90.4 proof and has seen its popularity explode in recent years—are often sold for hundreds of dollars (if you’re lucky enough to find a bottle or make your way to the front of lengthy waiting lists).

Pappy Van Winkle is also offered in 15-year and 23-year varieties, though many experts claim the award-winning 20-year iteration is the best of the trio. “This is the mac daddy,” county sheriff Pat Melton said on Wednesday.

There are currently no suspects in the case.

(Courier-Journal)