According to station WKYT in Frankfort, Ky., around 65 cases of rare, 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon have been stolen from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
The Frankfort-based distillery produces the coveted brand, bottling only about 7,000 cases per year of Pappy, which is the No.1-rated bourbon whiskey in the world (according to their website). The suggested retail price of a bottle of the 20-year is around $130, so the bourbon bandits made off with more than $25,000 worth of booze. They reportedly also stole some 13-year Pappy rye.
When bourbon ages for such a long time, much of it evaporates as the "angel's share." "Many barrels often yield less than 20 gallons out of the original 53 gallons produced," Julian Van Winkle, president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, according to a 2012 press release.
Frankfort County sheriffs are consider the heist an inside job. And while the bottles may have been stolen over the past couple of months, their disappearance was noted on Tuesday.
We imagine those who just got thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of the world's best bourbon for free will probably not be returning it, so way to make a rare brand even rarer, burglars. Can't wait to see how much bottles will going for on ebay (an empty bottle is on there now for $69.99).
