$26,000 of Pappy Van Winkle stolen, worth $75K on street

Things just got tougher if this was the year you were determined to get your hands on super-bourbon Pappy Van Winkle. $26,000 of the rare spirit was stolen from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

OldRipVanWinkle

A thief, who we can only assume was related to Thomas Crown, stole 65 cases (3-bottles) of 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle worth $25,350 and an additional $675 worth of 13-year-old Van Winkle Family Reserve rye. It’s suspected to be an inside job, and I’d suggest starting with whomever likes rye whiskey the most. You know those extra bottles were just for his personal stash.

While Pappy Van Winkle 20 sells for $130 at retail, value on the streets is a completely different story. An empty bottle is currently bid at $30.50 on eBay right now. An empty bottle!

On Craigslist in Louisville there are bottles listed for $700 and $800 as well as someone offering to buy for $300. If they end up selling for $400, which was about the going rate last year assuming you could find a seller, that’s a $78,000 haul. Not a bad take for some old water.