In brief
The theft of nearly $1 million worth of craft whiskey from Westland Distillery has raised concerns about the fate of their rare 10-year Garryana whiskey. Authorities are investigating a fraud scheme that allowed the culprits to successfully steal half of the distillery's stock. Industry experts highlight the challenges of selling such distinctive stolen goods, while Westland remains optimistic about recovery and continuing to produce quality whiskey.
In an extraordinary summer heist, thieves managed to steal 12,000 bottles of craft whiskey valued at nearly $1 million from Westland Distillery. This theft not only deprived the Seattle-based distillery of their first 10-year Garryana whiskey, but it also shocked the whiskey community, which is now left wondering about the potential fate of these coveted bottles.
The incident occurred on July 31 when the culprits, posing as legitimate carriers, presented fraudulent paperwork to pick up a shipment from the distillery's warehouse in Burlington, Washington. The bottles were intended for New Jersey, but the heist quickly unraveled a week later when the deception was detected.
Westland Distillery’s managing director, Jason Moore, remarked, “This is an unfortunate and pretty extraordinary situation.” The 10th anniversary edition bottles of Garryana, crafted over a decade, are irreplaceable.
The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation, while industry experts speculate on the challenges of selling such recognizable stolen goods. Mark Gillespie, host of the WhiskyCast podcast, emphasized, “It’s going to be really hard for whoever took this to actually get this onto the market.”
The distinctiveness of Westland’s Garryana whiskey, which is aged in casks made from the native Quercus garryana oak tree, has contributed to its fame and demand. The 2023 edition was even named the third best whiskey in the world by Whisky Advocate magazine. Despite losing such significant stock, Westland has focused on maintaining its customer relations and securing its supply chain.
Moore believes the distillery will navigate through this setback, especially after being acquired by the Paris-based Remy Cointreau Group in 2016. He stated, “This is an extremely rare thing, and while it’s a setback, we’re confident that we’re going to get to share this whiskey.” Meanwhile, experts warn consumers to only buy through legal channels to avoid involvement in this ongoing theft saga.
