AP News reported on Saturday that Westland Distillery lost 12,000 bottles of a rare release during a liquor heist that took place in the summer. The losses amounted to a total of $1 million.
Notably, some of the pilfered product is Westland’s Garryana release, which is the distillery’s first 10-year-old whiskey. Due to its rarity, industry insiders like WhiskyCast Podcast Host Mark Gillespie shared on an episode that the thieves will probably have a hard time offloading the juice.
“It’s going to be really hard for whoever took this to actually get this onto the market, because what they took was so rare and everybody knows about it,” said WhiskyCast Podcast Host, Mark Gillespie, according to AP News. “We see these thefts occasionally in Scotland, where thieves will steal a trailer full of whiskey — and it usually ends up in Russia.”
Gillespie shared on his podcast that this release is Westland’s first decade-old Garryana whiskey. The whiskey podcaster shared that most craft distilleries in America are on the younger side, so to drop a 10-year-old whiskey is “an accomplishment” for the brand.
As for how the theft took place? According to AP News, the bottles disappeared after an individual with a freight truck appeared at the distillery with paperwork declaring they were picking up some Westland single malt, Watchpost blended and Garryana whiskeys that would be shipped to New Jersey. The bottles never made it there.
Westland’s Managing Director Jason Moore claimed that the incident was “an unfortunate and pretty extraordinary situation.” Though the losses were substantial, the fact that the distillery is owned by Remy Cointreau implies that Westland has the capital to make it through this hurdle.
Still, Gillespie urges prospective buyers to be vigillant.
“If somebody tries to offer you a case of Westland Whiskey right now, I’d call the cops.”
More About Westland Distillery
Westland rose to fame for its distinctive releases that celebrate the Pacific Northwest. Remy Cointreau purchased the craft spirits brand in 2016.
In July, the brand dropped two new releases within its Cask Exploration Series, which launched in 2024. Both whiskeys feature a $74.99 pricepoint. The team finished one in a mixture of red wine casks like Tempranillo, Washington Red Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The other whiskey spent time finishing in a mixture of ale casks, including an Imperial Munich Lager, Foudre Ale, Porter, Stout and Brown Ale casks.
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