Rare $1 Million Whiskey Heist Targets Westland Garryana 10-Year Edition
Distillery in Burlington, Washington, contends with the loss of its first 10-year Garryana edition as investigators pursue leads and collectors watch for where the bottles may surface.
Thieves stole 12,000 bottles of Westland Distillery's craft whiskey valued at about $1 million from a Burlington, Washington, warehouse on July 31. The haul included Westland's first 10-year Garryana edition, a limited release the distillery spent more than a decade producing. Investigators with the Skagit County Sheriff's Office are pursuing leads, and whiskey enthusiasts are watching for the Garryana bottles, which are highly collectible and irreplaceable.
Authorities say the theft unfolded when a freight truck arrived at Westland's facility with paperwork that purported to authorize the pickup of a shipment of Westland single malt, Watchpost blended, and Garryana whiskies bound for New Jersey. The bottles never reached their destination, and the heist was discovered about a week later as the company reviewed pallets and documents. Westland's managing director Jason Moore described the incident as an extremely rare and extraordinary situation for the Seattle area distillery.
Westland's Garryana 10-year edition is a standout for a craft distillery. Only 7,500 bottles are released this year, with roughly 3,000 already sold through retailers, restaurants, and the company's own channels. The whiskey is crafted to reflect Pacific Northwest terroir, using locally produced barley, peat harvested from an Olympic Peninsula bog, and a yeast strain selected to accent regional flavors. The Garryana edition is aged in casks made from Quercus garryana oak, which grows in the Pacific Northwest and helps distinguish the line. The 2023 edition was named the third-best whiskey in the world by Whisky Advocate magazine, underscoring its status among collectors and connoisseurs.
The loss highlights the challenges of moving rare spirits within the United States. The three-tier distribution system, under which producers sell to distributors who sell to retailers and on premise accounts, can complicate the movement of large quantities through legitimate channels. Mark Gillespie, host of WhiskyCast, said the Garryana edition's rarity makes it difficult to launder or resell in the U.S., though he noted that odd routes toward Europe or other markets sometimes occur. The theft comes as Westland has been owned by Remy Cointreau since 2016, a factor some observers say could help the company withstand a loss of this magnitude.
Westland says it has stepped up security and supply chain protections while continuing to serve customers. Moore said the company remains focused on sharing its whiskey and engaging with supporters, adding that the setback is something the company hopes to overcome as it pursues the investigation. The Garryana program has earned awards, and remaining bottles are likely to see increased demand on the secondary market if the theft is not resolved; however, the market for U.S. secondary sales of alcohol is limited by law and enforcement.
Industry observers caution that the theft, if not resolved, could affect perceptions of risk in craft whiskey supply chains, but Westland's overall resilience—backed by a major parent company—could help it weather the loss. The Skagit County Sheriff's Office did not respond to requests for comment.