The Great Whisky Robberies – Famous Whisky Heists from Over the Years

September 4, 2025

Over the decades, and even the centuries for that matter, whisky has enjoyed a somewhat “questionable” history in the eyes of the law.

Over here in the UK, across the gorgeous Scottish countryside, illegal distilleries would pop up almost anywhere in an effort to avoid extortionate taxes. Stateside, during the age of Prohibition, we saw very similar scenes, and whiskey smuggling became very big business.

Now fully legal, our beloved whisky has proved extremely lucrative with some bottles selling at auction for literally millions. Because of this, it isn’t just whisky-lovers such as ourselves that the spirit has attracted. Turns out, criminals all over the world have targeted whisky, with varying levels of success.

While hardly criminal masterminds, a select few unsavoury characters over the years have managed to illegally get away with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of whisky, and that is truly heartbreaking for me.

As much as it hurts, for today’s post I’m going to put on a brave face, dredge up these painful memories, and look at a few famous whisky heists from over the years.

The Infamous Glenglassaugh Gift Shop Heist

This first story is one I remember hearing about at the time, and it’s stuck with me since, largely because of what the thieves took.

Just over a decade ago, employees at Speyside’s Glenglassaugh Distillery gift shop got a shock when they opened up one June morning in 2014, to find they’d been robbed in the night. Thieves had broken in and helped themselves to a number of 37-year-old and 40-year-old single malts, valued at more than £10,000!

The part that stuck with me the most, though, was that the thieves must have been big fans of Glenglassaugh whisky, as they also decided to pinch branded Glenglassaugh hoodies, sweatshirts, and other merch, as if the ten grand worth of stolen whisky wasn’t enough. The cheek!

As of this writing, the thieves have never been caught, though they obviously had good taste in clothing, as well as whisky.

The ‘Pappygate’ Robbery

Pappy Van Winkle is one of the most lucrative bourbon whiskies on the market today. Pappygate, as it has been dubbed, is one of the most well-known whiskey thefts in history. It is so well-known in fact, that it was the subject of a Netflix documentary entitled ‘Heist – Bourbon King’.

In the summer of 2013, a routine stock take at Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery, revealed that the distillery was missing over 200 bottles of 20-Year-Old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon whiskey, along with a selection of other drams, including a cask of Eagle Rare, with an estimated market value of over $100,000!

A year later, following an anonymous tip, authorities arrested a man named Gilbert ‘Toby’ Curtsinger, who was actually an employee at the distillery. Now, back in the early days of whisky distillation in Scotland, it wasn’t uncommon for workers to help themselves to a little freebie now and then, thanks to a tool known as a ‘copper dog’, which I wrote about recently. This was essentially a copper pipe with a coin soldered to one end, that distillery workers would dip into the casks, fill up, and bung a stopper in the other end. They’d then strap it to their leg and walk out with their ill-gotten gains after a long day in the distillery.

Curtsinger however, wasn’t just stealing a few drams, he’d been running a whiskey-theft ring, consisting of 10 other members who also worked at various distilleries.

It is believed that the anonymous tip came from one of Curtis’ gang, following a falling out. Curtsinger was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty, yet was released from jail just over a month later. They do say there’s no honour among thieves.

The Glenfiddich 50-Year-Old Single Malt Theft

Perhaps one of the most brazen thefts on my list today, is the case of a 2013 Glenfiddich whisky theft in Canada.

In the middle of the day, a man strolled into a Toronto liquor store, broke open a locked display case containing a 50-year-old bottle of Glenfiddich single malt, grabbed the bottle, stuffed it into his jacket, and walked out, seemingly with not a care in the world.

The bottle was valued at over $26,000 and was one of only fifty.

The South African Jack Daniel’s Robbery

Listen, I’m as partial to a JD as the next person, but I certainly wouldn’t go to the lengths a group of thieves in South Africa went to, to get my hands on some freebies.

In 2018, a truck carrying a shipment of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey was pulled over by two vehicles fitted with flashing blue lights. Six men then got out of the cars dressed as police officers. They told the driver it was a routine police check, before they hijacked the truck and made off with over $240,000 worth of JD.

Authorities later arrested the gang along with most of the stolen whiskey, though a substantial amount was still missing and was never recovered.

The Tragic Case of the Old Farm Pure Rye Thief

Finally, we have one of the saddest tales on our list today. If you’ve ever been letdown by somebody you thought you could trust, this one will really hit you in the feels.

In 2012, hidden in the walls of a Pennsylvania property, several cases of pre-prohibition Old Farm Pure Rye whiskey were discovered, with an estimated value of over $100,000 due to their age and historical significance.

The property’s owner, Patricia Hill, intended to sell the whiskey at auction and use the money to help renovate the property into a B&B. Unfortunately, Patricia had hired a family-friend named John Saunders to help assist with the renovation and serve as caretaker. As he was a family friend, Patricia of course trusted him and told him all about the whiskey she’d discovered, and where it was kept.

A year of so later, Patricia decided to check in on her whiskey, only to find that more than half of it was missing. Some bottles had even been half-guzzled and simply tossed aside.

Distraught, Patricia called the police, and as Saunders was the only other person aware of the whiskey, he was arrested. DNA testing later confirmed it was indeed Saunders who had opened and drank the whiskey.

Before he could stand trial however, he died of natural causes, probably relating to his liver, though that’s just speculation on my part.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: Famous Whisky HeistsWhisky Robberies

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.