Is stolen Pappy Van Winkle bourbon the most exclusive item on the planet?

WHEN the waiting list for your product is ten years long, you know it's good. But after cases of this exclusive item were stolen in a daring heist, no one is immune from suspicion.

Bourbon lovers queue to get their hands on a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. Picture: Twitter.

THERE are things people will do anything to get. And then there's Pappy Van Winkle's.

The Kentucky bourbon is arguably one of the most sought after items in the world, revered by gourmands and ordinary drinkers alike for its rich flavour and intensity.

However after 65 cases of the famous drop went missing, the great bourbon mystery has become the subject of a police investigation that has cast suspicion on everyone from celebrity chefs to high school principals.

Words can't describe how indescribably amazing this tastes #pappyvanwinkle pic.twitter.com/1dT1wlbb4K

— Steve Zych (@Stevie_nowonder) January 2, 2014

It all started 23 years ago when bourbon was distinctly unpopular and brewed in limited amounts, Kernel Magreports.

Fast forward two decades and the "lavish aromas of caramelised pecans, chocolate fudge, and rich baking spices," in Pappy Van Winkle's have led to slavish devotion from fans who will do anything to get their hands on a drop.

They queue for hours outside the Kentucky distillery, or sign up for a ten year waiting list for a bottle of the $200 drink.

@Bourdain A pic of the line @ 730 AM @thepartysource in N.KY just across the Ohio from Cinci to buy @pappyvanwinkle pic.twitter.com/9232PYJ4AI

— craig beachler (@CraigBeachler) October 12, 2013

Those who can't wait might try their luck at a ballot, while others track it online using specialist apps, or make their own version of "poor man's Pappy" at home.

Julian Preston Van Winkle - a descendant of the original Pappy - said even money can't buy access to the exclusive product.

"We have people with literally billions of dollars who can't find a bottle … They'd have an easier time buying our company," he told Kernel Mag.

Line to vote? Nope. Line for @pappyvanwinkle at 6pm today. #KyPriorities pic.twitter.com/FVKMN53g

— Bourbon PR (@BourbonPR) November 7, 2012

But late last year, 65 cases of the drink, which has been awarded 99 out of 100 by the Beverage Tasting Institute, were stolen in a heist that has mystified the local town and been referred to as the "bourbon theft of the decade" by NBC.

The net of suspicion has been cast wide, with police interviewing more than 100 people including staff members at the company and the local high school principal.

Even celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain tweeted he was considered a "person or interest" in the investigation, Kernel Mag reports.

The line for a Pappy Van Winkle raffle stretches around the Brownsboro Rd. Party Mart and outside. pic.twitter.com/bPUst81IHd

— Theo Keith (@TheoKeith) November 19, 2013

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction.

However some suspect the heist is an inside job or marketing stunt.

Lawyer Doug Hubbard told a local reporter the story "doesn't feel right," and he thinks the stolen cases may have benefited Pappy's marketing department more than anyone else.

New York bar owner Kenneth McCoy, who sells one ounce of 20-year-old Pappy for $50 said the disappearance had made people question the supply of the "Brad Pitt" of bourbon and whiskey.

"It has made people look at it and say 'Oh my god I have to get some of this.' So it's upped the ante on Pappy Van Winkle," he told CBS.

Have you ever tried Pappy Van Winkle's or do you think the mystery is one big stunt? Continue the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ

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