It looks like somebody has been drinking on the job. On Tuesday, a thief stole than $26,000 worth of the rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, and police think it was an employee.

"Right now we are looking at it as an internal theft," Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton told the State Journal.

The distillery lost 65 cases, worth about $25,350, of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year bourbon; there were three bottles in every case. Nine cases of Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, valued at about $675, were also taken.

"Their internal controls are pretty good, and that's why it's been very, very rare for it to happen," Melton said.

According to Buffalo Trace Distillery, Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is the top-rated bourbon whiskey in the world. World Spirits Championship gives the drink a 99 out of 100 rating. The alcohol is exceptionally rare because of its popularity. With a 20-year aging process and 90.4 proof, each bottle of bourbon is worth about $130 and, according to Melton, $300 to $400 on the secondary market.

"This is the mac daddy," Melton told The Courier-Journal.

The Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye is valued at about $25 per bottle. Melton believes the alcohol was stolen throughout a two-month-long period.

"We believe whoever did this took them out the back from the secured area over a period of two months" Melton said.

The distillery makes only about 7,000 cases of the bourbon every year.

"I think it's going to be a tough case to solve," Melton said. "You got about 50 employees that had access. It will be a challenge but we're going to do the best we can."

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