Oregon Officials Abused Their Power to Hoard Pappy Van Winkle, an Internal Investigation Alleges

Tori Latham
·2 min read

Some whiskey lovers will go to great lengths to procure a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, the world’s most coveted bourbon. But others have found a much easier way to get their hands on the good stuff.

Top officials at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission are alleged to have used their influence to find and buy highly coveted bottles of bourbon, including Pappy Van Winkle, an internal investigation found. That investigation was made public this week, and has been reported on by The Oregonian and The New York Times, among other outlets.

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The scheme was carried out by six commission officials, all of whom still remain part of the group. To start, they would request certain bottles from the state’s “safety stock,” meant to replace bottles that break in transit to restaurants, hotels or liquor stores. Those requested bottles would then be shipped to liquor stores, typically one near the commission’s office, where the officials were notified when the booze arrived. The officials would then pay market price for the liquor, which they’d either drink themselves or pass of as gifts.

Given the way the grift worked, it’s not as if the officials were technically stealing these bottles of bourbon. But they were keeping them out of the hands of the public. Oregon hosts a “Chance to Purchase” lottery through which consumers can gain access to rare bottles of liquor, including some of Pappy Van Winkle’s 23-year bourbon, which can sell for more than $5,000 on the secondary market—nearly 20 times its suggest retail price. That’s also one of the bottles requested by the commission officials.

“The fact that these high-level individuals have essentially been hoarding these bottles on the side is pretty offensive,” Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, the founder of an Oregon-based whiskey news site, told The New York Times. Bourbon drinkers will wonder, “Is this system fixed? Will I ever actually get ahold of one of those bottles and see for myself if it’s worth the hype?”

Steve Marks, the executive director of the commission, was found to have been part of the scheme, although he maintained during the investigation that his actions had not violated Oregon’s ethics laws or state policy. (He did not respond to the Times’ request for comment, and a commission spokesperson said Marks declined to comment.) Oregon’s governor, however, is seeking for those involved to be removed from the commission.

If they do end up being let go, at least they’ll have some pretty nice bourbon to return home to.

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