An audacious thief has made off with a rare and exclusive bottle of Johnnie Walker after snagging it from a Melbourne liquor store. The whisky, which is valued at around AUD$62,000 was taken from Fidels The Cellar, a high-end bottle shop located inside Melbourne’s Crown Casino.
According to Victorian Police, the man allegedly entered the Crown liquor store on the afternoon of May 22 and asked to view a series of whiskies. When the attendant turned her back, he swiped a bottle of Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour and stuffed it down his shorts. Footage captured the alleged perpetrator fleeing the scene via the car park before making a spectacular getaway via e-scooter. Police have since released CCTV footage of the man in question, asking anyone with information to come forward.
The opportunistic crime, while brazen, does speak to the alleged’s appetite for quality drams. Originally released in 2021, the limited edition Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour bottling is among the Diageo-branded label’s most coveted. A rare expression crafted in honour of former Master Blender Jim Beveridge, the stunning blended release is aged 48 years and comprises seven unique whiskies from the archives, many of which originated from now-defunct distilleries. Only 288 bottles of the ultra-rare spirit were ever released, with the stolen bottle one of just 15 to ever make its way Down Under.
According to Johnnie Walker ambassador, Katie Nagar, the Masters of Flavour release is an exceptionally rare bottling that is never to be repeated.
“To begin with, any Scotch at the advanced age of 48 years is rare in of itself,” Nagar told Man of Many when the Masters of Flavour bottling was first released. “But perhaps what makes Johnnie Walker Master of Flavour even rarer is that four out of the seven whiskies that go into the blend are drawn from reserves from ghost distilleries. Ghost distilleries are distilleries that have long since closed their doors and ceased operations, making their limited remaining whisky all the more precious.”
Victorian Police have confirmed that investigations into the alleged theft are ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
