Acker Merrall Condit, a New York City wine retailer and auction house, has been fined $100,000 for selling counterfeit bottles of Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain bourbon.
The company has agreed to pay the maximum fine after an investigation by state regulators but has not terminated any employees responsible for the scandal.
The counterfeit bourbon was exposed by the TV program “Inside Edition” in 2021. It sent a bottle of the bourbon to producer Buffalo Trace for chemical analysis that determined it was not authentic.
- The New York State Liquor Authority found that the employees purchased fake bourbon from a private collector despite indicative signs that it wasn't authentic.
- Acker's lawyer said the employees had been disciplined, but it is unclear if the company believes ill intent was behind their actions.
- Acker was fined five times between 2020 and 2021 for purchasing whiskey from unauthorized sellers.
- Counterfeit whiskey is a big issue in the U.S. due to the booming industry, resulting in a significant increase in scams.
In September 2022, Buffalo Trace and Michter’s distilleries cautioned against bourbon scams and provided tips on how to avoid being duped.
- In January, empty bottles of luxury whiskey brands are sold for hundreds of dollars on websites, including eBay, according to a New York Times report.
- Scammers buy empty luxury bottles, fill them with cheap whiskey, and sell them.
