Confiscated whiskey risks being destroyed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Here’s a sobering thought: Hundreds of bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, some of it almost 100 years old, may be unceremoniously poured down a drain because authorities suspect it was being sold by someone without a license.

Officials seized 2,400 bottles late last month during warehouse raids in Nashville and Lynchburg, the southern Tennessee town where the whiskey is distilled.

Investigators are also looking into whether some of the bottles had been stolen from the distillery. No one has been arrested.

Tennessee law requires officials to destroy whiskey that cannot be sold legally in the state, such as bottles designed for sale overseas and those with broken seals.

The estimated value of the liquor is $1 million, possibly driven up by the value of the antique bottles.