A thief is a traditional tubular tool that is used to extract a spirit sample from a barrel; it was known originally (in the seventeenth century) as a “valentia,” which was often corrupted into “valinch,” “velincher,” and similar words, but that term is now obsolete. A thief is usually made of glass or copper and operates by creating a vacuum. You plunge it through the bunghole of the barrel, and once the hole at the tip is sufficiently submerged, you cover a small hole at the top with your thumb. Once the thief is removed from the cask and positioned over a glass or a pitcher, you release your thumb and the spirit comes rushing out. It is essentially a giant fancy straw. In Scotland, some distillery and warehouse workers use the related “dog,” which is like an oversized metal cigar tube on a chain, to take a clandestine sample that can easily be hidden in one’s clothing.
barrel.“Glossary of Bourbon & Whiskey Terms.” Kentucky Distillers’ Association website. http://kybourbon.com/bourbonculture-2/glossaryofbourbonwhiskey_terms/ (accessed March 12, 2021).
By: Noah Rothbaum