Understanding the Stubborn Nature of Whiskey Fungus
Via The Whiskey Wash
The Story
Whiskey fungus, scientifically known as Baudoinia compniacensis, is a dark sooty mold that thrives on the ethanol vapors released as spirits age, the loss distillers call the angel's share.
It coats buildings, trees, fences, and cars near distilleries and aging warehouses in a persistent black film.
Despite its alarming look, researchers stress the fungus is harmless, noting millions of people across Kentucky, Tennessee, Canada, France, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan have lived near it without ill effects.
Its real trouble is stubbornness, since it grows back on warehouse surfaces and cannot be practically removed, only prevented by choosing where facilities sit.
To contain it, producers are building remote maturation sites on large rural parcels, including Diageo's more than 600 contiguous acres in Shelby County.
The mold became a legal and community flashpoint when Tennessee residents near Jack Daniel's warehouses sued over its spread, leading a court to temporarily halt new aging construction.
It coats buildings, trees, fences, and cars near distilleries and aging warehouses in a persistent black film.
Despite its alarming look, researchers stress the fungus is harmless, noting millions of people across Kentucky, Tennessee, Canada, France, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan have lived near it without ill effects.
Its real trouble is stubbornness, since it grows back on warehouse surfaces and cannot be practically removed, only prevented by choosing where facilities sit.
To contain it, producers are building remote maturation sites on large rural parcels, including Diageo's more than 600 contiguous acres in Shelby County.
The mold became a legal and community flashpoint when Tennessee residents near Jack Daniel's warehouses sued over its spread, leading a court to temporarily halt new aging construction.
Go Deeper
Read the original reporting at The Whiskey Wash.
Read Full Story at The Whiskey Wash →