Tagged: whiskey

For the first time, attendance along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail broke the half-million mark last year.

The 509,000 people who stopped at seven distilleries represent a 15 percent increase over 2011.  Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experience Director Adam Johnson adds many of those visitors ate at local restaurants and slept in nearby hotels.

Louisville's Air Pollution Control District has sent a Notice of Violation to liquor giant Diageo, alleging the company violated the conditions of its permit.

The violations laid out include several odor complaints near Diageo's whiskey aging warehouse at 2359 Millers Lane. But perhaps more interesting is another violation for the sooty-mold that has been seen on properties near the warehouse.

Kentucky's whiskey fungus lawsuits are getting some national attention. The New York Times ran a piece yesterday about the fungus--scientifically called Baudoinia--that's prevalent on the outside of distilleries and homes near them. The lawsuit charges that the fungus germinates on ethanol which is released during fermentation.

A lawsuit filed today in federal court alleges a black substance coating the homes of residents in some areas of Louisville is caused by whiskey distilling.

Attorney Bill McMurray says for years, residents have seen a black substance growing on metal surfaces, and it’s nearly impossible to remove.

“And it’s only recently been understood within the last couple of years what the actual cause for that blackening is, and it’s this particular fungus,” he said.