'Whiskey fungus' forces Jack Daniel's to stop building a new barrelhouse.
The barrel-aged American whisky Bourbon is a growing industry, but its warehouses are leading to a negative growth that is known as "whiskey fungus", which is a black-to-gray, crusty - or sometimes velvety mycelium.
Homes, cars, patio furniture, and road signs in Lincoln County, Tennessee, have all developed a sooty crust due to the black growth that has been fueled by alcohol vapours from barrels of aged Jack Daniel's whisky.
Even as Jack Daniel's intends to build seven new warehouses in its rural home county to age whisky, a local lady named Christi Long has filed a lawsuit against the corporation over fungus caused by barrel houses.
According to The Guardian, building of a new barrel warehouse for the most popular American whisky brand in the world was then blocked by a local court.
According to the BBC, Mrs. Long's attorney, Jason Holleman, claimed that whisky makers frequently describe the evaporation process, also known as "the angels' share," without disclosing the fungus that results from it.
"If you go on one of these distillery tours, they will tell you about the angel's share that goes into the atmosphere. And unfortunately, that also results in the devil's fungus," he said.
A spokesperson for Brown-Forman, the Louisville-based firm that owns Jack Daniel's, said that "We respect the chancellor's ruling and look forward to working with Lincoln County on updated permits. The Jack Daniel Distillery will continue to comply with regulations and industry standards regarding the design, construction, and permitting of our barrelhouses in Lincoln Co."
(With inputs from agencies)