Bourbon storage facility collapses in Kentucky, sending barrels crashing to ground

http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2018/0...-to-ground.html



A portion of a warehouse housing thousands of barrels of bourbon collapsed in Kentucky on Friday, sending roughly half of those barrels crashing to the ground.

Bardstown Fire Chief Bill Mattingly said the storage facility at the Barton 1792 Distillery collapsed “length-wise” on Friday morning, and left the other half leaning and in danger of buckling, Kentucky Standard reported.

He also estimated that around 10,000 of the barrels held within — Mattingly estimated 20,000 in total — were destroyed as a result. But Joe Prewitt, the director of Nelson County Emergency Management, told the Lexington Herald Leader that the storage building, or rickhouse, held only around 9,000 barrels total.

A representative for Barton Brands confirmed that no one was injured in the collapse, the only casualties being the whiskey.

“Right now we’re trying to determine why it collapsed,” said Mattingly, and added that the forecasted storms heading to the area may pose fire concerns.

Environmental officials were also reportedly headed to Bardstown to determine whether the whiskey had contaminated a tributary located 250 feet downhill from the storage facility. Firefighters were unable to tell whether the water contained any of the alcohol, the Standard reported.

News of the building’s collapse was also met with concern on Twitter, with bourbon lovers mourning the loss of the wasted whiskey.

Others, meanwhile, simply offered to help officials clean up the spill.

Looks like an old dry rotted barn built out of 2x4's.

ONLY 9000 BARRELS!!! Good luck with the recovery.

Yeah and it was 1792. One of my favorites. I hope the price doesn't go up now.

ABC News said it didn't make it to the river! A little good news.

Might have made the fish taste better

Bummer

1/2 the barrels of perfectly good whiskey destroyed??

Prayers sent.

Osky

I'd bet a fella could get enough "drippers" out of the broken barrels to Fill up a pretty nice jug of the stuff.

Maybe they’ll do a scratch and dent sale. Looks like you could salvage a lot of the barrels.

I was surprised they are stored in a building that is not temperature controlled. That building looks like it would get very hot in the summer.

I know nothing on the process on making bourbon. I would of guessed a under ground vault for temperature and protection from storms.

Interesting.

Nope, barrels in a barn. Been done that way forever.

But you bring up an interesting point... Wonder if anyone has ever tried aging spirits in a cave or some other cool dark place.

Mike

Oh no!....

I know locally the Miller was stored in limestone caverns

I saw a show not too long showing where they were excavating caves I think it was for wine.

Thank God it wasn't George Dickel, Makers or 4 Roses!!

The rest of the building could be compromised making recovery dangerous. That's a lot of barrels and I am sure lots of money sitting there.

It's done that way intentionally. The extreme temperature changes throughout the year causes the bourbon to move more into and out of the hardwood staves of the barrel which gives it the flavor and color. That's why Scotch takes so much longer to age because it stays much cooler with less temperature variation in Scotland.

Thanks Coonman I thought that might be part of it. I know tradition comes into play on some ways and figured it might just be that.

Some day if I am ever down in that area it would be interesting to tour.

My wife and I toured 6 distilleries between Louisville and Lexington this spring. Very interesting to see.