![]() ![]() The company declined to provide an interview.Īt the manor, Long passed his hand along a black bush, with branches so brittle they snapped with light contact. Jack Daniel’s did not explain how filtration would affect the taste of its products. “There is no reasonably available control technology to prevent ethanol emissions without significantly adversely affecting the taste and quality of Jack Daniel’s or any other aged whiskey,” the company said in a statement. In an email, Jack Daniel’s said it is not voluntarily planning to install these systems, which can cost several hundred thousand dollars per warehouse. Tennessee does not require distilleries to install air-filtration systems, which are standard fixtures in large brandy distilleries in California. “The only way to eliminate the black fungus from the area would be to somehow filter the ethanol,” said Antonis Rokas, a mycologist at Vanderbilt University. To stop the spread, Jack Daniel’s could reduce its ethanol emissions. ![]() Spores are found all over the world, but the black crust seems to sprout up only next to distilleries and bakeries. Whiskey fungus is certainly unique, but not unique to Tennessee. “Snails seem to really like eating this stuff,” Scott said. ![]() The bottom of a snail is basically a spiky tongue that can grind through the mold. Scientists are unsure how the fungi spreads, but researchers have directly observed tiny trails left by snails in fungus-prone areas. “It’s very understudied, and almost anything that you can learn about it, whether you’re a professional or an amateur, is new information,” he said. Today, there is still very little research on whiskey fungus, according to Scott. “You don’t see a lot of cells of this thing represented in the air,” said University of Toronto mycologist James Scott, who gave whiskey fungus its scientific name, Baudoinia compniacensis, back in 2007. The fungus has not been documented to harm humans since the spores aren’t airborne like many fungi. It adheres to roofs, windows and even stainless steel. ![]() But it clings to surfaces with a microscopic superglue, part of the fungus’ external digestive system, that makes it hard to remove. Whiskey fungus looks soft, almost powdery. “Now our property is worth considerably less than probably what we paid for it.” “My business has been destroyed,” Long said. (Caroline Eggers/Nashville Public Radio)īut the abrasive cleanings don’t last. Within a few months, the fungus will be back. Patrick Long fires up a pressure washer at his family business in Mulberry, Tennessee, on May 9. The company is planning on building more as part of an expansion that may significantly increase ethanol emissions, according to an application Jack Daniel’s submitted to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in December. As the whiskey matures inside, ethanol gradually evaporates into the air and escapes the warehouses - and that’s what whiskey fungus eats.įrom his property, Long can see one of the newest warehouses built by Jack Daniel’s. Some are small, but the largest can hold 67,000 wooden barrels. Last year, the company reported a 20% increase in sales of its signature Tennessee liquor.Ībout an hour and half south of Nashville, Jack Daniel’s has at least 90 warehouses to store aging whiskey. Whiskey is now one of the top-selling spirits in the U.S., partially due to the success of Jack Daniel’s. In Long’s community, the spread of the fungus is linked to the recent boom in whiskey consumption. The organism is “whiskey fungus,” a mysterious mold named for its preferred diet. Whiskey fungus coats the branches of a bush in Mulberry, Tennessee. ![]()
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