‘Devil’s Bulls–t’: New York Has Its First Case of Invasive Whiskey Fungus, and Residents Say WhistlePig Is to Blame
The critically acclaimed whiskey brand WhistlePig is being accused of having caused an outbreak of whiskey fungus in New York. (AP Photo/John Amis)
The Adirondack Explorer reported on Wednesday that residents of a neighborhood in Mineville, New York are at odds with the popular whiskey brand, WhistlePig, over an outbreak of whiskey fungus. This incident marks the first time the Baudoinia fungus has hit New York state, health and environmental officials told the Adirondack Explorer.
In 2016, the Vermont-based distillery purchased a property in Mineville and built seven 14,000-square-foot warehouses and one 14,000-square-foot bottling plant to distill, age and bottle its whiskeys in 2016 to ramp up production.
Per the Adirondack Explorer, the black Baudoinia fungus began appearing on businesses and residential homes some time afterward, and the residents have not been pleased.
“Black schmutz all over your house? Thank WhistlePig,” a sign outside a local deli reads, complete with WhistlePig’s phone number, according to the Adirondack Explorer.
When some of the black mold appeared on High Peaks Hospice, the State Department of Environmental Conservation tested it and confirmed it was indeed whiskey fungus, according to the outlet.
“It’s absolutely disgusting,” a local resident, Susan Wright, expressed to the Adirondack Explorer.
Wright spent her childhood living in a fungus-free Mineville and returned after living briefly in Albany. Wright paid $600 out of pocket to have the fungus removed from her roof, and WhistlePig allegedly declined to foot the bill. She gave the DEC samples of the fungus for testing.
Many residents are concerned about the potentially unknown health impacts of the black substance. Though there are no known adverse health impacts from the Baudoinia outbreak as of yet, extensive research hasn’t been done as larger outbreaks in residential areas are a relatively new problem.
As the bourbon and scotch whisky industries continue to experience meteoric growth and production ramps up to meet demand, a direct correlation to increasing Baudoinia outbreaks is readily apparent.
Residents in Tennessee, Maine and portions of Scotland have had issues with Baudoinia outbreaks. The fungus feeds off the ethanol vapors emitted from casks of aging whiskey, or “angel’s share,” which can travel as far as a mile from the distillery before falling back to earth, according to Atlas Obscura.
“I call it devil’s bulls–t,” an irate resident said.
Needless to say, outbreaks often lead to tension between large distilleries and their residential neighbors, some of which end up resolved in court or neighborhood planning boards.
In August, a baudoinia outbreak led to a multi-month dispute between residents of a small town in Maine and the family-run Wiggly Bridge Distillery. The business submitted expansion plans to the neighborhood planning board, which were ultimately denied due to claims that the distillery was responsible for the fungus.
WhistlePig claims that it cannot be held solely responsible for the outbreak and intends to clean properties on a “case-by-case basis,” according to the Adirondack Explorer. The brand is not committing any violations and employs 34 people full-time, which the Adirondack Explorer cites as a lot of people for the small New York hamlet.
The WhistlePig brand claims it prioritizes being “good neighbors,” according to Ahren Wolson, the director of operations at the distillery.
The whiskey brand rose to fame for its rye expressions and is known to craft completely bonkers whiskeys that somehow just work. We were very partial to WhistlePig Boss Hog IX Siren’s Song, a bizarre yet delicious whiskey finished in fig and Tentura casks. The brand’s latest Boss Hog release, The Commandments, topped our list of the 9 Best Whiskeys we tasted in November 2023.
However delicious WhistlePig’s whiskeys may be, it’s safe to say many Mineville residents won’t be a fan due to the Baudoinia outbreaks.
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