9,000 bourbon barrels involved in warehouse collapse at Bardstown, KY distillery

BARDSTOWN, KY (WAVE) - An estimated 9,000 barrels of bourbon crashed to the ground when a building collapsed at a distillery in Bardstown.

The collapse was reported at Barton 1792 Brands distillery at 10:55 a.m. Friday, according to Bardstown dispatch.

Bardstown Fire Department chief Billy Mattingly said work had been going on in the building to repair a wall, but work was not taking place at the time of the collapse.

A spokeswoman for Barton 1792, Amy Preske, said the collapse happened in Warehouse #30.

Half of the building still stands. That part of the structure holds an estimated 9,000 barrels.

Engineers are working to make sure that side of the warehouse doesn't collapse, as well.

"Right down the center of it is where the collapse happened," Milt Spalding, of Nelson County Emergency Management, said. "How they are going to do it I'm not sure. They do have engineers that are very skilled in the construction of warehouses."

>> DRONE VIDEO: Distillery warehouse collapse takes down bourbon barrels

Spalding said the warehouse has a concrete foundation, wooden structure and aluminum siding.

Barton 1792 said the building was constructed around 1940.

Officials are not yet sure how badly the barrels were damaged. It's possible some could be salvaged.

"We are assessing how many of the impacted barrels can be recovered," Preske said in a press release. "A mix of various distilled products at various ages were stored in that warehouse."

Until the damage is fully assessed, which the company said could take several days or weeks, the distillery is not sure which Barton 1792 brands or customers are impacted.

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The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection also responded to make sure no alcohol got into nearby water supplies. According to Preske, the distillery worked quickly to contain the damage and minimize risks to the environment.

It's not clear what caused the collapse. No one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported.

The distillery said its operations will not be affected by the collapse. They expect to open for tours on Sunday.

On Monday, the distillery said it will be business as normal.

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