Worker caught in distillery explosion dies

An assistant distiller who was caught in a massive explosion at a Kentucky whiskey distillery last month has died.

An assistant distiller at the Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin County, Kentucky, has died following an explosion

Kyle Rogers, 27, was taken off life support at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre on Saturday (9 May), WPSD Local reports.

Last month a “massive equipment failure” caused an explosion at the Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin County, Kentucky, which subsequently “burned to the ground”.

Second distiller Jay Rogers and his assistant Kyle Rogers were both critically injured in the blast, for which an official cause has not yet been announced.

According to The Paducah Sun, Jay Rogers remains in a stable condition at Vanderbilt’s burns unit.

Spencer Balentine, founder and master distiller of Silver Trail, said on the distillery’s Facebook page: “Kyle carved his name on our hearts and left a legacy etched in our minds and then like all moonshine legends before him, he was gone.”

The Silver Trail Distillery was opened in 2011 by former moto-cross racer Balentine, and as well as securing several blind tasting awards for its moonshine, has also been featured in the Discovery Channel show Moonshiners.

It was made an official member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s (KDA) Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour in 2012.