Silver Trail Distillery victims ask for $16m

The victims of a fatal still explosion at Kentucky’s Silver Trail Distillery are seeking more than US$16 million in damages from the still maker, a report has claimed.

The Silver Trail Distillery burned to the ground last year after one of its stills exploded

In April 2015, “massive equipment failure” at the Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin County, Kentucky, critically injured second distiller Jay Rogers and fatally wounded his assistant Kyle Rogers, who died a few weeks after the incident.

Both were left with around 80% burns to their bodies while the distillery itself burned to the ground.

In July last year, the Kentucky State Fire Marshall released a report claiming a moonshine still at the distillery was not designed to hold pressure nor fitted with the correct pressure relief valve, causing it to rupture.

The still was manufactured by Revenoor Company Incorporated, against whom Silver Trail Distillery’s owner Spencer Balentine and Jay Rogers have launched legal action.

In a Facebook post, Balentine said the report verified that an internal plate had been “tack welded” as opposed to “welded fully around”, causing “immediate over pressurisation that ruptured the still bottom and sent it hurtling through the door”.

The pressure valve of the still did not open, Balentine claims, since it was too large for the still.

WPSD Local now reports that court proceedings have seen Jay Rogers and other parties request US$16m in damages. Jay Rogers would receive US$7m, the family of Kyle Rogers would receive US$5.8m and Spencer Balentine will receive more than US$3m.

The judge overseeing the case said he plans to rule in their favour, reports WPSD.

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.