Ole Smoky Moonshine Mint Julep: Whiskey Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Moonshine is typically the term used for illegally distilled spirits from back in the days of prohibition. While we are far removed from that, it certainly is still possible to make illegal moonshine as home distilling, unlike home brewing, isn't exactly legal. There are at least a couple good reasons for this aside from being anti-booze. Distilling is significantly more complicated and dangerous than brewing. The alcohols produced are flammable if not combustible, and methanol is pretty much poison so it takes some skill to separate the ethanol (what you want to drink) from the methanol (finger nail polish remover). The old legend about moonshine making you go blind... well, that's because somebody didn't know how to cut the heads and tails of the distillate properly. 

These days, the word Moonshine is used for commercial production just like White Lightning. It essentially refers to unaged whiskey, or spirits made from grains that have not sat in barrels for years. It goes straight from the still to a bottle, and therefore the name moonshine still fits. It doesn't have to bootlegged or made illegally anymore. For example, Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine legally makes quite a few flavored moonshines in addition to their original. And since the Kentucky Derby is coming up on May 3rd, I figured I'd share a Moonshine Mint Julep recipe with you!

Ole Smoky Original Moonshine

OLE SMOKY MOONSHINE MINT JULEP
·         2 oz. Ole Smoky Original Moonshine
·         1 oz. Simple Syrup
·         Fresh muddled lime
·         2-3 sprigs of mint
In a mason jar or silver julep cup muddle two sprigs of mint with simple syrup and 1 ounce of Ole Smoky Original Moonshine, until mint leaves are crushed and give off their liquid. Add remaining moonshine and serve over ice and with a sprig of mint.

Deerhammer Whitewater Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Deerhammer Whitewater Whiskey

The Deerhammer Whitewater Whiskey comes from the distillery that provided Whisk(e)y Wednesday with the Downtime Single Malt. The white whiskey contains the same barley mash but without the barrel aging that provides flavors, mellowing, and coloration. On the nose the Whitewater is butterscotch sweet. It smells like Halloween candy corn and actually tastes a lot like it as well. The surprise of the day came when we realized this whiskey came from 100% barley because we thought it tasted like creamed corn and sweet corn and corn syrup and everything else corn. It makes a clean getaway on the end with a fast finish and little lingering flavor... not even corn. It can hold up to make a decent cocktail but I obviously wouldn't be ordering it straight anytime soon. Clearly that's not what it is intended for though, unless you're just looking to cannonball some moonshine!

Deerhammer Whitewater White Whiskey

Average Score 47.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Wigle Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Wigle Wheat Whiskey

Unlike pretty much every white whiskey we have tasted on Whisk(e)y Wednesday, the Wigle Whiskey is not a corn based spirit. Wigle is a "rebellious white wheat" making its primary grain used for fermentation wheat rather than corn or barley. It is aged one day in oak barrels so that it qualifies as a whiskey. Wigle is a tribute back to early days of Pennsylvania distillation. Crafted in Pittsburg, the Wigle folks are definitely up to something fun in their effort to make fine spirits and celebrate their own heritage. The Wigle Whiskey has a sweet nose that reminds me of Halloween. It is boozy but surprisingly soft. I guess that's the wheat! On the palate it possesses more sweetness with a non-jarring bite. It reminded me of a wedding cake snowcone while Eric got a few more metallic tones and Jeremy tasted the kind of brown bread served at Outback. There is no complexity and the whiskey has a smooth finish for only one day in a barrel. It goes down easily and is clearly distilled well to cut out any foul flavors. I'd be really interested to see what this does after a couple years in a barrel, but for now it is definitely still drinkable as a white whiskey and could make some darn good cocktails!

Wigle Whiskey

Average Score 57.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Smooth Ambler White Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Smooth Ambler White Whiskey

Don't let the 56.25 average score fool you... this is a good white whiskey.  Is it as good as some premium barrel aged bourbon or Scotch that has been peat smoked and aged by crashing waves?  Of course not.  But for what it is, I can proudly say job well done to John Little and his team at Smooth Ambler in West Virginia.  A score 56.25 means you'd never hand it back if somebody ordered it for you at the bar.  You'd be happy to drink it, and I certainly am happy to have a bottle in my collection.  It is an ideal white whiskey for anybody looking to make moonshine cocktails or infusions, too.  The nose is of candy-corn and boozy tastiness.  On the lips it delivers more burn in a corn-bomb sort of way.  The corn mellows slightly, then the alcohol from being 100 proof burns on the finish.  It is fiery and sweet as any white whiskey should be, with some obvious signs that a little charred oak aging will do this whiskey good!

Smooth Ambler White Whiskey

56.25 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Glen Thunder: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey

Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey pays homage to the stock car racers that were born from bootlegging moonshine.  Finger Lakes Distilling in New York is near Watkins Glen International, a road course speedway that hosts NASCAR races to this day.  Glen Thunder is an appropriate name for the white lightning from the area.  The nose of the un-aged whiskey is like a sack of corn set aflame.  Its taste is that of aggressive alcohol as the 90 proof whiskey lets you know of its presence.  Unrefined, this jet-fuel could power an engine as easily as it could get you drunk.  Still, the taste is rough, but not repulsive.  While the Glen Thunder is certainly best consumed in mixed beverage, you can take a sip to know distilled corn tastes like.  The creamed corn flavor fades quickly and burns on the end.  It is not complex, and not really balanced in any way, but I'm still very happy to have a bottle on my shelf!  Plus, for a white whiskey, Glen Thunder ain't bad.

Glen Thunder White Whiskey

48.5 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Finger Lakes Distilling: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Jay poses outside the Finger Lakes Distillery

For the first time, Whisk(e)y Wednesday features a distillery instead of a single whisk(e)y review.  Don't worry, the actual whiskey from Finger Lakes Distilling will come in subsequent posts, but for now, I wanted to give a little shout out to Brian McKenzie and the Finger Lakes Distillery.  I had the chance to visit his fine establishment recently.  It was my first time New York's wine country, and finding the distillery certainly made me happy after two days of Reislings.  Brian's distillery puts out vodka, gin, liqueurs, grappa, brandy, and of course, whiskey.  I got a sampling of all of it, but the whiskey certainly interested me the most.  Finger Lakes had a white whiskey, pure pot still whiskey, bourbon, and rye.  Again, each will get their own separate Whisk(e)y Wednesday review, so I won't go into further detail.

The beautiful distillery sits on the hills overlook Seneca Lake.  Just a little ways from Watkins Glen and the speedway there, the Glen Thunder White Whiskey pays tribute to the bootleggers who gave birth to stock car auto racing in America.  The gin and some of the fruit liqueurs I also found to be especially interesting.  The scenery all around the distillery is fantastic, especially when copper stills and oak barrels highlight your view!  This is definitely an artisan distillery to check out if you're ever in the Finger Lakes area of New York.  Amid all the vineyards and wineries, your palate will appreciate a little whiskey break!


Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning

As the first white whiskey to make a Whisk(e)y Wednesday appearance, Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning certainly wasn't a bad offering.  White whiskey, or "white lightning," was the name given to un-aged whiskeys that were for the most part all prohibition-era moonshines.  After any distillation process, the resulting distillate will be clear in color.  Whiskey gets it shades from aging in wooden barrels.  In bourbon's case, that barrel must be made of charred, never-before-used, American oak.  Since the Lincoln County Lightning has never been aged, its flavor has not been mellowed out nor has character from the wood been added.  The result is a reasonably harsh and strongly corn flavored spirit.  Prichard's began with a metallic nose that came across as sterile in a medicinal way.  It's taste had various flavors but nothing profound and it finished rather smooth for a white lightning.  At 90 proof, the whiskey certainly has some kick, but it went down reasonably well.  Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning, made in Tennessee, is certainly not a bad white whiskey to get your hands on if you'd like some in your collection.  However, it is still an un-aged whiskey and leaves a lot to be desired.    

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning

50.75 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.