Spirits Review: Copper Barrel Distillery Moonshine Using Cane and Grain

During our annual summer trip to Ocracoke I try to bring home a couple North Carolina spirits available at the island's ABC store. One was the Troy & Sons Platinum Corn Whiskey  and the other was the Copper Barrel Distillery White Lightning Moonshine - available in a 375 ml bottle ($14). This distillery is in Wilksboro, situated half way between Boone and Winston-Salem, which they refer to as the "Moonshine Capital of America". Master Distiller Buck Nance has developed a recipe for this whiskey that is quite unique; it's not just 100% corn, but includes locally grown rye and corn as well as cane sugar. The water source is the Crystalline-Rock Aquifer. The result is a very interested 'shine, complex in flavor, with a low to medium burn. The rye provides a little spice and the corn and cane a sweet profile to dampen the 96 proof. Can't wait to visit during my next wine trip to the Yadkin Valley or Merlefest. Cheers.

Outer Banks Distilling - Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum

The Outer Banks is the home of North Carolina's oldest micro-brewery in the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery and last year saw the establishment of the islands' first distillery: Outer Banks Distilling. Located in Manteo on historic Roanoke Island, the distillery currently produces two versions of rum, the Kill Devil Silver Rum and Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum. The offshore shoals known as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” has led to over
 1,000 wrecks with some of this wreckage containing barrels of rum. According to the distillery, "the town of Kill Devil Hills is believed to have been named for either barrels of rum of the brand name Kill Devil or for a rum that was 'strong enough to kill the devil'”. Kill Devil Hills is also the site of the Wright Brothers first flights and ironically their father, Bishop Milton Wright, was a leader in the Temperance Movement.

This week I picked up a bottle of the Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum ($30).  The honey and pecans are locally sourced from within 15 miles of the distillery, with the spent rum soaked pecans sent to local bakers. The rum is rather rich and tasty, the honey and pecans provide a mild nutty sweetness, with the finish so smooth. Go for it neat or on the rocks.

Spirits Review: Midnight Moon Moonshine Cherry Shine

I generally avoid flavored spirits, but last week I was drawn to the Midnight Moon Moonshine section at the local ABC store and decided to try their Cherry Shine ($24). Perhaps it was memories of sipping Hungarian Bonbon meggy likőr. The spirit is produced by North Carolina's Piedmont Distillers, Inc. and according to their website "is inspired by Junior Johnson’s legendary moonshine recipe". As a reminder, Johnson was a moonshine and NASCAR legend who transitioned from running moonshine to auto racing. In between her served time for his illegal activities but was eventually pardoned by President Reagan. In 2007 Johnson became part owner of Piedmont Distillers with founder Joe Michalek.

Piedmont distills in traditional copper pot stills and the base spirit for the Midnight Moonshine Cherry is made from a corn mash cut to 100 proof with filtered water. The only flavoring comes from real cherries added to the mason jar.  This is a strong whiskey, not necessarily hot, but nevertheless strong at 50% alcohol. There's a little heat on the nose but the sour cherries ease the heat on the palate  providing a tart and slightly sweet profile. And it's pleasantly sweet and tart, not syrupy. All in all it's rather addicting -- particularly the soaked cherries.