White Whiskey/Moonshine/Poitin
White whiskey (or “moonshine”) is not a legally-defined type of whiskey, but it has grown in popularity with the increase of craft distilling in America and the need for small distillers to showcase (and sell) their products while their aged whiskey stock matures. White whiskey is a clear spirit that may be produced to the specifications of whiskey or to those of a grain neutral spirit. Moonshine can be made from nearly anything; some moonshine is made from sugar and is known as “sugar shine.” Poitin, which originated in Ireland and has protected geographical indication status with that country, is essentially a white whiskey and legally defined in Ireland, but it does not meet EU or American requirements for a whiskey.
Top White Whiskey / Moonshine / Poitin Posts:
Glory Irish Poitin
The Spirits of Sugarlands Shine
Glendalough Poitin
Stillhouse Moonshine
Down in Gonzales, California — where, based on my travels, there’s plenty of fog — Fog’s End Distillery makes unique craft whiskeys, of a sort. These are all made, as the company’s owner Craig Pakish explains, with the “no cook, sour mash” method. But there’s a twist: While corn and rye are both used in…
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Based in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Dad’s Hat is one of the darling craft distillers of the modern mixology movement. Focused exclusively on young rye whiskeys, the basic Dad’s Hat mashbill involves 80% rye, 15% malted barley, and 5% malted rye. Grains are sourced locally, and aging is done in smaller barrels. These two whiskeys make up…
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We reviewed Craft Distillers’ Low Gap White Wheat Whiskey two years ago. Who knew that the company would radically broaden its horizons to launch plans for four different Low Gap whiskeys, a Wheat (previously reviewed), a Rye (reviewed below), a Bourbon (coming soon), and a mystery blend (coming after that)? Will a mere four white…
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With the announcement that Jim Beam’s Jacob’s Ghost is now available nationwide, we decided to reach out to Beam’s master mixologist Bobby Gleason to celebrate its release. He took Jacob’s Ghost for a spin to see how it fares in some old classics. Ghost Cosmo 2 parts Jacob’s Ghost 1 part orange liqueur 1 part white…
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White Pike is white whiskey, straight outta Finger Lakes Distilling in Burdett, New York, made from a unique recipe that includes corn, spelt, and malted wheat. The nose is traditional of most white whiskeys: Big corn notes and a maltiness to back it up. There are some indistinct forest floor notes in there, too. The…
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How do you take the edge off of white whiskey? You can put it in a barrel for 6 years or so, or you can drop in some flavoring and sell it tomorrow. Shine (aka “XXX Shine”) makes a straight white dog, but it also makes two flavored versions, a tea flavored whiskey and this,…
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Here’s a unique offering: 100% malted barley, double pot-distilled, unaged whiskey from Colorado. That’s a unique setup. Here’s how it shakes out. Traditional nose for white dog. Lots of graininess, with aromas of the forest — trees and floor — and diesel-powered vehicles. Plenty more of the same on the body, but sweeter than you…
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White whiskey is always a dicey affair. One named “Wreckin’ Ball” — complete with a picture of a wrecking ball on the label — sounds downright dangerous. Made in the back room of Montezuma Winery, in New York’s Finger Lakes region, this spirit is column distilled from 100% corn mash and bottled at 80 proof.…
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Is anyone not getting into the white whiskey game? JD, High West, Buffalo Trace… everyone’s got one. Why not Jim Beam, then? Jacob’s Ghost — named after the founding father of Jim Beam, Jacob Beam, who distilled his first whiskey in 1795 — is a white whiskey with a twist. Made from the same mashbill…
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Whiskey is (basically) made from beer, so why not make it from really good beer? For its long-awaited R5 whiskey, California’s Charbay (best known for its high-end flavored vodkas) took Bear Republic’s beloved Racer 5 IPA and put it through a still. This is not an inexpensive task: 10 gallons of beer distill down to…
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