Climax Moonshine Original Recipe

This is the original recipe Tim Smith used on the TV show, Moonshiners. It’s an unflavored, corn whiskey that’s bottled at 45% ABV. It is contract distilled by Belmont Farms Distillery located in Culpeper, VA. This distillery is located about 75 Miles away from the Shenandoah mountain location of Tim’s “hidden stills”. This distillery also produces the Kopper Kettle line of spirits and Virginia Lightning corn whiskey. The nose here is all butter and corn. There’s some sugar notes that creep in and make it seem closer on the nose to butterscotch candies. The palate is similar with an overwhelming sensation of sucking on a stick of warm butter. There’s little to no heat or harshness, mostly because this stuff is watered down to a more appropriate 90 proof. Most good, illegal moonshine is 125+ proof and doesn’t need much blending down to make it palatable. Overall, it’s more hype train whiskey that’s become very popular due to the television show, etc. This stuff is currently only available in Virginia, but I believe Tim is actively searching for more struggling craft breweries/distilleries to “rescue” so he can expand into other state’s liquor markets. In fact, the Fire No. 32 cinnamon version is now being distilled in Asheville, NC so it’s probably available in that state, as well. At $30 for a 750ml bottle, it’s ridiculously overpriced but if I rate it as a typical moonshine, I’d say it’s just about as average as the rest on the legal market. 2.5 stars.

A surprisingly authentic taste of what a well-crafted moonshine *should* have tasted like. Nowadays, if you're buying "moonshine" from the ol country boys down at the lumber yard, Cletus and Cooter, you're probably getting some real low grade swill made mostly from sugar and little more than poorly distilled crap. A proper country style moonshine would have been part corn, part barley, and part sugar, which the sadly named "Climax" moonshine is. Few people today are prepared for a full corn whisky, a strongly flavored grain with a bit of an acquired taste when young. The balance of sugar, contributing to a basically flavorless neutrality, dilutes the edginess of the corn flavor, while a touch of malt brings in the bready familiarity. Just to drink on it's own, I find little utility in it. I just don't care much for unaged corn whisky. In a technical sense, it's well done though. The price puts this far out of line for what you're getting and the value is lacking here. You're paying for a lot of novelty. But if you wanted to know what a proper moonshine should taste like, look no further.

I had to buy this a year or two ago because of being a fan of the TV show. I haven't tried it lately but if memory serves me correctly it is drinkable at most. Not what I would call a good sipping whiskey. I even tried it in a mix with Pepsi and I wasted a good can of pop. Not sure what else a person can mix in corn liquor to make it palatable. Another drain cleaner as I don't know what other purpose there is for it.

Mostly corn, with tequila and a peppery burn at the end. Pretty smooth. Makes a great hard lemonade or tea. I love it albeit a little over priced.

Drank this at my cousin's funeral, it did what the name suggests. 0.25 stars for awkward public interactions

Great if into clear corn whiskeys. Much better than any other off the shelf I’ve ever had