Tennessee Spirits: Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine

It’s hard to believe January is half over already...it’s been two week since I mentioned in my “Looking Forward” message on New Year’s Day a series I would be undertaking. I gave no other hints at the time and I’m honestly still working out the details of this, but this is the start of the “Tennessee Spirits” series. In the coming months I want to explore the available distilled beverages made in, or at least connected closely to, the state I call home. Everyone is already familiar with Jack Daniel (the best-selling whiskey in the world) and I gave my review of the competing (and better) Tennessee Whiskey, George Dickel, a while back, so I probably won't be running any stories about the states two most famous spirits. Tennessee recently changed their laws, though, and new distilleries seem to be springing up all the time.

We are starting off with a variation on Moonshine from the hills of East Tennessee. Ole Smoky Distillery is located in Gatlinburg and bills themselves as the “1st Legal Moonshine in Tennessee.” The folks behind Ole Smoky are from a long line of locals who were some of the early settles in the Smoky Mountains and made Moonshine in order to survive tough economic times. With the changing of state laws, they decided to showcase the family traditions with very old recipes distilled and sold legally for the first time. They produce four “main” products, Original Moonshine, White Lightnin’ (distilled six times and billed as a vodka alternative), Moonshine Cherries (said to be great for making “hard” Cherry Coke), and today’s beverage Apple Pie Moonshine.

If you watched the recent television show “Moonshiners,” you might remember a Tennessee native who was making Apple Pie Moonshine and selling it. That was where I first heard of the concept and barely a week later I found this in the store. They mix pure apple juice, ground cinnamon and other spices into their homemade moonshine for a 40 proof concoction that is easily drinkable whether you like it hot or cold.

Interesting facts to note on this Apple Pie Shine: it has an expiration date, which I can’t recall ever having seen on a liquor bottle, not even something like Bailey’s that has milk products in it (I bought the bottle in January, and the expiration is in August of the same year). Second, if you look at the bottom of the bottle after it has been sitting still even 10 or 15 minutes, there is noticeably sediment collected there. It really must be shaken vigorously before pouring (or sipping straight from the Mason jar if that’s your preference).

The nose on this whiskey (or maybe it should be called a cocktail?) is incredible...it smells like nothing more or less than apple pie. A strong baked apple aroma with the definite overtones of cinnamon. Taking out of the fridge, I drink it cold...out of a glass, so I can put the rest away for later. The flavor is something pretty special. If you could distill the essence of a fantastic apple pie into a glass, this would be it. Thick, sweet apple-y goodness with pie spices...and just a little bit of an alcohol kick at the end. Only on the finish could I get a bit of corn liquor sweetness coming from the original base beverage.

As far as cigar pairing, I put the Apple Pie Moonshine with a 262 Paradigm Lancero and found the combination was very nice. The Shine helped to bring out more of the sweetness in the Brazilian wrapper leaf. I would think most maduro cigars would do well, too. The Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine is a decidedly accessible introduction to a centuries-old craft beverage and the price won’t break the bank.