Climax Moonshine Original Recipe

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

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.