Huffington Magazine Issue 84 | Page 68

HUFFINGTON 01.19.14 TASTE TEST Exit own reality show now. You might be thinking, “Isn’t legal moonshine an oxymoron?” Although for most of our lives moonshine has been considered contraband, it wasn’t always illegal. Moonshine simply refers to unaged whiskey that’s bottled straight off the still. Since we at HuffPost Taste love booze, the tradition behind moonshine and the taste buds of our readers, we threw ourselves a little moonshine taste test. We pulled together a few of the most recognizable brands that have hit the market in recent years, as well as a few wild cards. The great thing about moonshine is that it varies greatly from region to region, and it seems like every whiskey distillery has its own version. Moonshine is usually distilled from corn, malted barley, rye or some combination thereof. We tasted only original recipes, although many distilleries infuse their moonshine with fruit and other flavoring agents — the only thing that’s not allowed is aging time in a barrel. Check out what our tasters thought ahead. TAP FOR THE TASTERS’ VERDICTS TIM SMITH’S CLIMAX MOONSHINE OLE SMOKY TENNESSEE MOONSHINE BUFFALO TRACE WHITE DOG, MASH #1 HUDSON NEW YORK CORN WHISKEY MIDNIGHT MOON MOONSHINE KINGS COUNTY DISTILLERY MOONSHINE