Review: Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine

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Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine
Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine

Not every spirit we receive has a deep back story attached to it, and many readers have requested that we try to cover more products that cross our desk. To do this, we’re trying out a shorter form review. This won’t supplant our long form, analytical reviews for landmark products, but it should enable us to cover more ground and give you more intelligence on more products.

The first of these products is Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine. It has debuted at the Ole Smoky Distillery and is set to roll out nationally in the middle of this year. We’ve covered Ole Smoky pretty extensively, including behind the scenes and a detailed look at their aged product Ole Smoky Charred Moonshine (with a musing on how they keep up with all their sales volumes). Now, Ole Smoky has a product that’s aimed at delivering on the moonshine promise, with solid flavor, combining sugar and corn, and delivered at a high proof.

Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine (64% ABV, 128 proof, $34.95) – this is a sugar wash moonshine where the leftover corn mash from corn whiskey has sugar added to it, then it’s fermented and distilled.  Yeasty ground corn on the nose with white pepper, and apple blossom. Fewer edges on the nose than you’d expect for this proof. Soft, round, and sweet entry with vanilla, sugar cane, and yeasty cornbread. Midpalate is a big pepper kick with white and black pepper and a solid dash of heat. There’s a sharp punch at the end of the midpalate, but it’s purposeful and pleasant. The heat and spice drive a dry a finish on a spirit that drinks more like you’d expect a moonshine to taste: sweet and corny with a nice punch. Ole Smoky is initially selling their Blue Flame in their Gatlinburg, TN store “The Holler” with plans of launching in nationally in mid 2015.  83 points.

Ole Smoky Blue Flame Moonshine is a good indicator that the moonshine space will continue to grow and flourish, and that there’s room for innovation, outside the flavored moonshine space.

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Points
83
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+Geoff Kleinman, is the founder, and managing editor of DrinkSpirits.com. He is a nationally recognized spirits columnist and staff reviewer for Whisky Advocate Magazine. Geoff's work has appeared in dozens of major magazines including Playboy Magazine, Black Book, and Mixology Magazine. He is a current sitting judge for the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, the founder of the Society of Modern Journalists, holds BAR certification from the Beverage Alcohol Resource Group, is a Certified Cognac Educator, and a Kentucky Colonel