Why does my whiskey smell like paint thinner ?
- Thread starter CurtisB81
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I have not had this brand but I can tell you that good moonshine should not have a off smell. Moonshine in this country is usually made with corn. During the fermentation process it can develop that taste but should be distilled out. The heads and tails smell bad and are not used in quality moonshine, that is also what gives you a headache and could make you blind, unlikely in the US. There have been numerous reports of bad batches of moonshine being passed off as quality stuff in Mexico and India. My advice, don't drink it.
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- #3
Did it smell like that after you opened it the first time? I would contact the distillery and ask them. I did a Google search and found others said that moonshine has a strong smell.
The heads and tail can smell terrible but they should be thrown away. I have drank moonshine in the US, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine and none of it smelled like paint thinner. Smell vodka, if the moonshine smells like that then it is normal. Maybe it is poor quality. Pot stilled, first run moonshine can smell bad but who would pay for that let alone drink it.
Well, it's not true moonshine in that it's not illegal, but that's neither here nor there. There's no good reason to drink something that smells of paint thinner.
The first thing that I thought of was acetaldehyde. I don't know if that is what it is, but it can smell sort of like paint. I also know that it can be a fermentation product and that it is a product of the liver oxidizing ethanol. It's something of a hangover bomb.
The first thing that I thought of was acetaldehyde. I don't know if that is what it is, but it can smell sort of like paint. I also know that it can be a fermentation product and that it is a product of the liver oxidizing ethanol. It's something of a hangover bomb.
I had a bit of Maker’s Mark that had a distinct turpentine note to it which really turned me off. I have had it several times since and not detected it. I am curious if it was a bad pour, or a bad bottle, or a bad barrell...
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- #8
This is strange as Makers Mark has high quality standards. I once sent back a famous brand beer because I tasted soap. Maybe our taste buds can be off at times. Looking back I don't think there was not anything wrong with the beer, I just think I was projecting. What ever, it is just a thought. I have tasted the "moonshine" labeled stuff and was unimpressed. If the original poster wants to taste a real moonshine taste then he might try a George Dickel white, whatever it is called, the unaged stuff. That tastes like moonshine. It pairs nicely with a Miller to get the full corn wang.
"White dog" is the term for the stuff that is fresh from the still and that will be whiskey once it's been in a barrel for a while. "Moonshine" is pure marketing.
And what did you think of the White Dog? I have been to the place they make the stuff and it is a mixture of new and old technology. I stood over the open air vats where it gets wild yeasts at times I suppose. I like Dickel enough but it seems to be inconsistent, it is not a blended product as far as I know.
My thought also, it comes and leaves with harshness and the middle is the same. lol I think the price is not in line with what you get as well.
My friend’s father distills his own liquor and he has actually produced some excellent “white lightening” from apples. The stuff he’s distilled from corn mash is undrinkable though unless it’s flavored or aged. I really think it has to do what’s used. He’s actually quite good at all things alcohol and has made excellent hard cider in the past. I’ve been on him to go try going commercial but i think i’ll settle for him teaching me at this point.
Oh and to actually address the OP’s question, corn moonshine has a potent smell that i could understand being described as paint thinner. Especially the higher proof stuff. Was the stuff you drank made from corn?
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- #16
Because it IS paint thinner?
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- #18
But other “moonshine” don’t smell like that..
Typically i’ve found corn in partictular to have a smell like you described. It’s distinctly different from other mashes when it comes off the still. I’m guessing there’s nothing wrong with it. Just that it’s moonshine and not the premium product they’re advertising it as. I’ve never understood how it can command the same price as an actual aged whiskey because it skips the years it takes to make a complex spirit. Then again, mezcal is plenty expensive and plenty complex and it’s basically moonshine made from agave. So i guess it just depends on what your tastes are. Personally, corn moonshine isn’t very palatable to me.
I agree with you on cost and harshness of the products you mentioned. The charcoal filtering can smooth out the corn mash moonshine but it will still have a wang to it that I do not care for.
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