Jim Beam Adding White Whiskey

[buffdaddy]

Jacob’s Ghost a throwback to 1790s product and similar to moonshine.

"The world’s largest bourbon producer is dipping into moonshining’s colorful past to create its own batches of white whiskey.
Beam Inc.’s newest spirit is called Jacob’s Ghost in honor of Jacob Beam, founding distiller of its flagship Jim Beam brand. Jacob’s Ghost resembles the potent concoction that flowed from the pioneering whiskey-maker’s still in the 1790s or from a moonshiner’s still today.
But this is no run-of-the-mill hooch brewed in the backwoods.
“We have perfected the whiskey recipe that Jacob created,” said Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe, a descendant of Jacob Beam. “Jacob’s Ghost is not a moonshine.”

http://www.boozenews.com/spirits/jim-beam-adding-white-whiskey-but-dont-call-it-moonshine/

 

[Hunter]

Interesting, I really enjoy White Owl Whisky, I will have to give this a shot when I finish my bottle of Red Stag.

 

[Edcculus]

I kind of think all these people trying to cash in on the moonshine thing is kind of stupid. I mean, the point of moonshine is that it ISNT good. I guess white corn whiskey is a novelty. I guess being from moonshine country, actually paying for it in the store just sounds ridiculous. Everyone around here...knows a guy

 

[Acmemfg]

I kind of think all these people trying to cash in on the moonshine thing is kind of stupid. I mean, the point of moonshine is that it ISNT good. I guess white corn whiskey is a novelty. I guess being from moonshine country, actually paying for it in the store just sounds ridiculous. Everyone around here...knows a guy

Have to agree. I've seen some quirky marketing gimmicks over the years but this is pretty much one of the worst. I have had REAL 'shine from the worst (Hernando County, FL) to pretty good (Polk County, TN) to REALLY good (Clark County, KY) and all had character and a sense of panache'. The insipid "white whiskey" being pumped out by macro-distillers is just silly...........

 

[packersfan117]

I have to agree with the others. I don't really see the point. Around here, the only purpose it has is to get you drunk for cheap; nobody sips this stuff or savors it. It's also insanely popular with the under-21 set, as the shiners don't give a rip if you're of age or not.

 

[Kazeryu]

A roommate's friend gave me a glass of some white owl once, said he liked it. I gave him a glass of Ardbeg 10 in return.

He didn't like me after that.

 

[Wishoot]

I had a chance to try some of the Popcorn Sutton stuff a while back and it wasn't half bad. Thought I could pick up a bottle for cheap in Tennessee and boy was I wrong. I think it went for something like $30. It's not that good.

I need to find "a guy" that can hook me up with the real stuff next time I'm visiting family in Maryville, TN.

 

[Larry C in Texas]

I had a chance to try some of the Popcorn Sutton stuff a while back and it wasn't half bad. Thought I could pick up a bottle for cheap in Tennessee and boy was I wrong. I think it went for something like $30. It's not that good.

Thanks for the input on this one. I was really interested in this, since I love me some Popcorn Sutton from "The Last Run" and wanted to know about it. Sad that ol' Popcorn took his own life.

 

[BigNickel]

It might be common place in the South, but in the Wintry North good 'shine is hard to come by. In this neck of the woods, the only shine I can ever find is made from Blueberries or Tomato, and it's a lot like drinking rubbing alcohol. It would be a real treat to try some authentic southern moonshine. Since that is likely not going to happen, I would consider picking up a bottle of White Whiskey, especially if it's 90+ proof.

 

[Edcculus]

FWIW, real authentic southern moonshine tastes like someone poured lighter fluid down your throat and set it on fire!

 

[Acmemfg]

Most Moonshine Wannabe Whiskey on the market today is really pathetic..Beam's "Jacob's Ghost" is exceptionally bad. It is thin, tasteless and had no resemblance whatsoever to the fine products I have had in the past made by local artisans of the distilled spirit craft. Junior Johnson's "Midnight Moon" is nearly as bad. Corsair's "Wry Moon" is a decent product, but is a tad too refined to pass itself off as a "Moonshine" type of whiskey.

Indeed, whiskeys I obtained behind a truckstop in Winchester, KY years back and another variety I got from an associate in Eastern TN were exceptionally good. Better that ANYTHING from an established distillery.
But...there is ONE spirit out there that comes closer than most to identifying as legit 'shine.
Made about 125 miles up the road, this is the best you will do unless you can find a real backwoods connection.

 

[plaidninja]

I kind of think all these people trying to cash in on the moonshine thing is kind of stupid. I mean, the point of moonshine is that it ISNT good. I guess white corn whiskey is a novelty. I guess being from moonshine country, actually paying for it in the store just sounds ridiculous. Everyone around here...knows a guy

That's the thing - you're in moonshine country. Many, if not most of us aren't. I'm definitely not. This is likely the closest I'll ever get to trying the real thing, except for Kings County Distillery's.http://kingscountydistillery.com/I'd add a picture but I can't seem to get the attachments function to work.

 

[Kazeryu]

It remains a mystery to me why the whole moonshine scene is still going on in the US. Liquor is already incredibly cheap there, so the cost argument doesn't seem to hold much water.

 

[galopede]

I remember some years ago visiting the Cragganmore distillery in Speyside. They had a sign up saying they were on the Whisky Trail. When we arrived, they hadn't actually finished their visitor centre so the manager took us around the distillery. At the end, we sat in his office where he had some bottles. He also had a jar of that day's distillate and we sampled that. Completely clear, it was as smooth as a baby's bum!

Gareth

 

[Edcculus]

It remains a mystery to me why the whole moonshine scene is still going on in the US. Liquor is already incredibly cheap there, so the cost argument doesn't seem to hold much water.

Exactly that. There is a kind of mystery behind it and some tradition. Combine that with making it illegal to distill alcohol, which is a sure way to make sure people WILL do it. They should really make distilling legal up to a certain point, just like homebrewed beer, wine and cider. Oh, and homebrewing beer is DEFINITELY not cost effective, but its fun and you can make exactly what you want. I'm sure there is a little of that in the moonshine business too. If it were legal, I'd dabble in distilling...but thats a whole different topic.

 

[Beerhunter]

I saw that on the store shelves today. But I can get real shine from my aunts side of the family bad news it up $12 from $8. A jar

 

[chris.hale]

So, what's the difference between white whiskey and vodka?

 

[Acmemfg]

White whiskey will be traditionally made with corn as the dominant, if not exclusive grain. It usually will be a single distilled beverage.

Vodka is more commonly made with rye or wheat. Potatoes, beets, in some cases molasses, and God knows what ever else can go into a vodka mashbill. Often it is distilled multiple times.

Other than distillers now flavoring their vodkas (ridiculous flavorings in many cases) I do believe that's about it

 

[knlgskr]

This has been an interesting and enjoyable thread; thank you buffdaddy and all who have contributed.

I have spoken at length with Joseph Earl Dabney author of Mountain Spirits and one of his main characters Hamper McBee (moonshiner extraordinaire) and Captain Bobby Rollins (USCG) who knew/knows both of them well. All say that it is the quality of the Mash Bill that determines the quality of the whisk(e)y but age and a good ageing medium can make good better but only make inferior older. All say that using sugar or other lengtheners enable the distiller to make more whisk(e)y from the same amount of grain i.e. 2 bushels of grain will make 1 gallon of whisk(e)y without them but it won't make better whisk(e)y.

I too have had the opportunity sample an unaged product on the Whisky Trail and galopede is 100% right; it is/was a fine dram.

When I was approaching drinking age; a Great Uncle of mine who was a true boulevardier told me that if you couldn't drink a liquor neat and enjoy it; you probably shouldn't drink it at all or mix it and for me it has been good advice.

 

[chris.hale]

White whiskey will be traditionally made with corn as the dominant, if not exclusive grain. It usually will be a single distilled beverage.

Vodka is more commonly made with rye or wheat. Potatoes, beets, in some cases molasses, and God knows what ever else can go into a vodka mashbill. Often it is distilled multiple times.

Other than distillers now flavoring their vodkas (ridiculous flavorings in many cases) I do believe that's about it

Thank you, I thought that they were both grain spirits. I imagine the majority of white whiskey, the proper stuff at least, was distilled more as a means to an end, so I can't think further distillation would be high on the list of priorities once you'd arrived at something that didn't send you blind and mad. It's certainly true of poitin, one of my friends gave me some once that his family made and it was evil stuff. Highly effective granted, but rough as a badger's arse. You daren't smoke while drinking it!