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Who Likes White Dog?


cowdery
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I can endorse Mellow Corn. Get the BIB if you can. It tastes a little like tequila. Much more drinkable than Georgia Moon.

Ben's right. A real moonshiner is lucky to hit 40% - 50% abv let alone 95%, and if you've been sipping 95% abv spirit, you're probably dead by now.

Also, true moonshine is rarely corn. It's usually sugarjack, i.e., made from table sugar. Hell, if it tastes good that right there is the best evidence that it isn't true moonshine, because true moonshine usually tastes like crap and a half.

Anybody with even a passing interest in moonshine should read Max Watman's book, Chasing the White Dog.

Got the Mellow Corn today and had a small pour after lunch. It's really not a bad drink at all and will certainly interest my friends when they drop by. Glad I was able to get the BIB.

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Anybody with even a passing interest in moonshine should read Max Watman's book, Chasing the White Dog.

Seconded!

If you enjoy the romantic notion of moonshine as this old farmer's way of using his surplus corn to put it to the man and then drive through the night in his hopped up car, this book probably isn't for you. While not a huge surprise, the book makes it very clear that "moonshine" (if you can even still call it that) is a very different thing today, and has been for sometime. Sad in a way. (Get some Mellow Corn if you want to know what it was like 50+ years ago.)

Nevertheless, the book does a good job of skipping around and touching on other interesting distilling topics. It has made me appreciate all of the budding micro-distillers even more. That is assuming those micro's have done a good job of making their lightly aged (or not aged at all) spirits taste like something new.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Our friends in Cedar Rapids are now selling White Dog as well.

The Cedar Ridge winery and distillery are new selling "unaged whiskey". I don't see it on the website as of yet.

www.crwine.com

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I visited Grand Traverse Distillery last weekend and they are planning on selling White Dog, their 100% corn mashbill diluted to 80 proof. They have a bunch of cases of it piled up in their warehouse area, they are just waiting on approval for the label. They already sell the same thing @125 proof for the purposes of filling the small barrels they sell. It's not bad, but lacks some complexity.

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never will have any complexity at 100 percent corn. Why is it that people want to make whiskey that way. I alsways thought is was big shortcut, until I found out how long it takes to mash it. 4 to 5 hours. Use malt, you get flavor and 30 minutes mashing is plenty.

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never will have any complexity at 100 percent corn. Why is it that people want to make whiskey that way. I alsways thought is was big shortcut, until I found out how long it takes to mash it. 4 to 5 hours. Use malt, you get flavor and 30 minutes mashing is plenty.

Funny you should mention it, the guy giving the tour (not one of the owners it should be said) explained why they only make single grain whiskeys and vodkas. He said that the only reason one would use multiple grains is to cover-up "poor distillation". He also said corn was just a filler and implied that using it was some sort of cheap shortcut. I assume he meant with regard to rye whiskey.

He also seemed to think makers who use multiple grains in their whiskeys actually blend single grain spirits together. The poor kid was confused about a lot of things.

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I visited Grand Traverse Distillery last weekend and they are planning on selling White Dog, their 100% corn mashbill diluted to 80 proof. They have a bunch of cases of it piled up in their warehouse area, they are just waiting on approval for the label. They already sell the same thing @125 proof for the purposes of filling the small barrels they sell. It's not bad, but lacks some complexity.
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Funny you should mention it, the guy giving the tour (not one of the owners it should be said) explained why they only make single grain whiskeys and vodkas. He said that the only reason one would use multiple grains is to cover-up "poor distillation". He also said corn was just a filler and implied that using it was some sort of cheap shortcut. I assume he meant with regard to rye whiskey.

He also seemed to think makers who use multiple grains in their whiskeys actually blend single grain spirits together. The poor kid was confused about a lot of things.

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Not to re-direct the thread, but did this tour take any advance planning? I'll be in the area in a week and would like to talk my wife into letting me stop by for a walk-around.

Nope, no advance notice needed. While you're there stop in at Black Star Farms Old Mission tasting room and try some of their spirits. Great stuff, esp the grappa and apple brandy. The 10 y/o apple brandy is KILLER. Worth the $75 pricetag. If you're nice they may even let you look at the still.

He was probably saying what he had been told. This is exactly what I have heard from "guru" Bill Owens mouth. Whiskey has been made in Kentucky for years before any micro came along. If you want a model to follow, follow them. Not Bill.

From your mouth to a dozen micro-distillers' ears!

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Nope, no advance notice needed. While you're there stop in at Black Star Farms Old Mission tasting room and try some of their spirits. Great stuff, esp the grappa and apple brandy. The 10 y/o apple brandy is KILLER. Worth the $75 pricetag. If you're nice they may even let you look at the still.

Thanks, Josh. I'll check it out (if the boss consents).

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Josh,

How did you keep from ripping the tour guide a new one? Or did you?

I didn't, but it was very difficult. I instead resorted to a lot of eye-rolling and a little snickering. I was with a lady (well, Amy anyway) and I didn't want to get all grouchy before I went to Black Star Farms.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Funny you should mention it, the guy giving the tour (not one of the owners it should be said) explained why they only make single grain whiskeys and vodkas. He said that the only reason one would use multiple grains is to cover-up "poor distillation". He also said corn was just a filler and implied that using it was some sort of cheap shortcut. I assume he meant with regard to rye whiskey.

He also seemed to think makers who use multiple grains in their whiskeys actually blend single grain spirits together. The poor kid was confused about a lot of things.

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Nope, no advance notice needed. While you're there stop in at Black Star Farms Old Mission tasting room and try some of their spirits. Great stuff, esp the grappa and apple brandy. The 10 y/o apple brandy is KILLER. Worth the $75 pricetag. If you're nice they may even let you look at the still.
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You nailed this one. The apple brandy that is ten yo was EXCELLENT. I couldn't justify a purchase at the price level, but that doesn't mean I'd call it overpriced. We got there near closing time, so I didn't ask to see any of the production. We may go back later in the week, however.
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  • 2 weeks later...

As I was perusing the shelves at the liquor sore the other day, I came across HH's Trybox Rye and decided to try it, if nothing else for educational purposes. I don't know what I was expecting, but it is radically different than I thought it would be. It has some rye spice to it, and a lot of raw grain in the nose and taste, but there's something about it I just can't describe. Almost a heavy, oily taste that's downright unappetizing.

I'm starting to think it was a waste of $25. Now I have 700ml of white dog that I have no use for, unless I can find some good cocktail recipes to use it in. Anyone have any recipes to share?

Eric

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As I was perusing the shelves at the liquor sore the other day, I came across HH's Trybox Rye and decided to try it, if nothing else for educational purposes. I don't know what I was expecting, but it is radically different than I thought it would be. It has some rye spice to it, and a lot of raw grain in the nose and taste, but there's something about it I just can't describe. Almost a heavy, oily taste that's downright unappetizing.

I'm starting to think it was a waste of $25. Now I have 700ml of white dog that I have no use for, unless I can find some good cocktail recipes to use it in. Anyone have any recipes to share?

Eric

If you're adventurous, you can look for a barrel instead of a recipie book ...

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As I was perusing the shelves at the liquor sore the other day, I came across HH's Trybox Rye and decided to try it, if nothing else for educational purposes. I don't know what I was expecting, but it is radically different than I thought it would be. It has some rye spice to it, and a lot of raw grain in the nose and taste, but there's something about it I just can't describe. Almost a heavy, oily taste that's downright unappetizing.

I'm starting to think it was a waste of $25. Now I have 700ml of white dog that I have no use for, unless I can find some good cocktail recipes to use it in. Anyone have any recipes to share?

Eric

That is the way rye tastes. I love the taste of corn and bourbon white dog, but rye is terrible in my opinion. It really needs a barrel.

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That is the way rye tastes. I love the taste of corn and bourbon white dog, but rye is terrible in my opinion. It really needs a barrel.

Recently I read a post where a few people claimed that rye was drinkable right off the still. Maybe their claims led me to believe it would taste good. I've also been drinking more (aged) rye than bourbon lately and I'm really starting to like it, so I figured I might like rye white dog too.

The barrel idea has merit. I also have a few ounces of heavy toast american oak chips that I thought about using.

Eric

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  • 3 months later...

To answer the question: no, I don't generally like white dog. Would I buy white dog as a regular pour? Nope.

Back home in West By God Virginia two years ago for my dear mother's funeral, I hit a local liquor store the day before we all left to return to Texas and bought two local products: Mountain Moonshine (West Virginia Spirit Whiskey, 30% corn whiskey, 70% GNS, IIRC) and Southern Moon Corn Liquor from the Isaiah Morgan Distillery.

The Mountain Moonshine is an interesting pour. The corn content gives it a nicer taste than just plain GNS, and the fact that it is 100 proof makes it a good belt. Does it match my great grandfather's corn liquor? No, and that's what I grew up expecting "moonshine" to taste like. This is interesting and would make a good mixer for Bloody Marys or other vodka-based cocktails, though, but I also like Platte Valley for those kind of cocktails.

I guess I just really prefer barrel-aged spirit, preferably heavy on the corn content.

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I will not call any names, but a micro distillery was by our distillery the other day and tried to pass off a spirit made from honey as a white whiskey. I cannot believe how dumb some of these people are who are getting in the liquor business. I think he thought it was really whiskey.

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I visited BT again during the KBF. I went on the hardhat tour with lilsweetpea and her boyfriend Wayne. They were distilling the wheated mashbill that day. Y'all know me and my fondness for wheaters. :rolleyes: Even at 133 proof, it was pretty decent. If they start selling that, I may have to get a few bottles. Maybe even get an aging kit and do a little experimenting. :cool: Joe

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I'm way late to this thread, but I have half a dozen bottles of white dog on my shelf, but I rarely reach for them. In fact, unless I encountered a bourbon emergency, I probably wouldn't drink them. I bought them because I love learning about whiskey and bourbon. I'm also aging my own stuff now, so I needed to find stuff I thought would age well. Overall, I'm glad they're out there because it has helped me learn about bourbon.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Our friends in Cedar Rapids are now selling White Dog as well.

The Cedar Ridge winery and distillery are new selling "unaged whiskey". I don't see it on the website as of yet.

www.crwine.com

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