Ole Smoky Moonshine Flavors and Review

Ole Smoky Distillery, located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, makes a lot of different flavored whiskeys, a straight bourbon, and canned cocktails. But, we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to talk about Ole Smoky Moonshine…. and the 30 flavors they offer. Now, I’m not going to drink and review all of them, but I have 6 different flavors to put to the test.

Before we dive into the Ole Smoky Moonshine flavors, there’s a more pressing issue at hand. What is moonshine? Does Ole Smoky really count as moonshine? Does it matter? Let’s discuss.

What is Moonshine? How Did it Begin?

Traditionally speaking, or generally speaking, moonshine is a homemade, high-proof, unaged liquor usually in the form of corn whiskey, although it can really be distilled from anything. In even simpler terms, it is untaxed liquor.

Moonshine, when referencing liquor, can first be traced to the 1700’s in England. It spread to America in 1791 when our government passed the distilled spirits tax. Farmer-distillers in Pennsylvania were not happy, so they began distilling liquor under the table. I mean, many of these farmer-distillers were simply making and selling whiskey for their personal use, and that of friends and locals.

They weren’t literally making the liquor “under that table” so to speak, they were distilling a corn-based liquor in the woods, using the moon as their source of light to avoid detection. Hence the term, moonshine.

Moonshine became popular throughout the 1800’s and was the reason for the term ‘bootleggers’. People would hide flasks in their boots to transport the illegal liquor. According to Moonshine University, NASCAR was even inspired by the transportation of illegal liquor. Once cars became available, fast cars and good drivers were needed to evade the law. These men would race in their free time, and, eventually, a moonshiner supplied a bootlegger with some money to start NASCAR.

Of course, moonshine and bootlegging had it’s share of fame and glory amongst prohibition in the 1920’s and 30’s. It continued on strong after that as well, as moonshine garnered a reputation as being a dangerous spirit concocted by hillbillies in the woods of the south eastern US.

Fast forward to today, there are legal moonshine distilleries….

How is There Legal Moonshine?

If moonshine is an untaxed, illegal spirit, how are there distilleries making moonshine… legally…?

Well, there are no laws and regulations surrounding moonshine. So, a distillery can call their spirit moonshine if they so please. Most “legal moonshine” will fall under the whiskey specialty category.

Is it BS? I mean, why are we accepting this as moonshine? Some traditionalist will certainly laugh at the idea of legal moonshine. Some, though, say it was never about the legality of it.

In this article, Sarah LeRoy, a member of a moonshine distillery, is quoting saying moonshine comes down to culture more than legality. To her, it’s about passing a jar of moonshine around. It’s the process, recipe, and way it’s enjoyed that makes moonshine, moonshine.

Are the traditionalists playing gate keeper to the romanticized idea of homemade, ultra high proof, illegal, bootlegging moonshine? Or are these distilleries taking advantage of the connotation that the word and idea of moonshine brings by claiming their legally distilled and taxed spirit is just as much of moonshine?

I’m not sure. Certainly, though, when I think of moonshine, I think of home-distilled, 95% ABV clear liquor. But I suppose I’ll leave it to you to be the judge.

Ole Smoky Moonshine Flavors

As I mentioned, there are currently 30 different flavors of Ole Smoky Moonshine. I will touch upon the 6 flavors that I have on hand and briefly mention the other 24 flavors. You can judge whether or not Ole Smoky counts as moonshine, I’ll judge if it’s worth drinking.

Their selection ranges from 35 proof to 128 proof, with their original Ole Smoky moonshine coming in at 100 proof.

Ole Smoky Hunch Punch Lightnin’ Moonshine

Moonshine blended with cherry, pineapple, and orange juices. 80 proof, 40% ABV

You know Hi-C fruit punch? The one “juice” you get from the soda machine. Yep, that’s this. Just with a lot of alcohol. All I need are those good ice cubes. The small cylindrical ones that are nice and soft, easily crunchable. You know what I’m talking about? Dump this Hunch Punch Lightnin’ over some of that Ice, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a drink.

Or head to Cane’s (the chicken place, that’s the one) grab a cup of that good ice, quarter-filled with Hi-C fruit punch and fill it to the top with vodka and it’s probably pretty similar.

Be forewarned, this is very sweet and sugary. But strong, too.

Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine

Blackberry flavored moonshine, not much else to say. 40 proof, 20% ABV.

Before I sip, let’s note that this is half as strong as the Hunch Punch Lightnin’, so we’re really proof down here. This should sip more like a pre-mixed cocktail, I would think.

Nope. That’s not very good. Honey, lemonade, blackberry tea, but like… not good. It could be good if you add it in a mixer, but it’s already 40 proof and it’s already sweet. Wouldn’t recommend this flavor out of the 30…. even though it’s only the second one I’ve had.

Ole Smoky White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Moonshine

The flavors of white chocolate and fresh strawberries blended with moonshine. 35 proof, 17.5% ABV.

Say what you want, but I’m getting my hopes up. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate and strawberries. The bottle is also making me think strawberry short cake.

OKAY. This is pretty darn good. The first two are sweet. Like sugary, unhealthy sweet. I was expecting more of that from a 35 proof white chocolate strawberry cream moonshine. But this, this is sweet cream (awkward pause)… like a coffee creamer. The strawberry note is strong with some creamy chocolate as well.

I’d drink this by itself. I’d add vodka and drink it if I wanted something stronger. I can use this in 1000 different cocktail. Yeah, this one plays.

Ole Smoky Banana Pudding Cream Moonshine

The flavors of vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and bananas blended with moonshine. 35 proof, 17.5% ABV.

Banana pudding can be ehhh sometimes…. but when it’s good, it’s really good. After the last one, I have my hopes up.

Not bad. The banana flavor is way too artificial though. It tastes nearly identical to a banana Laffy Taffy. The initial cream and milk flavors are nice, but artificial banana comes in too strong at the end. Again, not bad at all, but not on the level of White Chocolate Strawberry Cream.

Ole Smoky Butter Pecan Moonshine

Flavors of butter, cream, toasted pecans, and caramel blended with moonshine. 35 proof, 17.5% ABV.

I’m not a huge butter pecan kinda guy, but I wanted some variance in the flavors I got, so we’ll see.

Started out really good. It was almost more of a roasted coffee at the start, and the caramel came in at the end just too strong. Would be a lot better without the caramel, in my opinion. If that’s your thing, then perhaps this’ll be good for you. Very very good up until that point, though. Not as strong an aftertaste as the banana laffy taffy.

Ole Smoky Mountain Java Coffee Cream Liqueur

Coffee Flavored Ole Smoky. Named as a liqueur, still dons the moonshine label. Interesting. 35 proof, 17.5% ABV.

Does this use their “moonshine” recipe, or perhaps their whiskey they distill? Not sure.

This one is opposite of the others. Was unsure as it first hit my mouth, but it just kept getting better and better. Rich coffee/espresso at the end. Very mocha flavored. I feel as though I’m drinking a mocha frappe at a Starbucks inside a Barnes&Noble.

Typically a black coffee drinker, but I’m not scared to get a little crazy with my order. Add this to coffee? No, I think I’ll add some coffee to this.

Other Flavors

Below is a list of all the other Ole Smoky Moonshine options. If you’re looking for Ole Smoky Whiskey, head to their website for a complete list.