Seems like there are so many new trends in the whiskey world. Well here is one that I personally am very interested in, and intrigued by. This is Whiskey in its purest form, White Dog. Otherwise known as White Lightening, Moonshine, Shine, Bug Juice, pick a name, what you are drinking is the raw distillate off of a whiskey still.
I was reading an article in the New York Times about this trend. You can read this article here.
Call it curiosity, call it trendy, call it what you may, but distilleries have discovered that the raw product off of the still has a market, and for now that market is HOT! People are always looking for new flavors and new products, so why not white dog? It seems to make sense from a market standpoint, and this is great news for micro-distilleries around the country…
One of the problems that keep people from developing micro-distilleries for whiskey, and in particular bourbon whiskey is the up front cost and time invested prior to getting any return on that investment. Bourbon aging takes a minimum of two years, and older more mature bourbons can take anywhere between 6 and 12 years of barrel aging. It is the “great wall” if you will that micro whiskey distillers have been trying to figure out a way to get over for decades. Enter White Dog…now all things are possible.
White Dog is un-aged so there is nothing standing in the way of the investment and return. This will allow micro-distilleries to package and sell product while other product is aging in warehouses. So how does it taste?
By all accounts it is very tasty. Sweet and spicy with lots of raw grain flavors. There are differences between the grains used in the mash bill, with higher corn recipes imparting a greater sweetness as would be expected with the higher concentrations of sugars in the corn starch.
So what do you think? Interesting, or gimmick? Would you try White Dog? Would you buy White Dog? Let us know in the comments.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Reminds me of an old George Jones song… hiccup!
Not sure of the song you are referring to, but ok.
“White Lightening” launched Mr. Jones’ career. Or at least that’s what the Wiki’s tell me.
The blog theme makes my link not so obvious. There was a linky there.
I saw the link but it doesn’t do anything when I click on it.
html fail
I’m very interested to try this stuff. It’s like drinking wort before it’s fermented into beer. Very educational.
Me too. I’ve seen corn Whiskey at the liquor store but I’m not sure that is white dog. I’m gonna look for it and pick some up if I find it.
was moonshine banned from production, or do people (southerners) just enjoy the taste of their bathtub residue? is this stuff at the peak alcohol content to blind people after 2 shots? i’d be curious to try it – but perhaps not around an open flame for the fear of the fumes igniting
Yes, it’s best enjoyed outdoors or with the windows open. I’m very curious to give this a shot, though. When I was younger in Iowa, all the teenagers drank Everclear, which was a nasty grain alcohol. This has got to be better than that!
i’ve been to a few gatherings with the everclear mixed in a kool-aid type concoction – don’t remember alot from them. i fount this other article from men’s journal that supplements don’s points –> http://www.mensjournal.com/white-whiskey
I wonder how many Sharpie incidents Everclear is responsible for. what percentage of guys who wake up covered in obscene drawings and sayings have an Everclear hangover? I bet it’s pretty high.
I got drunk on Jungle Juice once! That was it! They are now discussing banning it in Iowa (the scene of my crime). That stuff is nasty!
Just once?
I learned my lesson well!
Moonshine is actually illegal to make without a Federal permit, so that is where the illegality comes in is people were making it for personal use and sale without giving the government their cut. Unlike beer there is no production limit that would put you into a commercial category that would then need a permit, if you make any you are breaking the law. As for the alcohol content that would not get as high as say Everclear because of the mash bill.
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to sample 4 different Maker’s Mark expressions, one of which was white dog and it wasn’t bad.
As you quite rightly say, starting up a distillery is a costly affair and until recently has meant a minimum of 3 years before any return on investment and running costs. (Scotch ‘new make’ cannot be called whisky until it has aged for a minimum of 3 years in oak barrels).
The newer start-ups like Glenglassaugh, Kilchoman & St. George’s English Whisky have issued various ages of ‘new make’ within their first 3 years and all have been pretty successful. Plus it is interesting to try the spirit that will eventually become whisky.
Personally, I find many of them quite aromatic and floral, often similar to good grappas.
Keith