Georgia Moon

Shine On Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey is, according to the cheap-looking brown-paper-bag label, ‘less than 30 days old!’. It’s crystal clear like gin and sold in a large Mason fruitjar, with a large round lid that will keep you from pouring this elegantly. But that’s not what Georgia Moon is about. It does not pretent to be any more than cheap corn whiskey, produced with a mash bill of at least 81% corn (legal obligation).

I’m sure it’s supposed to remind us of the moonshine period, when a lot of distilling went on illicitly to avoid taxes. This went on at night, so that the smoke wouldn’t be visible. That illicit spirit was called moonshine for the obvious reason.

The first whiff, when you pour the dram, is something sour that makes your nose curl. Ouch! I sense – I kid you not! – Brussels sprouts. Hard to believe. It’s a good thing this doesn’t last long. It’s immediately followed by sweet corn and something heather-like. It reminds me – for just a fraction of a second – of Glenglassaughs Spirit Drink, but this nose is not half as good. More like a quarter and even that is being kind.

On the palate, it starts sour and unsavory, but oily and silky soft with the smallest of bites. Being an American product, I expected this to be sweet. Well… it’s anything but. But – and that did not come as a surprise – excessively simply.

The finish is short and insignificant.

I’m happy that I tried it, albeit as some sort of experiment as I was attracted to the look of the bottle. But that’s the best you can say about this dram. It’s got a funny packaging.

Apparantly this corn whiskey is very popular in the USA, but I’m guessing this also has a lot to do with the pricetag. You can get it practically anywhere for approx. $10 at most (while in Europe it’s about 25 EUR). It’s part of Heaven Hill’s Corn Whiskey Portfolio, that also includes Mellow Corn, Dixie Dew and J.W. Corn. Georgia Moon also comes in two flavoured expressions : Lemonade (with lemon, who would’ve thought?) and Peach (with… err… peach). But those two have an ABV of 35% and are hence, technically speaking, not whiskey.

Find where to buy Georgia Moon whisky