While the rest of my borough is out partying, I’ve taken a break to bring a new whiskey into my arsenal. Shine On Georgia Moon is something that’s caught my eye on the shelf every time I visit my local liquor store, so instead of venturing down to Red Hook to see my usual pushers at LeNell’s I opted to give SOGM a try.
Presentation:
Shine On Georgia Moon is bottled and positioned for one purpose and one purpose only: to hammer home the idea that it is moonshine. From the name, to the mason jar, to the irregular typeface on the shopping-bag-paper label, this liquor is anything but subtle. Thankfully they realize that they are so unapologetically forward in their visual presentation that they didn’t find the need to add a hokey little narrative about some old-timey man and his still out in the back woods of Georgia (or Kentucky as is the case here).
Beyond these obvious points, there is one message that seems particularly distictive to this brand – they proult declare that their product is “less than 30 days old” right on the front label. This is a clear response to the often fetishistic focus on a whiskey’s age that we see in other brands. SOGM seems to be trying to make the “freshness” of the product a selling point…not a crazy approach in the era of local food and farmers’ markets.
If you take the cheap bottling and quick time to market implied in the “less than 30 days old” tag line, and place these two qualities next to the $13+ price point, what you see is some damn shrewed marketing. The Johnson Distilling Company has taken the market’s obsession with notions of “authenticity” and manufactured unpretentiousness and turned it into a cheap-to-make, mid-market brand. Bravo.
Tasting:
Shine On Georgia Moon is no subtler to the nose than its bottling is to the eye. Before even getting to the nose however, one must struggle to pour the whiskey out of the mason jar itself – not an easy task to complete neatly. Once in the glass, SOGM definitely smells like whiskey, but very green whiskey. The dominant scent is (naturally) corn, but it really smells like the mash itself, unaged, unmellowed.
On the palate, SOGM is equally young. It moves quickly through its seasons: starting with a burst of corn, dropping into the sensation of boiled mash, then disappearing as quickly as it came leaving only a slight remembrance in the clean finish that something had passed this way. There seem few better ways to describe it than simply as ‘fast’.
Over all:
I would probably never find myself settling down with a glass of neat Georgia Moon any day soon, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good uses for a green whiskey such as this. For instance, I can imagine with a little simple syrup and mint this would make a fine julep; or perhaps replace the mint with a wedge of lime and the simple syrup for cane syrup for a variation on Ti’punch. In fact, SOGM reminds me more of a rhum agricole than a bourbon or any other American whiskey – so it might be best to treat it as such.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I saw this odd little one in the local liquor store, which enticed me but looked fairly risky. Your review provided ample info on this oddity, which was very helpful!
P.S. Nice to see some variation in the circle of whisky bloggers for focusing on American spirits; you deserve to be read more widely!
December 20th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
My experience was a harsh clingy after taste resembling a belch after drinking water from a cheap garden hose this is by far no quality item but a tawdry novelty that insults the fine art of making moonshine corn whiskey this stuff is similar to what the old aficionados called “pop skull” made by scurrilous n`er do wells in car radiators!
December 21st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Ha! Good note Russel – I think that’s exactly the impression they were trying to give! They want to add an edge of unlawfulness, of danger to the aura. I was merely trying to contextualize it rather than rationalize it.
Thanks for reading!
November 10th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
I recently drank some corn wiskey we found in a friends great grandadscloset.dateed 1923..against my better judgment. Took a slash. Smooth. Clean buzz. Enjoyed. So bought some Georgia moon an was surprised to get the same effect. Enjoyed it taste a little cheap but a corn whiskey buzz is better. Smoother. Than ive found yet. Looking forward to trying. Midnight moon soon. But thumbs up on Georgia moon. And ROLL TIDE! !!!
November 10th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
You are stupid
November 10th, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Haters .dude probably drinks spritzers
November 10th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Go drink a spritzer. Talk to us when u grow up.put your big boy pants on an talk corn wiskey. Lightning
December 30th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
[...] and perhaps some woodiness, surrounded by the fresh-green corn. This isn’t too far from Georgia Moon when compared with many other selections on this [...]
March 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
[...] whiskey that’s four months old? At the very least, this would be an experience similar to Georgia Moon or perhaps last week’s brandy, both young spirits. At best, the creator had worked some [...]
July 29th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
[...] expecting something only slightly less harsh than the fresh-off-the-still taste of something like Georgia Moon. Where it could differ though is in the fact that it’s made with a 100% wheat mash, which I [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I found an old jar of this in my grandmothers cabinet. I have no idea how old it could be, but it still has the paper A.T.F. stamp from the jar to the lid. It also has a state of Georgia liquor stamp on it with numbers and such. Does anyone know how to date this un-opened jar off the numbers on these seals??? I’d like to know how old it is…my best guesstimate is from between 78-86 seeing as how there are a lot of un-opened bottles with seals with dates on them. This was the only one that didn’t have a date stamp on. Needless to say any info on this would be helpful!!!…no longer is this jar less than 30 days old!
December 12th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Well I first tried this shine when I got back from Iraq, and I wasnt pleasently surprised. I thought that it would be much like the rough shine I have tried in the past, but it wasn’t. Granted, it is not a smooth sipping kentucky or tennesse whiskey. But I love shine and it was rather nice, I now have a bottle at my house all the time.
June 10th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
My brother just brought some SOGM home. i’ve gotten it from the jar into my own smaller jar. Now I just have to get it past the lips. Brother says, “the jars on the shelf, and i dont plan on opening it again” OMG……
July 30th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
коиу помог похудеть слимкодпоследствия излишнего весасемечки и диетауринотерапия по малахову похудениевсе о лишнем весекак выглядит яйцо диетическоедиета при тахикардиидиета со счетом калорийкремлевская диета великолепно подходит для тех женщин которые не толькопомогает ли прыжки через скакалку похудетьдиета при остеоартрозекнига как похудетьпохудеть изначально маленький вессрочно надо похудеть на 5 кг за три неделидиеты при ревмотоидном артритекак похудеть с помощью уксуса рецептдиета при удалении почкинародные средства от похудениядиеты примерное меню на деньвода в кремлевской диете
September 3rd, 2011 at 8:46 pm
This is the best thing in this life.
October 18th, 2011 at 5:39 am
I think those who are trying to pour SOGM are missing the point (and the marketing gimmick) that this is meant to be sipped straight from the jar, and passed around. As well, it’s not smooth in the sense that a more refined bourbon or single malt scotch may be, but with it being only 80 proof (and IMHO somewhat sweet), it sure is easy to sip. The corn aroma is certainly stronger than other corn whiskeys I’ve tried, and at first I didn’t think I cared for it, but after a while it grew on me. I’ll be buying more soon, as even though it is a 750 ml jar, with the relatively low alcohol content (for shine) it goes pretty quickly.
January 31st, 2013 at 4:04 am
Pouring into a nice shot glass is for city boys. It supposed to be drunk straight from the jar. If you want fancy glasses and umbrellas and shit like that, go to your local preppie bar and have a frozen strawberry whatever.
December 17th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I just got a jar of the peach shine & Im bout to try it after I eat!!!
December 21st, 2011 at 12:59 am
When I lived in CHS SC, a co worker of mine, lets just call him “the Colonel” Colonel Lingus, why he used to come around every now and again with a jar of the smoothest sipp’n shine in da low country. I have been watching “moonshiners” on the discovery channel lately and thought, I’d like to git me a jar o dat stuff! So I went down to the local ABC and picked one up. I should have just put the 12 bucks in the red kettle! UGH! Are you kidding me with this CRAP?!?!? SOGM you got my 12 bucks!
January 1st, 2012 at 5:02 pm
This is an Anachronism and most people are missing this point! This is the whisky my ancestors made when they settled in the Apalatia in 1720. Yes it was crude, yes it was unrefined! Was the beers and meads back 3,000 to 5,000 years ago any different? The single malts, single barrels are the sweet fruits from the whiskey family tree. SOGM are one of the true roots of that very tree! This is what brought in money and food for destitue families! This is where it all began here in the U.S. (Rum… Bahama invention). Whisky like SOGM is what started the “Whiskey Rebelion”! It is just like those that distilled it in those days, a people unsophisticated and unrefined by their U.K. copunterparts that whooped the U.K. and began this great nation! It is the Red, White & Blue Sweat & Blood of our ancestors and what they could sip while relaxing after a day of skull duggery! It came from the corn forged by Amwerican callused hands, brewed by American water, fermented by American yeast, distilled by Yankee inginuity from a proud Celtic roots that broke the Roman yoke in Britania! God Bless!
January 5th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Drink it out of the mason jar and you dont have to worry about making a mess tryin to put it in a glass. Duhh.
January 7th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
i have poured this crap down the sink! i wolnt buy so called shine from a ABC store agian. moon sucks, midnight moon sucks, and so on and so forth. if you want real corn find NC homemade. ABC is a sorry excuse and should be shut down.
January 12th, 2012 at 5:49 am
Jesus H Christ this stuff is BAD when drank neat!
Imagine drinking some rainwater from one of the bottom tyres in a 20-year-old old tyre pile… Yes, it’s *that* bad!
You still have to try this stuff though. ;)
December 20th, 2012 at 3:01 am
Best review ever….
January 20th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
I like the stuff. Ive bought about 6 jars.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
If you like the taste of burnt wood in your drink this is not for you. If you appreciate the taste of fresh corn whiskey this one deserves your attention. Haven’t found any that tasted like the stuff my grandfather made but it’s close enough. Just so you know not all shine was as potent as jet fuel. Most of the folks I knew that made it proofed it afterwards to around 100 -105.
February 1st, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Where I come from we drink that straight out of the jar…why fool with a glass?
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:26 pm
This stuff is good mixed with anything! I am not a moonshine expert but I love this! And no hangover with it! That is one thing I have found with all unaged corn whiskey compared to anything else I drink. Give this stuff a shot for yourself and make your own decision. One thing about real “moonshine” is it all tastes different.
February 18th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Dont drink this Neat, or in a glass… What the hell were you thinking. If its under 108, it dont need ice. And if it comes in a glass,why you gonna pour it into another. Its for sharing,sharing that beautiful fresh corn, and light mash taste with a great aftertaste that makes you howl. And little to no headache.
I brought it to a party,just left it on the counter. Everybody was scared til the first swig was taken,an hour later it was gone.guys and girls alike. Its a party starter,and if you cant get your hands on a steady supply of some homemade, heres your brand… 9 to 12 bucks for a hood time. But dont get it fooled and think you make it neat,that ridiculoud, would you serve wild turkey neat? Ridiculous. Appalachia lives
February 26th, 2012 at 11:41 am
I just got a 4/5 quart bottle from a man who is old. He said the moonshine from your company is about 50 years old. I tried it and it tastes very good. Just wondering how old it can be and is it still safe to dring. No side effects from it. Has a seal on top the jar. It is red and says federal revenue, has a partial #38765731. Thank you Kerry Snyder
April 1st, 2012 at 3:34 pm
My grandfather & grandmother met through moonshine. Papa was a bootlegger & Meme’s dad was a moonshiner. He made enough money runnin the stuff for her old man to move to a bigger city & open it’s 1st gulf station. He was a mechanic. He made shine in the back of the gulf & sold to everyone from old ladies who needed “their tires serviced” to the cop who “needed windshield wiper blades”! This is as close to the real stuff as it gets! When I opened the jar, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Remembering the smell of Papa’s shop. Then a taste & I was right back @ 12 years old, stealin a jar w/ a cousin. We got caught! But, for what it is, legal moonshine, it hits the spot. Sit outside, w/ a couple of buds & pass that jar around;) See if y’all don’t have a good ol’ time!
April 9th, 2012 at 1:37 am
I wish I could get Shine On Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey in five gallon jugs. It sure tastes better than any other 80 to 100 proof anything. Try a chilled shot of Jack Beam Knob Creek or even my favorit Rip Van Winkle then a smooth sip of this mild corn yummieness. Shine On Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey even has the heads and tails cut off so you dont have the next day blues or headach. It is not fine whisky it is fine corn likker. Heck try the pint for five bucks and if you dsapprove send the rest to me…
April 29th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I love this stuff. very close to the real thing.
May 4th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
I have bought and drank this stuff. While in strong in flavor, I have complaints about it. And have also found it to be great in cooking especially as a degazer and a “secret ingredient” in my BBQ sauce and chili.
May 4th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
btw no complaints about it…. sorry
June 29th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
If you have ever distilled or taken a sip of any major brand straight out of the still you would taste something very similar to SOGM. (Results vary depending on grain bill and cuts of course.) Here is a tip for this jar. Buy a jar of it a week before you want to drink it, throw in a healthy handful of toasted American white oak chips from your local brew store, (3.99 for about 20 “handfuls” here in OR.) and wait it out for the week. Two weeks if you can. This is called “force aging” in the home distiller world, and is not ideal. But in this case it can change things for you. (I also sometimes drop 2 dice sized pieces of fresh ginger. yum.) In any case, this is a very educational experiment for the whiskey/bourbon enthusiast. I am a big fan of SOGM for their honesty, simplicity and versatility.
July 6th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Some kick ass shine keep it up…..! Springfield ohio said that
July 27th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I have one of these jars and would like to know the value of it.
Please reply.
July 27th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Just like gpaw used 2 make vere good !
August 2nd, 2012 at 5:59 pm
I buy it by the case,no hangover.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
[...] Brand of whiskey: Definitely moonshine this time. Specifically, this kind. [...]
September 13th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
[...] courtesy of Uncrate and americanhooch.com Like this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
October 8th, 2012 at 7:41 am
Hi, I would like to know where can I purchase a jar of Georgia Moon Shine in the mason jar, I bought a jar years ago ,and can’t remember where I bough it. Thank You.
November 13th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
I have a question for you folks. Would you please have someone who makes the product give me a call @ (239) 671-6688. Thanks. Tony O’Neill.
December 1st, 2012 at 1:06 pm
who puts their name and phone number online? seriously?
December 7th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
[...] Scotch, or Bourbon then this may be just the right present for him/her. If your friend drinks Georgia Moon Corn Whisky Moonshine from the Jar, I don’t think they will appreciate [...]
December 15th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
This stuff sucks. Maybe the guy was wasted and got the reviews mixed up. Or maybe their quality level has gone down over the years. Cracked open a jar last night and let me tell you. Theres nothing smooth about it, and it definitely does not come and go in any pleasing way. This is not what moonshine should taste like. Its disgusting right off and the horribleness lingers and lingers and lingers. Also it was even a bad color, it was a cloudy white haze. Should’ve known by that, but still gave it a chance.
December 16th, 2012 at 7:11 pm
I agree this stuff sucks! I have about 1 inch out of my jar and I’m throwing the rest down the toilet, where it belongs.
December 17th, 2012 at 2:09 am
I love the taste of it I also bought another one with a higher alchol content they both are similar but this one is really good went through half a bottle in one night.
December 21st, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Well i have had two shots so far, and it isn`t that bad, Think i will have another, It has a pleasant smell ,and taste, think these folks that are giving this whiskey bad reviews are working for other distillery’s. I have been looking for along time for a great tasting after work relaxer. This moonshine really hits the spot. Best sipping whiskey i have ever had. Now i`am afraid it might get to where we can`t buy it because of bad reviews. Wow this stuff has some kick , i must buy more tomorrow.. trying to get through the 3rd shot, love that corn taste. Makinig me all warm inside, like the great buzz i`am getting. 2012 DOOMSDAY care less at this point, This is smooth sipping whiskey, i`am having a blast, this is alot better then ale. I love this stuff so far, makes me feel like Clint Eastwood in Good Bad and Ugly movie. aT THIIS POINT i have to close one eye to beable to focuss without seeing to double. Wow this is fun stuff. dONT LISTEN TO the bad reviews, this is great stuff i`am goinng to enjoy from now on. Thanks Gerorgia Moon.
January 31st, 2013 at 4:11 am
Well, most of the comments about how it sucks are pretty accurate and totally miss the point. Yeah it’s green, it’s unrefined, it’s coarse, and the aftertaste is like a dusty corn cob.
Why did you buy shine if you want a fancy charcoal aged carmelized sipping whiskey? Sort of like buying a VW then complaining it won’t perform like your brother in laws Porsche if you ask me.
This is the stuff my great uncles brewed in the smokehouse and hid in the root cellar when I was a kid. Johnny Walker or Crown Royal it ain’t, nor is it supposed to be,.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
my experience with georgia moon was as most people who have tried it, and that was to through it out as soon as possible. however i set it aside and didn’t toss it. a couple of months later i brought it out to give a friend a drink thinking he would curse me for giving him something as horrible as that. to my surprise he said it wasn’t bad so i tried it again and found that it had mellowed into a very enjoyable whiskey. my recommendation would be to buy a couple of jars and then seperate into three jars about one third full and wait a couple of months, and be surprized when you find how good corn whiskey can be
February 7th, 2013 at 12:20 am
As American as corn itself. America thrives on moonshine. George Washington made it. If You’re American odds are that you have relatives that have been impacted by moonshine. It isn’t fancy. It is as honest as the mountains it comes from. Pure and simple. If you love corn, and you’re country, “you got to love moonshine”
February 8th, 2013 at 11:08 pm
worst moonshine i ever drank
February 8th, 2013 at 11:09 pm
strong bite to it, which means it was distilled at to high a temp, good moonshine is made slow an cold, doesnt deserve the moonshine label
February 24th, 2013 at 8:42 pm
Drinking on a jar now very rough at the start no where near as smooth as the ol’timers recipe but gets the job done and with the price of $13 you get what you pay for
February 25th, 2013 at 4:28 am
get what u pay for? good local shine can still be had for 8 bucks
March 2nd, 2013 at 5:15 pm
True on the prices Hillbilly stated, i can find it (good local shine) @ $50 gal. GM shine is a bit rough at first, but finishes pretty smooth, with a nice buzz. Im interested in letting it age for a while since it is so “green”.
March 2nd, 2013 at 10:29 pm
Letting it age is a good idea I’ve had mine a month sipping on it now and again. I complained at the start and even though its only been a short time it gets better every time I open it. Not as good as the local and maybe it’s the thrill of it being illegal but Georgia moon could be just as good if it wasn’t green
March 16th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
It’s the worst shine I’ve tried.
March 18th, 2013 at 11:53 pm
Sent from my iPhone
March 19th, 2013 at 12:21 am
If you’ll take my advice and drop a peppermint candy and a cinnamon stick stir for 2 or 3 min I’ll guarantee you’ll change your mind about this whiskey didn’t believe it tried it once and now it’s the best I’ve ever had let me know how it goes if you decide to try
March 28th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
When I used to work in a liquor store 30+ years ago, in a very bad part of town, this brand, Tango and Night Train were the juice de jour of the low budget crowd. The folks who wanted the biggest bang for the buck. The author mentions “hammering home”, this brand definitely appealed to the folks only looking to get hammered! Fond memories of my stint working at a liquor store. Personally, I didn’t like the stuff.
April 30th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
What are you doing trying to pour it out of the jar? As a Georgia native, I feel obligated to tell you… YOU’RE DOIN’ IT WRONG! You’re supposed to drink it from the jar. Duh.
That said, this is the most vile moonshine I’ve ever had. Just tried a sip and gagged.