Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Apple Pie Moonshine | Tasting Notes

The misconception surrounding moonshine abound.  It’s not firewater and it certainly isn’t turpentine.  In fact moonshine is more appropriately aligned with Grandma’s apple pie than the drink it and yer gonna go blind image it seems to have gotten.  Historically moonshine has been an unregulated spirit but things are changing and legal moonshines are now available on the market.

Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Aged Fruit Moonshine ($18+) is a product that’s ready to drink clear and straight out of the mason jar it’s packaged in.  The fruit infused white lightening immediately hits the nose with sweet fruit and cinnamon flavors reminiscent of fresh baked apple pie.  On the tongue you realize quickly that the moonshine myths are just that, myths.  It doesn’t burn like rubbing alcohol in fact it’s incredibly smooth.  The included cinnamon stick floating around inside lends the drink a delicious kick and adds great aroma to the beverage.  Although the apple pie flavors are pronounced the shine isn’t overly sweet.

Midnight Moonshine’s parent company Piedmont distillers was founded by a native New Yorker who fell in love with North Carolina and its patron spirit back in 1995 after tasting a jar of the Johnson family’s peach-flavored moonshine.  Soon a company was born which today employs a mere ten people.  You can now find their legal moonshine in liquor stores around the country and I would recommend you do.

At 70 proof (35% alcohol) it might not quite meet the high proof ideas you likely have regarding moonshine but it’s still enough, especially when you sit down with a jar and find yourself unwilling to put it back down.  The stuff is simply delicious.  I highly recommend you pick up a jar and I think I’ll be heading back to the liquor store to try one of the other flavors: