When you hear moonshine, you probably think back woods, homemade liquor in a Mason jar that tastes like rubbing alcohol. We won’t lie; it crossed our minds as well. But if you haven’t noticed brands are starting to bottle this so called “shine.” We received a bottle from South Carolina natives Striped Pig Distillery along with their signature vodka and rum.
Fresh on the distillery scene, Striped Pig just opened its doors this summer and is the first distillery in Charleston, SC since Prohibition. Here’s what we thought of their spirits:
Striped Pig Shine: This definitely fit the bill of the moonshine stereotype: smelled like gasoline, burned going down and had a slight aftertaste of plastic. The corn sweetness mixed with the overwhelming alcohol flavor was less than enjoyable. We understand that moonshine isn’t everyone’s favorite but this was unbearable. Even our resident moonshine expert said, “this gives moonshine a bad name.” Steer clear.
Striped Pig Rum: After sipping on the shine, the rum was a nice reprieve. When we opened the bottle, the sweet smell of caramel corn came with a hint of classic rum scent. The flavor was sweet with caramel hints with a slight rum burn in the finish. Though this doesn’t stand up to our silver rums of choice, it was smooth and easily sipped with an ice cube. We would definitely add this to our next rum punch.
Striped Pig Vodka: This vodka definitely surprised us. It’s always promising when you open a bottle and you can hardly smell the vodka burn. We tried it on the rocks and there was no harsh burn or vodka aftertaste. Basically, you could drink this straight and not even know there was alcohol in your cup. Bring on the vodka cocktails. This is our new go to mixing vodka.
If you can make it down to Charleston, pick up a bottle of Striped Pig Vodka or Rum. Stay away from the moonshine, no questions. Let us know what you think of Striped Pig when you try it.