While working in Mingo County throughout mid-June as I do
every year, I am in Gilbert
for 3-5 days each summer. Since we
finished up around noon on Monday, I took the opportunity to take my friend and
co-worker, Natalie on a short driving tour of Gilbert past the Larry Joe Harless Center and to see the impact
that the Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail
system has had on the region’s economy.
We stopped at a local hardware store to pick up a few items for the next
day’s workshop then started out of town toward Logan where our crew is staying.
As Natalie and I were leaving Gilbert, we saw a sign for the
Hatfield-McCoy Distillery. When we arrived we were greeted warmly by
master distiller, Chad Bishop. He gave
us a brief tour of the small but efficient operation to make the “Drink of the
Devil” in honor of Devil Anse Hatfield.
Chad informed us that he is a descendent of the Hatfield family
patriarch who led the West Virginia contingent of the Hatfield-McCoy feud of
this area. Chad said that various
members of his family have made illegal moonshine in the hills and hollows of
Mingo and Logan Counties in West Virginia as well as in nearby Pike County,
Kentucky.
The stills at the Hatfield-McCoy
Distillery are made by Confederate
Stills of Alabama and are overseen by Chad to assure a consistent high
quality of product. Prior to purchasing
a bottle of Hatfield-McCoy Moonshine, we were treated to a generous sample
which was very pleasing. Even Natalie,
who had never tasted moonshine and isn’t especially fond of distilled spirits,
agreed that this is a pleasant drink. The 90 proof moonshine had a distinct
flavor of corn and lacked the harshness so typical of many moonshine
recipes. At $32 per bottle, it is priced
above many other moonshines on the market.
We returned to Chief
Logan State Park where our group was lodging and shared sips of The Drink of the Devil
with everyone in the group. Everyone
agreed that this moonshine is a keeper.
When I returned home I did a side by side comparison of the
Hatfield-McCoy Moonshine with M.
B. Roland’s True
Kentucky Shine and Limestone
Branch’s T. J.
Pottinger 50/50/50 Sugar Shine. I
had eager assistance from my pal, Natalie’s husband, Rex.
We found that we couldn't agree on a favorite
from the three. Each has merit although
there were distinct differences, with the Hatfield-McCoy being the easiest to
drink, perhaps owing to the 90 proof as compared to 100 proof in the others in
the comparison. Since Steve Beam doesn’t
cook the corn in his Limestone Branch T. J. Pottinger 50/50/50, the corn is
only included as a flavoring element.
The corn flavor in the Pottinger was no better or worse than the
Hatfield-McCoy Moonshine but it was very different.
In conclusion, the Hatfield-McCoy Moonshine is an excellent
drink for those who like moonshine. It
mixes well and is quite good neat. If
you have had some of the rough and unpleasant moonshine that comes from the
illegal stills in Appalachia, this is nothing like that. If you are willing to pay the $32 for a
bottle, you will appreciate the drink.
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