Popcorn Sutton was a legendary moonshiner who spent nearly his entire life making illegal liquor in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. I reviewed his “officially licensed” moonshine several years back, when it still came in a Mason jar. Apparently since then, his likeness and name has become more or less completely controlled by Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg, where they produce “Likker” (supposedly his old moonshine recipe) and this “Master Blend Bourbon Whiskey” (a product he had no real connection to in life). I picked up a bottle when visiting Ole Smoky in the fall of 2024.
This is described as a 100 proof blend of bourbon from “the hills of Tennessee and North Carolina.” There is no age statement, but it is described as “a blend of straight bourbons” so everything is aged at least two years.
The color of the Popcorn Sutton Master Blend Bourbon Whiskey in the glass was a medium amber. On the nose, I definitely got a corn liquor note right up front, followed by subtle vanilla and brown sugar notes. Taking a sip, the dark brown sugar notes came through immediately at the tip of my tongue. As it moved back, on my palate and tongue, I got some spice and alcohol burn, notes of cinnamon and oak, and a slightly leatheriness. The finish was fairly long with the spice continuing for a couple minutes after a sip.
I smoked a Charter Oak Connecticut Shade with a pour of Popcorn Sutton, and it did go fairly well, although I would probably choose a fuller-bodied cigar at another time. The Popcorn Sutton Master Blend Bourbon Whiskey is full-flavored and richer than I would have expected from a company that specializes in moonshine…and for being named after the most famous moonshiner of all. I’m not sure what distribution is like for this product, but at the distillery I believe it was about $70 and I would say it is totally worth that price.
