1 00:00:00,867 --> 00:00:03,100 [narrator] In September 2023, 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:05,200 the world lost moonshine legend, 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,000 Jim Tom Hedrick. 4 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,800 ♪ Rye whiskey, rye whiskey Please don't let me down ♪ 5 00:00:13,467 --> 00:00:16,166 [narrator] Now, three backwoods liquor makers... 6 00:00:16,166 --> 00:00:18,867 It's gonna taste just like Jim Tom's rye whiskey. 7 00:00:18,867 --> 00:00:20,166 ...honor the legacy... 8 00:00:20,166 --> 00:00:22,000 It's a surprise on your palate. 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,000 ...of a man known for his unusual 10 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,367 still designs... 11 00:00:25,367 --> 00:00:28,300 Jim Tom said you gotta run rye liquor 12 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:30,100 backwards to what you run corn liquor. 13 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:31,166 -Yeah, you were. -[chuckling] 14 00:00:31,166 --> 00:00:33,600 [narrator] And compete to put their own twist... 15 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,467 -Whoo! -That's rye whiskey, is what that is. 16 00:00:36,467 --> 00:00:40,066 ...on Jim Tom's legendary rye whiskey recipe. 17 00:00:40,066 --> 00:00:44,667 ♪ Rye whiskey, rye whiskey Don't let me down ♪ 18 00:00:44,667 --> 00:00:46,567 That's about the poorest representation 19 00:00:46,567 --> 00:00:48,367 I've seen of it, but well done. 20 00:00:48,367 --> 00:00:51,467 [rock music playing] 21 00:00:53,767 --> 00:00:56,767 [dramatic music playing] 22 00:01:04,266 --> 00:01:06,767 [Digger] Guys, welcome back to Master Distiller. 23 00:01:06,767 --> 00:01:10,066 Every one of you has been here in some form or fashion. 24 00:01:10,066 --> 00:01:12,200 We're here to see what you can do again. 25 00:01:13,467 --> 00:01:15,867 Today is really an extra special day. 26 00:01:15,867 --> 00:01:18,867 We're here honoring Jim Tom Hedrick. 27 00:01:18,867 --> 00:01:20,600 He was an old-school shiner, 28 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,166 a master still builder, 29 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:24,266 and a world-class storyteller. 30 00:01:25,767 --> 00:01:27,767 Jim Tom was a master, for sure. 31 00:01:27,767 --> 00:01:29,066 He was a legend. 32 00:01:29,066 --> 00:01:31,166 He taught a lot of young shiners like myself 33 00:01:31,166 --> 00:01:32,567 how to make stills, 34 00:01:32,567 --> 00:01:33,700 how to make moonshine. 35 00:01:33,700 --> 00:01:35,867 He was a big part of keeping the heritage, 36 00:01:35,867 --> 00:01:39,600 the traditions alive, and I miss him. 37 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,800 -[makes sound] -What's that, Jim? 38 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,667 That gets my women for me. 39 00:01:43,667 --> 00:01:44,467 [laughs] 40 00:01:45,166 --> 00:01:47,000 [narrator] For over 60 years, 41 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,200 Marvin "Jim Tom" Hedrick... 42 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:50,367 Hello in there. 43 00:01:50,367 --> 00:01:51,667 ...made moonshine 44 00:01:51,667 --> 00:01:53,100 as bold and punchy 45 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:54,367 as his personality. 46 00:01:58,567 --> 00:01:59,767 [narrator] Born dirt poor 47 00:01:59,767 --> 00:02:01,967 in Graham County, North Carolina 48 00:02:01,967 --> 00:02:04,667 on Christmas Day in 1940, 49 00:02:05,667 --> 00:02:08,567 Jim Tom first laid eyes on the backwoods still 50 00:02:08,567 --> 00:02:11,867 of a local moonshiner at just 15 years old. 51 00:02:11,867 --> 00:02:14,166 [Jim Tom] Well, the guy that had the still, 52 00:02:14,166 --> 00:02:15,767 he said, "Jim Tom, what do you think 53 00:02:15,767 --> 00:02:17,000 of the looks of this thing?" 54 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:18,100 I said, "That's the prettiest thing 55 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:19,600 I've ever seen in my life." 56 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:20,800 [narrator] Four years later, 57 00:02:21,467 --> 00:02:22,867 he built his own still 58 00:02:22,867 --> 00:02:24,367 and started running whiskey. 59 00:02:26,266 --> 00:02:28,266 I'm pretty good on this rye whiskey. 60 00:02:28,266 --> 00:02:29,800 Oh, I know. You're the best. 61 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,967 [narrator] He spent the next half of a century 62 00:02:31,967 --> 00:02:33,567 perfecting his craft, 63 00:02:33,567 --> 00:02:35,800 fabricating artisan copper stills 64 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,467 and mentoring the next generation of moonshiners... 65 00:02:38,467 --> 00:02:41,000 How in the world do you keep from getting busted making moonshine 66 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,266 -all these years? -They hunted for me for 50 years. 67 00:02:43,266 --> 00:02:44,467 [narrator] ...while entertaining them 68 00:02:44,467 --> 00:02:46,767 with his renowned stories and songs. 69 00:02:46,767 --> 00:02:49,166 Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, come on out. 70 00:02:49,166 --> 00:02:52,100 I'mma craving whisky with my spout. 71 00:02:52,100 --> 00:02:53,767 [narrator] As a charismatic steward 72 00:02:53,767 --> 00:02:56,200 of the Appalachian moonshining tradition, 73 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,100 Jim Tom's legacy of knowledge lives on 74 00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:02,266 in the liquor and laughter of his successors. 75 00:03:02,266 --> 00:03:03,166 What do you think? 76 00:03:04,166 --> 00:03:05,567 That's what ours was missing. 77 00:03:05,567 --> 00:03:06,367 That's it. 78 00:03:06,367 --> 00:03:07,266 You done it. 79 00:03:09,567 --> 00:03:11,600 [Digger] Today, we're gonna do our best 80 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,467 to pay homage to Jim Tom 81 00:03:14,467 --> 00:03:16,467 by making the best version 82 00:03:16,467 --> 00:03:19,367 of Jim Tom's famous rye whiskey. 83 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,000 Rye is a very tricky drink. 84 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,667 You gotta grind it just right 85 00:03:24,667 --> 00:03:27,166 so you can unlock the full flavor 86 00:03:27,166 --> 00:03:31,500 but not bring so much of the peppery spice from it 87 00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:32,967 that you can't enjoy it. 88 00:03:32,967 --> 00:03:34,900 [Digger] Whoever makes us 89 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:37,266 the best rye whiskey that we judge, 90 00:03:37,266 --> 00:03:38,367 that's your bragging rights 91 00:03:38,367 --> 00:03:39,767 gonna get right there off the bat. 92 00:03:39,767 --> 00:03:41,667 But beyond that, you're gonna get 93 00:03:41,667 --> 00:03:44,767 a little Jim Tom-related prize. 94 00:03:46,567 --> 00:03:49,266 We asked y'all to bring your own signature mash 95 00:03:49,266 --> 00:03:51,800 that best represents Jim Tom's 96 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,367 unaged legacy rye whiskey. 97 00:03:55,367 --> 00:03:56,767 Before you run your liquor, 98 00:03:56,767 --> 00:03:59,166 you're gonna have to build your own condenser, 99 00:03:59,166 --> 00:04:00,934 just like Jim Tom. 100 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,800 Behind you is a box of steel parts, 101 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,367 tubing, torch, solder, 102 00:04:08,367 --> 00:04:09,600 whatever you need. 103 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,266 You have one hour to get us 104 00:04:11,266 --> 00:04:12,667 that cooling tub built, 105 00:04:12,667 --> 00:04:14,100 get your worm bent, 106 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:16,066 get it where it'll fit inside that can, 107 00:04:16,066 --> 00:04:18,367 get it soldered up where it will not leak. 108 00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:20,767 If you don't finish in time 109 00:04:20,767 --> 00:04:23,800 or if you have an issue with your condenser, 110 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:25,567 when it comes time to run, 111 00:04:25,567 --> 00:04:27,166 fellas, you're gonna be up the creek. 112 00:04:28,166 --> 00:04:31,200 All right, guys. Let's do this one for Jim Tom. 113 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,800 One hour. Your time starts now. 114 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,600 -Good luck, guys, and get with it. -[Mark] Get on it. 115 00:04:36,467 --> 00:04:37,900 Here we go. 116 00:04:38,467 --> 00:04:39,767 We got a coil of copper. 117 00:04:39,767 --> 00:04:43,000 [Joe] Yeah, coil. We gotta figure out... 118 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,567 [narrator] To make Jim Tom's signature condenser, 119 00:04:45,567 --> 00:04:47,867 moonshiners will bend the copper pipe 120 00:04:47,867 --> 00:04:50,000 into a coil with a downward slope 121 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,500 to create the worm 122 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,000 and solder together a water-tight vessel 123 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,967 for it to sit in called the flake stand. 124 00:04:56,967 --> 00:04:59,200 The alcohol vapor must flow freely 125 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:00,667 from the still through the worm 126 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:03,166 where it condenses into high-proof liquor, 127 00:05:03,166 --> 00:05:05,500 as any leaks will cause the moonshiners 128 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:06,767 to lose alcohol 129 00:05:06,767 --> 00:05:08,967 and impact the flavor of their whiskey. 130 00:05:09,767 --> 00:05:11,100 I got a suggestion. 131 00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:13,100 Let's work together bending our coil. 132 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:14,467 We gotta find something in here 133 00:05:14,467 --> 00:05:17,100 that we can bend it around besides JJ's leg. 134 00:05:17,100 --> 00:05:19,400 -[laughter] -It would be the perfect size. 135 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,500 It won't go down in the can if we use it. 136 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:24,767 My personal experience of building a condenser 137 00:05:24,767 --> 00:05:26,100 is almost zero. 138 00:05:26,100 --> 00:05:28,367 I have seen it, I have helped with it, 139 00:05:28,367 --> 00:05:30,467 but I have never been in charge of it. 140 00:05:30,467 --> 00:05:32,467 I like the fact that they're helping 141 00:05:32,467 --> 00:05:33,767 -each other. -[Digger] Yeah, they are. 142 00:05:33,767 --> 00:05:35,367 You know, it'd be really hard to do by yourself. 143 00:05:35,367 --> 00:05:37,000 [Digger] Jim Tom would be proud to watch 144 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:38,500 what's going on. 145 00:05:38,500 --> 00:05:40,567 We're reversing. 146 00:05:40,567 --> 00:05:42,000 [Big Chuk] Yeah, I want it to run backwards. 147 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,467 [laughter] 148 00:05:44,467 --> 00:05:48,300 Jim Tom said you gotta run rye liquor backwards 149 00:05:48,300 --> 00:05:50,000 -to what you run corn liquor. -Yeah. 150 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,100 You're right. Yeah. 151 00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:53,200 I'm Kelly Williamson, 57 years old 152 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:54,500 from Cosby, Tennessee. 153 00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:56,266 [country music playing] 154 00:05:56,266 --> 00:05:58,367 We've got liquor comin'. 155 00:05:58,367 --> 00:06:01,100 I've been moonshining pretty much my adult life. 156 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:03,467 Where I'm from, everybody has a family history 157 00:06:03,467 --> 00:06:04,967 in moonshining. It's just there. 158 00:06:04,967 --> 00:06:06,500 It's what happened. It's what went on. 159 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:08,200 All these little rings they've got, 160 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,166 I bet these things will make really good spacers. 161 00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:12,600 You know, my moonshining style 162 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,767 is old-school and I think that's what 163 00:06:14,767 --> 00:06:16,000 I incorporate into it, 164 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,000 and Jim Tom was one of the forefathers 165 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,767 that taught us that. 166 00:06:19,767 --> 00:06:21,667 I spent quite a bit of time with Jim Tom 167 00:06:21,667 --> 00:06:24,900 over a few years and Jim Tom talked a lot to me. 168 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:27,100 You know, he had so much experience in life. 169 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:29,100 He'd been everywhere and done everything. 170 00:06:31,567 --> 00:06:35,367 I wanna win it for Jim Tom and to pay respect to him. 171 00:06:35,367 --> 00:06:38,100 All right. I'm comfortable with that. 172 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:39,867 I've built several pot stills. 173 00:06:39,867 --> 00:06:43,667 So I've got a knack for building things, 174 00:06:43,667 --> 00:06:45,800 so, hopefully, that'll show up today 175 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,100 when I really need it. 176 00:06:47,100 --> 00:06:48,767 I smell hair. 177 00:06:48,767 --> 00:06:50,567 I think you've got the most to lose here, so... 178 00:06:50,567 --> 00:06:52,266 [laughter] 179 00:06:52,266 --> 00:06:53,300 I'm Joe Jackson. 180 00:06:53,300 --> 00:06:54,567 I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 181 00:06:54,567 --> 00:06:55,900 and I'm 38 years old. 182 00:06:57,567 --> 00:06:59,467 I was in the 82nd Airborne Division. 183 00:06:59,467 --> 00:07:00,767 I was an infantryman. 184 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,200 I did several deployments to Afghanistan. 185 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,767 I've been through hell and high water 186 00:07:07,767 --> 00:07:08,767 at this point in my life, 187 00:07:08,767 --> 00:07:10,100 so making liquor 188 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:12,600 is kinda like a therapy session for me. 189 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,066 Oh, smell that. 190 00:07:14,700 --> 00:07:16,367 Holy jiminy. 191 00:07:16,367 --> 00:07:19,467 Now, I run liquor for a living. 192 00:07:19,467 --> 00:07:21,767 I've competed on Master Distiller before. 193 00:07:21,767 --> 00:07:23,667 I did not win. 194 00:07:23,667 --> 00:07:26,000 Joe, I now understand a little more 195 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,000 why that label says high and angry. 196 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,066 [laughs] Instantly, it'll get you high. 197 00:07:32,300 --> 00:07:35,367 [Joe] So coming back, I'm here to prove myself, 198 00:07:35,367 --> 00:07:39,900 but, also, I'm here to really honor a legend. 199 00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:44,100 I think these are all gonna be interestingly different. 200 00:07:44,100 --> 00:07:46,667 In the moonshine world, Jim Tom is a legend. 201 00:07:46,667 --> 00:07:48,066 The tradition and the heritage 202 00:07:48,066 --> 00:07:49,900 behind what he did and accomplished 203 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:51,300 is to be respected. 204 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:54,100 I am a master distiller 205 00:07:54,100 --> 00:07:56,867 and I want the judges to see it in their eyes. 206 00:07:56,867 --> 00:07:59,800 I have really put a lot of time and effort into this, 207 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,767 into the science behind it, 208 00:08:01,767 --> 00:08:05,266 and, hopefully, that shines through in my final jar. 209 00:08:05,266 --> 00:08:07,867 It ain't pretty, but it'll do. 210 00:08:09,367 --> 00:08:10,900 To come in here and have to build a condenser 211 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:12,500 is something I normally don't do. 212 00:08:13,767 --> 00:08:15,767 I just make the liquor and sell the liquor. 213 00:08:15,767 --> 00:08:17,567 But if a condenser needs to be built, 214 00:08:17,567 --> 00:08:18,800 I gotta build it. 215 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:20,800 I ain't got mine fitting like y'all. 216 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,166 My name is Big Chuk. I'm from Gurdon, Arkansas. 217 00:08:23,166 --> 00:08:26,300 [country music playing] 218 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:28,667 Voila. Cap done fell. 219 00:08:29,166 --> 00:08:30,000 Bitter. 220 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,200 I've been making liquor now 221 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:32,667 about seven, eight years. 222 00:08:32,667 --> 00:08:34,767 Started off as a means to make an income. 223 00:08:34,767 --> 00:08:37,200 Then I kinda grew into loving the craft 224 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:38,300 and learning more about it. 225 00:08:38,300 --> 00:08:39,767 Mmm. We out in the woods. 226 00:08:39,767 --> 00:08:41,567 We ain't gotta worry about making a mess. 227 00:08:41,567 --> 00:08:43,567 I've been on Master Distiller one other time. 228 00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:46,467 Some more mudbugs there, crawfish. 229 00:08:46,467 --> 00:08:49,367 And I really shocked and awed everybody 230 00:08:49,367 --> 00:08:51,367 'cause I brought dead crawfish up here 231 00:08:51,367 --> 00:08:52,867 and made liquor out of it. 232 00:08:52,867 --> 00:08:55,567 Big Chuk, that jar bought you a ticket home. 233 00:08:55,567 --> 00:08:57,200 I'm awful sorry, old buddy. 234 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:58,467 [Big Chuk] But not winning the previous time, 235 00:08:58,467 --> 00:08:59,700 I'm on a mission here. 236 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:02,100 Not only am I here to pay tribute to Jim Tom, 237 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:03,800 I'm also here for redemption. 238 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:05,467 So, victory, here we come. 239 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,467 -[metal clanking] -Holy crap. 240 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,667 Fell apart. [chuckles] 241 00:09:10,667 --> 00:09:12,266 Means it wasn't soldered right. 242 00:09:12,266 --> 00:09:14,367 Hey, it might be a crooked road home, 243 00:09:14,367 --> 00:09:15,467 but we'll get there. 244 00:09:15,467 --> 00:09:16,700 As long as it don't leak. 245 00:09:19,166 --> 00:09:22,400 Gentlemen, 20 minutes left to finish those rascals. 246 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:23,700 All righty. 247 00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:24,800 All right. 248 00:09:26,767 --> 00:09:28,467 [Big Chuk] How do you put a... 249 00:09:28,467 --> 00:09:29,667 Are you supposed to put tube on it? 250 00:09:30,367 --> 00:09:31,767 I did. 251 00:09:31,767 --> 00:09:33,800 So then I can run it out towards the middle 252 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,100 so then it's not just pulling on the side. 253 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:38,867 [Big Chuk] Man, mine can't do that. 254 00:09:38,867 --> 00:09:40,000 Is your pipe right in the way? 255 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,767 Yeah. Hmm, that's gonna be tough here. 256 00:09:42,767 --> 00:09:45,667 Doing all these little things, seal everything really good, 257 00:09:45,667 --> 00:09:47,667 put all the right places in the right parts, 258 00:09:47,667 --> 00:09:49,767 making sure that worm's good and even and level, 259 00:09:49,767 --> 00:09:52,166 it's important because if it ain't set up right, 260 00:09:52,166 --> 00:09:53,367 you ain't gonna run good liquor. 261 00:09:53,367 --> 00:09:54,600 And I ain't no coppersmith 262 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,967 so this ain't going so good for me right now. 263 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,767 [Joe] You're looking a little crooked over there. 264 00:09:59,767 --> 00:10:01,166 Yeah. 265 00:10:01,166 --> 00:10:03,200 Get in there, you son of a B. 266 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,900 Men, you got five minutes left. 267 00:10:06,066 --> 00:10:07,066 Looky. 268 00:10:07,066 --> 00:10:08,266 [Mark] Attaboy. 269 00:10:08,867 --> 00:10:10,000 [Joe] Oh, looky there. 270 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,200 [Digger] Now you're using that head 271 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,400 for more than just a place to put that cap. 272 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:14,567 I've got this thing together. 273 00:10:14,567 --> 00:10:16,567 It's not beautiful, by no means. 274 00:10:16,567 --> 00:10:18,600 Jim Tom might be like, "You did the best you can 275 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,300 and it looks like it might work." 276 00:10:21,367 --> 00:10:22,667 Oops. 277 00:10:22,667 --> 00:10:24,567 Here. Turn it up and look down in. 278 00:10:24,567 --> 00:10:27,000 [laughter] 279 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,066 I understand how copper works and how to put it together, 280 00:10:30,066 --> 00:10:32,500 so I think I'm good to make liquor. 281 00:10:32,500 --> 00:10:33,767 All right. I'm good. 282 00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:35,800 Let's see if I'm gonna leak. 283 00:10:38,867 --> 00:10:41,000 Oh, my gosh. [chuckles] 284 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,367 It's all leaking. 285 00:10:42,367 --> 00:10:44,100 Wow. 286 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:45,667 [Digger] Congratulations, Chuk. 287 00:10:45,667 --> 00:10:47,166 You have invented the sifter. 288 00:10:47,166 --> 00:10:48,166 Talk about embarrassing, 289 00:10:48,166 --> 00:10:49,467 if I get on here and this thing 290 00:10:49,467 --> 00:10:50,767 ain't gonna run right 291 00:10:50,767 --> 00:10:52,100 and it's gonna be springing leaks, 292 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:53,200 then I can't even run liquor. 293 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,367 It ain't looking good. 294 00:11:00,266 --> 00:11:01,900 2 [Big Chuk chuckles] Oh, my gosh. 295 00:11:02,467 --> 00:11:03,800 It's all leaking. 296 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:05,000 Even though I don't really know 297 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,867 what I'm doin' in solderin' and all that, 298 00:11:06,867 --> 00:11:08,600 it's leakin' and you gotta deal with it. 299 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,300 So I'mma solder everywhere 300 00:11:10,300 --> 00:11:12,767 and seal everything really good. 301 00:11:12,767 --> 00:11:15,000 I mean, Chuk's like a dog pissin' in the snow. 302 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,567 He is just hittin' here and there. 303 00:11:16,567 --> 00:11:17,900 [Joe] Hold the torch in one spot. 304 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:18,867 You don't have to move it. 305 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:21,900 Men, you got one minute. 306 00:11:23,567 --> 00:11:25,367 If you've got a leak, 307 00:11:25,367 --> 00:11:27,300 you ain't gonna get to do your run. 308 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:29,300 No leak in the worm. 309 00:11:30,266 --> 00:11:32,467 Five, four, 310 00:11:32,467 --> 00:11:34,467 three, two, 311 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:36,266 one. 312 00:11:36,266 --> 00:11:38,767 You're done, guys. Step away from them cans. 313 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:40,567 [exhales] 314 00:11:40,567 --> 00:11:42,100 Y'all chase on outta here. 315 00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:44,700 We've gotta do a little inspection on the work. 316 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:46,200 Whew. 317 00:11:46,967 --> 00:11:48,166 [Digger] That's what I'm sayin'. 318 00:11:48,166 --> 00:11:50,166 [laughter] 319 00:11:50,166 --> 00:11:51,867 Let's go over here and see what kinda gum 320 00:11:51,867 --> 00:11:53,367 they've caused. 321 00:11:53,367 --> 00:11:55,166 It looks pretty dang good from here. 322 00:11:55,166 --> 00:11:57,667 It don't look horrible bad at all 323 00:11:57,667 --> 00:11:59,200 even if Kelly did do it. 324 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:00,400 [Mark] Let's check and see 325 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,400 if the worm has got a leak in it. 326 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:03,500 [Josh] Rock and roll. 327 00:12:04,467 --> 00:12:05,567 [Mark] Oh, not yet. 328 00:12:06,567 --> 00:12:07,767 Yeah, it'll make it spurt. 329 00:12:07,767 --> 00:12:09,166 [Digger] Yeah, he'll lose liquor. 330 00:12:09,166 --> 00:12:10,867 You know, that's why you gotta do this. 331 00:12:10,867 --> 00:12:13,367 This ain't gonna work for him like it is. 332 00:12:13,367 --> 00:12:16,000 So now we gotta fill the can completely up. 333 00:12:16,467 --> 00:12:17,500 Here we go. 334 00:12:23,467 --> 00:12:25,367 [Josh] The seal looks good around the edges. 335 00:12:25,367 --> 00:12:28,400 [Mark] Kelly is not leakin' around the base or his... 336 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,300 -[Digger] Or around the spout. -[Mark]...hand spout. 337 00:12:30,300 --> 00:12:31,867 We ready to move on to number two? 338 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:33,400 Joe-Joe. 339 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,300 Joe's worm looks the way it's supposed to look. 340 00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:36,500 -[Josh] It looks good, don't it? -[Mark] Yeah. 341 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:37,600 [Digger] Yeah. 342 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,700 I'm concerned about the bottom. 343 00:12:41,066 --> 00:12:42,667 [Digger] No, we're good. I just splashed. 344 00:12:42,667 --> 00:12:44,567 I'm gonna pass Joe. He's good to go. 345 00:12:44,567 --> 00:12:46,400 [Digger] Movin' on down the line. 346 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,467 The man that struggled the most. 347 00:12:48,467 --> 00:12:50,000 [Mark] Big Chuk. 348 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,667 That soldering kind of looks like I did it. 349 00:12:52,667 --> 00:12:54,266 [Mark] The worm looks okay. 350 00:12:54,266 --> 00:12:56,300 -See if it leaks. -[Digger] Here we go. 351 00:12:58,100 --> 00:12:59,767 [Mark] Whoop. Nope. 352 00:12:59,767 --> 00:13:02,567 -No, sir. Absolutely not. -We got a leak. 353 00:13:02,567 --> 00:13:04,767 [Digger] That's got a major leak here. 354 00:13:04,767 --> 00:13:06,834 [Mark] Ain't no need to lookin' at that. 355 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:12,300 That does pose a little problem for this young man. 356 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:13,567 But on the upside, 357 00:13:13,567 --> 00:13:16,100 I really don't think his bottom leaked at all. 358 00:13:16,100 --> 00:13:17,066 [Digger] Hell, I'd hope not. 359 00:13:17,066 --> 00:13:18,767 He's got a pound of solder on it. 360 00:13:18,767 --> 00:13:21,166 Well, Big Chuk's got a big leak to fix. 361 00:13:21,166 --> 00:13:23,700 He's gonna have to conclude the fix, 362 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,467 the repair of this condenser 363 00:13:26,467 --> 00:13:28,100 in his four-hour timeframe. 364 00:13:28,100 --> 00:13:29,300 Youins okay with that? 365 00:13:29,300 --> 00:13:30,867 I mean, it could take him one minute 366 00:13:30,867 --> 00:13:32,667 or take him ten minutes. That his fault. 367 00:13:32,667 --> 00:13:34,367 First time he's ever done it, though. I think he 368 00:13:34,367 --> 00:13:35,567 -done a good job. -Yeah. 369 00:13:35,567 --> 00:13:37,500 For a man never done any soldering before. 370 00:13:38,667 --> 00:13:41,400 [country music playing] 371 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,000 [Digger] Welcome back, guys. 372 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 We put the mash that you built 373 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,066 to best represent Jim Tom's famous rye whiskey. 374 00:13:56,066 --> 00:13:58,867 And we got these stills and the condensers you built. 375 00:13:58,867 --> 00:14:01,667 There are still some issues and Mark's gonna address them. 376 00:14:01,667 --> 00:14:05,200 Kelly, you've got a low spot 377 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,300 on the very top of your worm 378 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:09,367 that will cause it to spurt. 379 00:14:09,367 --> 00:14:11,266 [imitates liquid spurting] 380 00:14:11,266 --> 00:14:13,867 Joe? You're good to go, boss. 381 00:14:15,066 --> 00:14:17,500 No problems at all with your condenser. 382 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:20,867 Chuk? You've got a pretty bad leak 383 00:14:20,867 --> 00:14:22,867 on your inlet water valve. 384 00:14:22,867 --> 00:14:26,066 It's an easy fix, it's just a big leak. 385 00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:28,567 The good news is, it's just one leak. 386 00:14:28,567 --> 00:14:31,066 Bad news is, it's a pretty bad leak. 387 00:14:31,066 --> 00:14:32,300 If I can't get this all together, 388 00:14:32,300 --> 00:14:34,000 I won't be able to make this run happen. 389 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,066 You don't get any additional time. 390 00:14:36,066 --> 00:14:39,500 You have to rectify the problems during your run. 391 00:14:40,467 --> 00:14:42,567 All right, boys. We're looking for a clear jar 392 00:14:42,567 --> 00:14:43,700 of a hundred proof 393 00:14:43,700 --> 00:14:45,767 that brings out that spicy rye. 394 00:14:46,967 --> 00:14:48,266 Y'all better get it right. 395 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:50,166 [Digger] Three hours. 396 00:14:50,166 --> 00:14:53,300 Bring us that jar that best represents 397 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:57,066 Jim Tom Hedrick's Mountain Rye Whiskey. 398 00:14:58,066 --> 00:14:59,367 That starts now. 399 00:14:59,367 --> 00:15:00,800 Get with it, guys. 400 00:15:03,266 --> 00:15:04,467 [narrator] For the first run, 401 00:15:04,467 --> 00:15:06,467 moonshiners brought their own 402 00:15:06,467 --> 00:15:08,500 backwoods rye whiskey mash. 403 00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:11,000 Producing a winning jar will come down 404 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,800 to its spicy rye flavor 405 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,767 and the capability of their handmade condensers 406 00:15:15,767 --> 00:15:17,567 to yield a high-proof shine 407 00:15:17,567 --> 00:15:20,000 that holds up to Jim Tom's famous whiskey. 408 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,867 [Joe] Chuk, you're making a mess. 409 00:15:21,867 --> 00:15:23,300 [Big Chuk] Yeah, baby. We came here to... 410 00:15:23,300 --> 00:15:26,567 -[laughter] -...make some mash. 411 00:15:26,567 --> 00:15:28,600 I went with about 40 pounds of rye, 412 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,800 then I went with about 20 pounds of caramel malt, 413 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,266 and about ten pounds of malted barley, 414 00:15:32,266 --> 00:15:33,500 and then I put a couple gallons 415 00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:34,767 of sorghum molasses in there 416 00:15:34,767 --> 00:15:36,767 just to add another flavor dynamic. 417 00:15:36,767 --> 00:15:39,734 I ain't ever seen no mash like that my whole life. 418 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:43,667 [Big Chuk] Well, wait till you try it, Josh. 419 00:15:43,667 --> 00:15:45,967 It's a... It's a surprise on your palate. 420 00:15:45,967 --> 00:15:47,700 Jim Tom, he's a pretty traditional guy. 421 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:49,000 I mean, all his liquor recipes 422 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:50,467 seem to be pretty cut and dry. 423 00:15:50,467 --> 00:15:52,100 Just a couple grains, a little sugar. 424 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:55,467 And I thought I'd add my own little twist to it, man, 425 00:15:55,467 --> 00:15:57,266 put some flavors in there that maybe they're not used 426 00:15:57,266 --> 00:15:58,400 to seeing put together. 427 00:15:59,867 --> 00:16:02,467 Look at yours, looking like yellow milk. 428 00:16:02,467 --> 00:16:03,600 What you got in yours? 429 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,700 So I got Danko rye, 430 00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:07,166 it's grown in Pennsylvania. 431 00:16:07,166 --> 00:16:10,467 I've got Argentine orange corn, 432 00:16:10,467 --> 00:16:12,266 a little bit of light crystal malt, 433 00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:14,867 some triticale, and some oats. 434 00:16:14,867 --> 00:16:17,066 -I ain't heard of none of 'em. -[Joe laughs] 435 00:16:17,066 --> 00:16:18,767 -A myriad of things, I guess. -[Big Chuk] Yeah. 436 00:16:18,767 --> 00:16:20,300 [Joe] Rye has a storied past. 437 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:21,767 Before Prohibition, 438 00:16:21,767 --> 00:16:24,066 the majority of the spirits in the United States 439 00:16:24,066 --> 00:16:25,266 were rye whiskeys. 440 00:16:25,266 --> 00:16:27,967 So I wanted to pay homage to Jim Tom 441 00:16:27,967 --> 00:16:30,166 by using that Danko rye as a base. 442 00:16:30,166 --> 00:16:33,066 I went so far as even throw a tequila yeast at this. 443 00:16:33,066 --> 00:16:35,000 I'm sure that was abundant 444 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,700 in Robbinsville, North Carolina in 1990 445 00:16:38,700 --> 00:16:40,266 when Jim Tom was at his heyday. 446 00:16:40,266 --> 00:16:43,166 Jim Tom's favorite jar of liquor was the last one he did drunk 447 00:16:43,166 --> 00:16:45,467 and his next favorite was the next thing he's gonna drink. 448 00:16:45,467 --> 00:16:48,367 I'm going back to stories with Jim Tom 449 00:16:48,367 --> 00:16:51,767 and what I feel like he would've had access to. 450 00:16:51,767 --> 00:16:55,900 But he loved fiery, spicy rye whiskey. 451 00:16:55,900 --> 00:17:00,266 And I used a simple ground Carolina rye. 452 00:17:00,266 --> 00:17:01,700 Out of the three competitors, 453 00:17:01,700 --> 00:17:04,100 I'm the only one that actually knew Jim Tom 454 00:17:04,100 --> 00:17:06,467 and I feel like that being from this area 455 00:17:06,467 --> 00:17:08,800 and knowing him and just understanding 456 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:10,100 the way he did things, 457 00:17:10,100 --> 00:17:12,700 it should have given me a little bit of an edge. 458 00:17:13,266 --> 00:17:14,400 Damn here. 459 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:18,667 All right, gentlemen. 460 00:17:18,667 --> 00:17:21,266 You have officially burned 30 minutes. 461 00:17:21,266 --> 00:17:24,300 [dramatic music playing] 462 00:17:28,266 --> 00:17:29,900 So where's the leak at? 463 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,500 It looks like it's right in here. 464 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,300 [Joe] Oh, yeah. 465 00:17:33,300 --> 00:17:35,100 [Big Chuk] This leak is on a joint there, 466 00:17:35,100 --> 00:17:37,000 so I think if I throw the worm on the side 467 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,767 and got it fixed, got it connected, 468 00:17:38,767 --> 00:17:39,767 now we're rollin'. 469 00:17:39,767 --> 00:17:40,800 Hour and a half in, 470 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,367 hour and a half left, guys. 471 00:17:48,367 --> 00:17:49,567 So far so good. 472 00:17:49,567 --> 00:17:50,667 [Digger] If it ain't leaking now, 473 00:17:50,667 --> 00:17:51,900 I'm gonna say you're home free. 474 00:17:52,567 --> 00:17:53,667 Take me home. 475 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:56,367 Yeah. This is gonna run soon. 476 00:17:58,200 --> 00:17:59,767 [Kelly] I've got liquor. 477 00:17:59,767 --> 00:18:01,367 All right. Here we go. 478 00:18:05,100 --> 00:18:06,100 [Big Chuk] We're running, baby. 479 00:18:07,266 --> 00:18:09,066 Sorghum's comin' through. 480 00:18:09,066 --> 00:18:10,500 [Kelly] I can smell that sorghum. 481 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:12,467 [Big Chuk] I'm getting the sorghum on the nose 482 00:18:12,467 --> 00:18:14,500 and it's kinda presentin' a funky nose. 483 00:18:17,467 --> 00:18:18,667 I am worried about that. 484 00:18:18,667 --> 00:18:20,867 And, yeah, molasses is an acquired taste. 485 00:18:20,867 --> 00:18:22,700 I mean, a lot of people like it or you don't. 486 00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:24,166 How's all 'em fancy ingredients 487 00:18:24,166 --> 00:18:25,500 working out for you, boys? 488 00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:28,166 I want notes on notes and flavor bridges 489 00:18:28,166 --> 00:18:29,266 on flavor bridges. 490 00:18:29,266 --> 00:18:30,567 That's what I'm aimin' at. 491 00:18:30,567 --> 00:18:32,100 [Kelly] Well, I understand that flavors 492 00:18:32,100 --> 00:18:34,667 and all these infusions is the way of the future, 493 00:18:34,667 --> 00:18:36,600 but without some heritage to it, 494 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,700 that doesn't hold on very long and very strong. 495 00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:41,500 Just remember this part, 496 00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:46,166 ♪ Rye whiskey, rye whiskey Don't let me down ♪ 497 00:18:46,166 --> 00:18:48,000 That's about the poorest representation 498 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,867 I've seen of it, but well done. 499 00:18:49,867 --> 00:18:50,967 [laughs] 500 00:18:50,967 --> 00:18:53,667 [dramatic music playing] 501 00:18:54,767 --> 00:18:56,500 [Kelly] I played this thing pretty close 502 00:18:56,500 --> 00:18:58,567 on what I felt like Jim Tom would do. 503 00:18:58,567 --> 00:19:00,767 We've got the spice of the rye 504 00:19:00,767 --> 00:19:02,467 and I've got the proof good. 505 00:19:02,467 --> 00:19:04,300 I think I'm ready for you to have one. 506 00:19:04,300 --> 00:19:06,400 Bring it on, big dog. 507 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:07,467 [Josh] Nice and clear. 508 00:19:07,467 --> 00:19:09,667 [Digger] That's one sample. 509 00:19:09,667 --> 00:19:11,100 Chill out a little bit. 510 00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:12,767 One minute, gentlemen. 511 00:19:16,367 --> 00:19:18,567 Not meanin' to ensue any panic or anything, 512 00:19:18,567 --> 00:19:21,600 but you're about to run out of time. 513 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,467 [Big Chuk] It's a hundred proof on the head. 514 00:19:23,467 --> 00:19:25,200 It ain't got the nose I like, 515 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,800 but it's got the smoothness and it's got the sweetness. 516 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,767 Fifteen seconds, gentlemen. 517 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:31,166 I think I got it. 518 00:19:31,166 --> 00:19:33,100 I know we've got some sweetness 519 00:19:33,100 --> 00:19:35,200 and that spicy characteristic of rye 520 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:36,867 that is beloved by Jim Tom. 521 00:19:36,867 --> 00:19:39,467 Five, four, 522 00:19:39,467 --> 00:19:41,100 three, two, one, you're done. 523 00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:42,266 [Josh laughs] 524 00:19:42,266 --> 00:19:44,600 We got pretty clear jars right here. 525 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:46,867 Hopefully, old Jim Tom will be smilin' from up above 526 00:19:46,867 --> 00:19:49,367 -at these jars, so... -I promise you he is. 527 00:19:49,367 --> 00:19:52,100 I'mma go ahead and say that this is a proud day of my life, 528 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:54,266 getting to be here and be part of this. 529 00:19:54,266 --> 00:19:57,100 We're gonna go do a little tastin' and deliberating. 530 00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:58,266 Phew. 531 00:19:58,266 --> 00:19:59,500 Here we go. 532 00:20:01,100 --> 00:20:02,400 2 [country music playing] 533 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:03,567 [Digger] Gentlemen? 534 00:20:03,567 --> 00:20:05,000 It's time to start tastin' 535 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,266 a little of this liquor 536 00:20:06,266 --> 00:20:08,200 and see who is best representative 537 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,367 of our very dear old friend, Jim Tom Hedrick. 538 00:20:11,367 --> 00:20:14,166 We set a criteria of a minimum of a hundred proof 539 00:20:14,166 --> 00:20:15,767 and the majority of the grain 540 00:20:15,767 --> 00:20:18,266 and the mash build had to be rye. 541 00:20:18,266 --> 00:20:19,567 All right, y'all start with Kelly? 542 00:20:19,567 --> 00:20:20,967 Yeah. 543 00:20:20,967 --> 00:20:23,200 [Josh] That right there is a clear jar, my friend. 544 00:20:24,867 --> 00:20:26,400 [Mark] That's a nice bead. 545 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:27,867 [Josh] She's high in proof. 546 00:20:27,867 --> 00:20:29,667 [Digger] Yeah. I'm gonna say he's a buck ten. 547 00:20:29,667 --> 00:20:31,767 I just played mine pretty close 548 00:20:31,767 --> 00:20:35,100 and tried to do traditional as much as I could. 549 00:20:35,100 --> 00:20:38,166 [tense music playing] 550 00:20:39,367 --> 00:20:41,467 [coughs] Whoo. 551 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,467 It's definitely spicy. 552 00:20:44,166 --> 00:20:47,166 It's abso-damn-lutely rye whiskey. 553 00:20:47,166 --> 00:20:50,500 -Nice, sweet flavor up front. -And very sweet. 554 00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:53,367 Oh, it is. It's got a good nose on it for a rye. 555 00:20:53,367 --> 00:20:55,467 It finishes off on the back end 556 00:20:55,467 --> 00:20:58,467 with that hot, spicy pepper. 557 00:20:59,367 --> 00:21:01,500 That's what rye whiskey is supposed to be. 558 00:21:01,500 --> 00:21:04,200 [Mark] Let's see what Joe Jackson's working with. 559 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,467 Danko rye is his primary ingredient 560 00:21:06,467 --> 00:21:09,667 and he's got Argentina orange corn. 561 00:21:09,667 --> 00:21:11,867 [Digger] I'm gonna say he's neighborhood of 80. 562 00:21:11,867 --> 00:21:14,266 I wanted to find in the mash 563 00:21:14,266 --> 00:21:16,467 a way to unlock those little bridges 564 00:21:16,467 --> 00:21:17,767 between the flavors. 565 00:21:21,367 --> 00:21:22,767 It's like drinking... 566 00:21:23,667 --> 00:21:25,367 water with alcohol in it or something. 567 00:21:27,567 --> 00:21:30,066 It's very, very light on the nose, 568 00:21:30,066 --> 00:21:32,600 but it don't have any of the spicy pepper 569 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,667 on the back end like rye is noted for. 570 00:21:34,667 --> 00:21:36,967 Well, I think that's what Danko's known for 571 00:21:36,967 --> 00:21:38,600 is a smoother finish. 572 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:40,000 It's definitely low proof. 573 00:21:41,767 --> 00:21:43,800 [Digger] The flavor profile is kind of reminiscent 574 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,367 of a non-aged bourbon, 575 00:21:45,367 --> 00:21:47,700 corn liquor with some barley in it. 576 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:50,300 How about Big Chuk's? You wanna check it out? 577 00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:52,166 [Mark] Man, Chuk's jar is clear. 578 00:21:52,166 --> 00:21:54,767 [tense music playing] 579 00:21:54,767 --> 00:21:56,166 [Digger] That's a nice-looking bead. 580 00:21:56,166 --> 00:21:57,667 [Josh] That's right on the money there, ain't it? 581 00:21:57,667 --> 00:21:59,867 [Digger] He's probably closer to 100. 582 00:21:59,867 --> 00:22:02,200 All the flavors didn't come together like that 583 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:03,600 so I pulled the proof down a little bit 584 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,200 on that final jar just to try 585 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,500 to tone it down a little bit 586 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:08,767 so that fiery rye wasn't on the end. 587 00:22:10,166 --> 00:22:12,367 [Josh] It reminds me of some kind of pie crust 588 00:22:12,367 --> 00:22:13,467 or something. 589 00:22:13,467 --> 00:22:14,800 [Digger] Graham cracker? 590 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:16,367 -Something like that. -[Digger] I'm gonna say 591 00:22:16,367 --> 00:22:18,567 that's from that chocolate malt. 592 00:22:20,467 --> 00:22:23,700 I don't get none of the peppery rye. 593 00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:26,867 I mean, how is it possible as much grain as he had? 594 00:22:26,867 --> 00:22:28,266 [Digger] I think his predominant grain 595 00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:29,367 was one of those barleys, 596 00:22:29,367 --> 00:22:31,800 one of those other malts that he used. 597 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,066 It's got a really good flavor 598 00:22:34,066 --> 00:22:36,667 and I think it would age really, really well. 599 00:22:36,667 --> 00:22:37,867 [Mark] Absolutely. 600 00:22:37,867 --> 00:22:40,066 I think Jim Tom would have been happy 601 00:22:40,066 --> 00:22:41,467 -with any of them. -Yeah. 602 00:22:41,467 --> 00:22:43,467 I know where I sit on this pew. 603 00:22:43,467 --> 00:22:45,000 I know where Jim Tom would be at. 604 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,266 If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. 605 00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:48,867 -Ain't that the skinny end? -[Josh] That's right. 606 00:22:48,867 --> 00:22:50,567 [Mark] Let's go, guys. 607 00:22:50,567 --> 00:22:53,166 [country music playing] 608 00:22:53,166 --> 00:22:54,166 [Kelly] Yeah, man. 609 00:22:54,166 --> 00:22:55,900 Here comes the maestros. 610 00:23:03,967 --> 00:23:06,000 [Digger] Now, what we asked y'all to do 611 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,700 was bring us a spicy rye jar, 612 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:13,266 just like Jim Tom Hedrick was known for at 100 proof. 613 00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:17,166 Big Chuk over here. 614 00:23:17,166 --> 00:23:19,100 Your liquor was more of a rum. 615 00:23:19,100 --> 00:23:20,867 I don't think you got enough rye in there. 616 00:23:20,867 --> 00:23:23,500 The barleys that you put in there, the crystal malt, 617 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:25,300 they brought just a mellow note to it. 618 00:23:25,300 --> 00:23:27,100 Didn't have that spicy rye bite 619 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:28,100 like you want with the rye. 620 00:23:28,100 --> 00:23:29,600 It's supposed to punch you right in the tongue 621 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:30,767 right off the bat. 622 00:23:30,767 --> 00:23:32,166 -Yeah. -[Digger] But fine drink 623 00:23:32,166 --> 00:23:34,200 -of liquor. -Thank you, sir. 624 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,467 All in all, the drink come off clear. 625 00:23:36,467 --> 00:23:38,166 I didn't really think it was gonna come off clear. 626 00:23:38,166 --> 00:23:39,367 I figured it'd be cloudy. 627 00:23:39,367 --> 00:23:41,100 And it being made out of rye, too, 628 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:43,700 I figured it'd be like gasoline in a jug, 629 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:46,266 but had a really good flavor. 630 00:23:46,266 --> 00:23:48,000 It blew my mind, honestly. 631 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,166 Yeah. 632 00:23:49,166 --> 00:23:52,066 Joe, I think Jim Tom, 633 00:23:52,066 --> 00:23:54,300 he would have smacked his lips two to three times 634 00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:57,400 just trying to get a feel of where it was at. 635 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,867 [Digger] You didn't bring a spicier rye. 636 00:23:59,867 --> 00:24:01,467 I think what you brought us there 637 00:24:01,467 --> 00:24:04,567 was a really good wheat liquor with some rye in it. 638 00:24:04,567 --> 00:24:07,600 -But all in all, fine drink. -Thank you. 639 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:08,867 [Mark] Kelly, 640 00:24:08,867 --> 00:24:11,700 you stuck to more traditional Jim Tom recipe 641 00:24:11,700 --> 00:24:13,667 with very simple ingredients. 642 00:24:13,667 --> 00:24:16,567 The spicy pepper burn on the back end 643 00:24:16,567 --> 00:24:18,600 that's typical of rye was there. 644 00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:20,900 You tried to stay as true 645 00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:22,900 to what you thought the recipe would be 646 00:24:22,900 --> 00:24:25,500 -and it worked out for you. -Thank you, Josh. 647 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:27,367 Men, we can't get y'all to the stock room 648 00:24:27,367 --> 00:24:29,100 unless we get the order in which Mark 649 00:24:29,100 --> 00:24:30,467 is gonna take you all. 650 00:24:30,467 --> 00:24:31,767 [tense music playing] 651 00:24:31,767 --> 00:24:33,600 [Digger] And the way that plays out... 652 00:24:37,867 --> 00:24:39,767 is Kelly, you're number one. 653 00:24:39,767 --> 00:24:42,200 You had the spiciest rye. 654 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,867 Second one in the gate to the stock room, Big Chuk. 655 00:24:45,867 --> 00:24:50,567 So that brings in Joe driving the caboose. 656 00:24:50,567 --> 00:24:53,800 That being said, Mark's gonna take y'all to the stock room 657 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,667 and let you get you some groceries. 658 00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:58,567 Set your jars down and follow me. 659 00:24:58,567 --> 00:25:01,867 [country music playing] 660 00:25:06,767 --> 00:25:09,300 [Mark] Welcome to our stock room. 661 00:25:09,300 --> 00:25:12,100 This is your chance to add additional ingredients 662 00:25:12,100 --> 00:25:14,767 to build up on Jim Tom's legacy 663 00:25:14,767 --> 00:25:18,000 and create the next generation of rye whiskey, 664 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,600 which he so loved. 665 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,767 We got a lot of stuff in here, 666 00:25:22,767 --> 00:25:24,166 but here's the catch now. 667 00:25:24,166 --> 00:25:27,266 We don't have enough of everything 668 00:25:27,266 --> 00:25:28,900 for everybody to get the same item. 669 00:25:29,767 --> 00:25:31,367 Kelly, you're in first. 670 00:25:31,367 --> 00:25:32,767 You're getting one minute. 671 00:25:32,767 --> 00:25:35,200 Your time starts now. 672 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:36,867 [tense music playing] 673 00:25:36,867 --> 00:25:38,300 [Big Chuk] Them peppers will be good, Kelly. 674 00:25:38,300 --> 00:25:39,367 -Get them. -[Joe] Yeah. 675 00:25:39,367 --> 00:25:40,567 [Kelly] My whole plan on this thing 676 00:25:40,567 --> 00:25:41,567 is to go apple. 677 00:25:41,567 --> 00:25:43,767 Apple rye is a win all the way around, 678 00:25:43,767 --> 00:25:44,600 all the time. 679 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,000 I love it. I've done it before, 680 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:47,200 so I know what I'm looking for. 681 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:48,800 How you doing over there, boss? 682 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:50,767 -Fifteen seconds. -I'm getting some apples. 683 00:25:50,767 --> 00:25:53,367 If I can find some caramel or some cinnamon, 684 00:25:53,367 --> 00:25:55,367 whichever one is in the stock room, 685 00:25:55,367 --> 00:25:57,600 that's what I'm gonna come away with. 686 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:02,266 Five, four, three, two, one. 687 00:26:02,266 --> 00:26:03,667 Drop your basket, boss. 688 00:26:03,667 --> 00:26:06,300 I think Kelly took every apple in the store. 689 00:26:06,300 --> 00:26:07,667 All right, Chuk. 690 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:10,166 Your time starts now. 691 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,100 [groans] 692 00:26:12,100 --> 00:26:13,467 You know, I know how you are. 693 00:26:13,467 --> 00:26:15,066 There ain't no doubt in my mind 694 00:26:15,066 --> 00:26:17,266 you're gonna pick out the most weirdest stuff over there 695 00:26:17,266 --> 00:26:19,000 -and make it work. -Yeah. 696 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,367 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 697 00:26:20,367 --> 00:26:21,867 I got to balance this drink out. 698 00:26:21,867 --> 00:26:23,900 What I was gonna do them was apples, 699 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:26,367 but Kelly went and got every single apple in the bunch, 700 00:26:26,367 --> 00:26:28,100 so had to deviate. 701 00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:30,166 [Mark] I notice you're not worried about bruising them. 702 00:26:30,166 --> 00:26:31,066 -[Big Chuk] No. -[Mark] That's fine. 703 00:26:31,066 --> 00:26:31,967 Absolutely. 704 00:26:31,967 --> 00:26:33,767 I'm going for peaches, baby. 705 00:26:33,767 --> 00:26:35,100 [Mark] You're halfway through, Chuk. 706 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:36,133 Yeah, we got to throw 'em in there 707 00:26:36,133 --> 00:26:37,200 -and bruise 'em up better. -[Mark] There you go. 708 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,367 -Get them started. -I seen a jar 709 00:26:38,367 --> 00:26:39,500 of brown sugar. 710 00:26:39,500 --> 00:26:41,800 I found a little old jug of apple juice. 711 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,700 I got some little syrup that I might could add to it 712 00:26:43,700 --> 00:26:44,734 to give it some sweet effect. 713 00:26:44,734 --> 00:26:46,367 -Here we go. Five... -[Big Chuk] I got it, baby. 714 00:26:46,367 --> 00:26:48,266 -four... -[Joe] Oh, isn't that peachy? 715 00:26:48,266 --> 00:26:49,867 [chuckles] 716 00:26:49,867 --> 00:26:51,467 [Mark] Joe, you ready? 717 00:26:51,467 --> 00:26:53,066 -Yes, sir. -Let's get busy. 718 00:26:53,066 --> 00:26:55,100 Your time starts now. Go. 719 00:26:56,967 --> 00:26:58,467 So I'm going in the stock room third. 720 00:26:58,467 --> 00:27:00,266 There's a lot of things that have been taken off the shelf 721 00:27:00,266 --> 00:27:02,000 that, you know, I could have potentially used 722 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,467 to infuse in my run. 723 00:27:03,467 --> 00:27:06,066 Halfway there, Joe, 30 seconds left. 724 00:27:06,066 --> 00:27:07,033 [Joe] So right now, 725 00:27:07,033 --> 00:27:09,000 I've got a buttload of citrus to work with. 726 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,367 I see a lot of citrus going in the basket. 727 00:27:11,367 --> 00:27:13,200 I went for the mandarin oranges, 728 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:14,467 the lemons, the limes. 729 00:27:14,467 --> 00:27:16,100 Anything citrus that I could grab, 730 00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:17,567 I put it in my basket. 731 00:27:17,567 --> 00:27:21,567 Four, three, two, one. 732 00:27:21,567 --> 00:27:22,934 You're done. 733 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,767 I hope youins are all happy with your ingredients. 734 00:27:27,767 --> 00:27:30,467 You either are or you ain't, too late now. 735 00:27:30,467 --> 00:27:32,900 We ready to get this flavor run started? 736 00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:34,000 -Yes, sir. -Yes, sir. 737 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,266 [Mark] Grab your baskets. Let's go. 738 00:27:35,266 --> 00:27:36,467 [Big Chuk grunts] 739 00:27:36,467 --> 00:27:39,667 [tense music playing] 740 00:27:46,066 --> 00:27:48,867 All right, guys. Y'all are gonna rerun the rye whiskey 741 00:27:48,867 --> 00:27:51,166 that y'all made from your first run. 742 00:27:51,166 --> 00:27:53,767 Now, this time, you can add your additional flavor. 743 00:27:53,767 --> 00:27:56,867 We don't want the classic rye that Jim Tom was known for. 744 00:27:56,867 --> 00:28:00,166 We want that rye whiskey with your spin on it. 745 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:02,767 So that being said, 746 00:28:02,767 --> 00:28:06,800 anything goes except for low-proof whiskey. 747 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,400 We want that 100 proof jar. 748 00:28:10,100 --> 00:28:12,266 This run's for all the glory, 749 00:28:12,867 --> 00:28:14,467 all the bragging rights, 750 00:28:14,467 --> 00:28:17,867 and a special Jim Tom Master Distiller prize. 751 00:28:21,567 --> 00:28:24,266 2 All right, guys. Y'all are gonna rerun the rye whiskey 752 00:28:24,266 --> 00:28:26,100 that y'all made from your first run. 753 00:28:26,100 --> 00:28:29,266 We don't want the classic rye that Jim Tom was known for. 754 00:28:29,266 --> 00:28:32,467 We want that rye whiskey with your spin on it. 755 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,166 You got four hours, gentlemen. 756 00:28:35,166 --> 00:28:36,800 Your time starts now. 757 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,066 Good luck. Get with it. 758 00:28:38,066 --> 00:28:40,867 [country music playing] 759 00:28:50,066 --> 00:28:51,600 [Digger] I'm gonna tell you that Joe's mash 760 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,367 is pretty mash. 761 00:28:53,367 --> 00:28:54,200 -It's how we want it... -It's rich-- 762 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:55,166 ...to work. Come out. 763 00:28:55,166 --> 00:28:56,867 I was thinking it looked good, too. 764 00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:01,600 Mmm-hmm. 765 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,667 -There we go. -[Digger] Now you're cooking 766 00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:04,900 with gas, literally. 767 00:29:08,467 --> 00:29:10,066 I'm gonna keep everything simple. 768 00:29:10,066 --> 00:29:11,367 I'm gonna go with what I know. 769 00:29:11,367 --> 00:29:13,200 I know rye and I know apple. 770 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,567 Jim Tom always made simple, good liquor. 771 00:29:16,567 --> 00:29:18,367 And that's what he always said do, 772 00:29:18,367 --> 00:29:20,667 "Keep it simple and stick to your guns." 773 00:29:20,667 --> 00:29:22,166 And that's what I tried to do here. 774 00:29:22,166 --> 00:29:23,400 [tense music playing] 775 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:24,767 [Mark] Needs a little... [speaking other language] ...in it. 776 00:29:24,767 --> 00:29:25,867 [Digger] Needs a little liquor in it. 777 00:29:25,867 --> 00:29:27,667 I'd put some mash in if it's me, 778 00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:29,100 -but that's just me. -Or some mash. 779 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:30,367 [Digger] There we go. 780 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,367 [Kelly] I'm gonna puree these apples. 781 00:29:33,367 --> 00:29:34,867 I'm gonna put them in the thumper 782 00:29:34,867 --> 00:29:36,367 so that it has a little bit of time 783 00:29:36,367 --> 00:29:39,767 to, you know, just kind of steep itself in. 784 00:29:39,767 --> 00:29:42,700 And I feel like we can carry the flavor over. 785 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:44,100 [Digger] Hmm, look at that. 786 00:29:44,100 --> 00:29:46,166 That's some good-looking stuff right there. 787 00:29:46,166 --> 00:29:47,367 [Digger] Oh, I ain't gonna lie, 788 00:29:47,367 --> 00:29:48,867 that's what you make good liquor 789 00:29:48,867 --> 00:29:50,200 out of right there. 790 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:51,467 [Mark] Well, we'll see. 791 00:29:51,467 --> 00:29:53,300 [Josh] His seems the simplest. 792 00:29:53,300 --> 00:29:56,367 Kelly's making stuff Jim Tom made himself. 793 00:29:56,367 --> 00:29:59,667 [Mark] Kelly knew that, too, but he had the advantage. 794 00:29:59,667 --> 00:30:01,300 He was able to get those apples. 795 00:30:03,367 --> 00:30:06,100 He's cutting up his peaches and throwing them in there. 796 00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:08,867 [Digger] Yup, leaving them seeds out there, though. 797 00:30:08,867 --> 00:30:11,166 The traditional moonshine back in Arkansas, 798 00:30:11,166 --> 00:30:12,400 back during the Prohibition era, 799 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,800 they would infuse their pot with fruit. 800 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,266 So I'm gonna put peaches in my pot. 801 00:30:18,266 --> 00:30:20,667 So that way, as the liquor's churning and earning, 802 00:30:20,667 --> 00:30:22,100 it's gonna pull through them peaches 803 00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:24,467 and maybe throw some peach in the body of that drink. 804 00:30:26,867 --> 00:30:28,500 All right, I'm whipping up 805 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:30,767 a little old peach sauce over here. 806 00:30:30,767 --> 00:30:31,967 Go in the thumper. 807 00:30:33,867 --> 00:30:36,066 Cook this down here. 808 00:30:36,066 --> 00:30:39,000 Add a little brown sugar, a little bit of syrup. 809 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:40,767 If I can't bring a little bit more of that rye to it 810 00:30:40,767 --> 00:30:43,266 with the peach, peach gumbo. 811 00:30:43,266 --> 00:30:44,567 [Joe chuckles] 812 00:30:44,567 --> 00:30:47,000 Peach gumbo rye. I've never heard of that. 813 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,867 Well, we asked them to put their spin on it. 814 00:30:49,867 --> 00:30:52,400 Guys, you've burned 40 minutes. 815 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,100 [Joe] All right, here comes the real work. 816 00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:57,300 [country music playing] 817 00:30:59,767 --> 00:31:01,166 I see G.I. Joe is over here 818 00:31:01,166 --> 00:31:03,066 trimming an orange. 819 00:31:03,066 --> 00:31:05,100 [Digger] I know what he's bringing to that thumper 820 00:31:05,100 --> 00:31:06,967 is citrus times ten. 821 00:31:07,867 --> 00:31:09,367 [Joe] So I've got some oranges, 822 00:31:09,367 --> 00:31:11,000 limes, some lemons. 823 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,900 I'm gonna go for a citrus mountain brandy. 824 00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:16,867 Citrus mountain brandy, that just goes together. 825 00:31:16,867 --> 00:31:19,467 It does. It just rolls off your tongue. 826 00:31:20,567 --> 00:31:23,100 He keeps dropping the citrus over there, though. 827 00:31:24,567 --> 00:31:26,000 [Joe] If you treat rye right, 828 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,567 it really brings forward a floral, botanical note. 829 00:31:29,567 --> 00:31:31,467 So, I'm expecting that note 830 00:31:31,467 --> 00:31:34,000 to really play well with that citrus. 831 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,667 I'm struggling here. I can't peel fast enough. 832 00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:38,900 Well, you better hurry up. I'm about to start running. 833 00:31:38,900 --> 00:31:40,600 [Joe] Well, my still's at 140. 834 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:41,700 [Big Chuk chuckles] Yeah. 835 00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:44,000 All right, guys. You're halfway home. 836 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,200 Burned two hours, got two left. 837 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:47,900 -[tense music playing] -[Big Chuk] I'm running, baby. 838 00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:49,567 -[Joe] You running? -Yeah. 839 00:31:50,567 --> 00:31:53,100 Running fast too, boys. 840 00:31:53,100 --> 00:31:55,367 That's all right. I'm gonna run it hot. 841 00:31:55,367 --> 00:31:57,467 [Joe] You're gonna give them some spice, Chuk? 842 00:31:59,166 --> 00:32:00,767 I'll be damned. 843 00:32:00,767 --> 00:32:03,200 [Kelly] There we go, daddy-o. 844 00:32:03,900 --> 00:32:05,166 My liquor's running now. 845 00:32:05,166 --> 00:32:06,166 It's coming through. 846 00:32:06,166 --> 00:32:07,467 It's pretty high proof. 847 00:32:07,467 --> 00:32:09,100 You can smell the apples in it. 848 00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:11,100 I'm gonna put some cinnamon sticks 849 00:32:11,100 --> 00:32:12,567 in my thump keg. 850 00:32:12,567 --> 00:32:14,667 I'm only gonna put a few in here. 851 00:32:14,667 --> 00:32:16,967 If they don't carry a lot of cinnamon flavor, 852 00:32:16,967 --> 00:32:18,767 that's okay 'cause I'm gonna hopefully 853 00:32:18,767 --> 00:32:20,967 -have a good apple flavor. -Less is better in cinnamon. 854 00:32:20,967 --> 00:32:22,033 It don't take much. 855 00:32:22,033 --> 00:32:24,300 If you find out, you've done overpowered yourself. 856 00:32:24,300 --> 00:32:26,100 I believe if I can control the cinnamon, 857 00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:29,500 I can pull enough apple flavor through to make it work. 858 00:32:30,967 --> 00:32:33,600 Hour and a half in, hour and a half left, guys. 859 00:32:35,066 --> 00:32:36,567 [Joe] There we go. 860 00:32:36,567 --> 00:32:37,767 It smells like citrus 861 00:32:37,767 --> 00:32:39,600 coming out the end of that spout right now. 862 00:32:41,066 --> 00:32:42,767 Working with citrus is challenging. 863 00:32:42,767 --> 00:32:45,767 It has a lot of really bright notes 864 00:32:45,767 --> 00:32:48,000 that can overpower whatever base spirit 865 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:48,967 you put it through. 866 00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:49,800 [Big Chuk] Is it working out 867 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:50,867 like you wanted it to? 868 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:52,700 [Joe] Somewhat. 869 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:54,266 I'm gonna have to try to blend it all together 870 00:32:54,266 --> 00:32:55,467 and make it marry. 871 00:32:55,467 --> 00:32:57,200 A lot of those big, bright citrus notes 872 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:58,767 were at the beginning. 873 00:32:58,767 --> 00:33:02,600 So I might have to take, like, just a... 874 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:03,867 [Kelly] A little bit of the high fruit. 875 00:33:03,867 --> 00:33:06,767 Just, like, a touch. 876 00:33:06,767 --> 00:33:08,867 [intense music playing] 877 00:33:08,867 --> 00:33:09,967 [Joe] You're blending right now? 878 00:33:09,967 --> 00:33:11,000 [Kelly] Running it back through 879 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:12,166 that cinnamon and charcoal, 880 00:33:12,166 --> 00:33:13,600 just running it and across it again. 881 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:17,200 Pulled maybe just a touch more cinnamon flavor, a touch. 882 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:19,266 Just so you know, guys, 883 00:33:19,266 --> 00:33:21,667 you're down that straightaway headed home. 884 00:33:21,667 --> 00:33:22,967 Thirty minutes left. 885 00:33:22,967 --> 00:33:26,000 [intense music playing] 886 00:33:30,166 --> 00:33:32,900 I believe Kelly's about ready with his. 887 00:33:32,900 --> 00:33:34,967 It's a good solid jar of rye apple 888 00:33:34,967 --> 00:33:36,567 with a hint of cinnamon to it. 889 00:33:36,567 --> 00:33:38,400 You can smell the apples in it 890 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,667 and you can kind of smell the cinnamon. 891 00:33:40,667 --> 00:33:42,266 I'm gonna believe I'm gonna win this thing 892 00:33:42,266 --> 00:33:43,600 because if I believe it, I will, 893 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,066 and I want that trophy really, really bad. 894 00:33:46,667 --> 00:33:47,767 Gentlemen. 895 00:33:47,767 --> 00:33:49,000 [Josh] Nice and clear. 896 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,066 My jar. 897 00:33:50,066 --> 00:33:51,567 Beautiful, clear jar. 898 00:33:52,767 --> 00:33:56,100 You got five minutes left to get us a jar on the table. 899 00:33:58,467 --> 00:34:00,100 I believe Chuk's ready. 900 00:34:00,100 --> 00:34:01,767 -[Big Chuk] Yes, sir. -Bring it in here, big man. 901 00:34:01,767 --> 00:34:03,000 [Digger] I believe he is. 902 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,800 He's got it chilled. 903 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:05,700 [Big Chuk] Here you are, 904 00:34:05,700 --> 00:34:06,600 -my friend. -Absolutely. 905 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,166 Enjoy. 906 00:34:08,166 --> 00:34:10,066 This final jar does have the peach. 907 00:34:10,066 --> 00:34:11,467 It ain't got the smell I want, 908 00:34:11,467 --> 00:34:13,800 but the flavor's all the way there front to back. 909 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:15,000 I think this is it, brother. 910 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,700 Well, I wouldn't waste any more time. 911 00:34:16,700 --> 00:34:18,767 [Mark] Bring it on, JJ. 912 00:34:18,767 --> 00:34:20,667 [Joe] This jar is my best foot forward. 913 00:34:20,667 --> 00:34:22,266 The rye is there. 914 00:34:22,266 --> 00:34:24,367 The citrus has really played well with it. 915 00:34:24,367 --> 00:34:26,800 And I think that Jim Tom, he would love it. 916 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,066 We're gonna go taste and deliberate, 917 00:34:29,066 --> 00:34:30,700 and then, we're gonna try to reach a decision 918 00:34:30,700 --> 00:34:32,667 on who gets the title 919 00:34:32,667 --> 00:34:35,700 of the Jim Tom Hedrick Memorial Run. 920 00:34:38,166 --> 00:34:40,800 2 [intense music playing] 921 00:34:43,266 --> 00:34:45,266 Look, Robbinsville, North Carolina, 922 00:34:45,266 --> 00:34:46,867 and Cocke County, Tennessee, 923 00:34:46,867 --> 00:34:48,467 they ain't much difference in them. 924 00:34:48,467 --> 00:34:49,867 Jim Tom's like us. 925 00:34:49,867 --> 00:34:51,266 [Josh] Yeah, I remember him saying that. 926 00:34:52,266 --> 00:34:55,100 [Digger] You know, not only did Jim Tom excel 927 00:34:55,100 --> 00:34:56,667 at making good whiskey, 928 00:34:56,667 --> 00:34:58,400 he absorbed it pretty good, too. 929 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:00,867 -[Josh laughs] -Wow. 930 00:35:05,967 --> 00:35:07,166 God, I miss him. 931 00:35:07,166 --> 00:35:08,467 What a character. 932 00:35:08,467 --> 00:35:10,000 Here's to you for coming down here 933 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,266 and helping me with this. 934 00:35:13,667 --> 00:35:14,800 2 [intense music playing] 935 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:19,700 The Jim Tom Mountain Rye and their twist on it. 936 00:35:19,700 --> 00:35:22,567 We've gotta have 100 proof liquor bare minimum. 937 00:35:22,567 --> 00:35:23,867 Absolutely. 938 00:35:23,867 --> 00:35:24,867 [Josh] This is Big Chuk's. 939 00:35:24,867 --> 00:35:27,367 It says "RIP Jim Tom" on the top of it. 940 00:35:27,367 --> 00:35:29,000 [Digger] Shake it up a little bit. 941 00:35:34,367 --> 00:35:35,667 It worked out how I planned. 942 00:35:35,667 --> 00:35:37,300 I mean, it was a little peach on the nose. 943 00:35:37,300 --> 00:35:38,900 I didn't really have that on that first run. 944 00:35:38,900 --> 00:35:40,700 Oh, you did. It was just a different one. 945 00:35:40,700 --> 00:35:42,100 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 946 00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:44,300 [Digger] Chuk was going for peach gumbo. 947 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:47,066 [Josh] Being so full of grains, 948 00:35:47,066 --> 00:35:49,000 it's making it really hot. 949 00:35:49,567 --> 00:35:51,900 But that's pretty good. 950 00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:55,667 I'm confused whether it's rye, spicy heat, 951 00:35:55,667 --> 00:35:58,800 or just heat from hot run liquor. 952 00:36:00,967 --> 00:36:03,467 [Digger] That sort of played out well, 953 00:36:03,467 --> 00:36:05,367 but that ain't nothing 954 00:36:05,367 --> 00:36:08,300 but plain and simple, fierce liquor. 955 00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:10,100 [Mark] Well, let's move on to these other two. 956 00:36:10,100 --> 00:36:11,266 All right, y'all. 957 00:36:11,266 --> 00:36:12,367 This is G.I. Joe's. 958 00:36:12,367 --> 00:36:15,166 [tense music playing] 959 00:36:15,166 --> 00:36:16,367 [Josh] Pretty good proof. 960 00:36:16,367 --> 00:36:19,100 I've done a lot with like citrus gins, 961 00:36:19,100 --> 00:36:20,900 so I just wanted to balance it. 962 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:23,667 [tense music playing] 963 00:36:23,667 --> 00:36:25,166 [exhales] 964 00:36:25,166 --> 00:36:26,400 [Mark chuckles] 965 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:27,266 [Digger] He's up there, ain't he? 966 00:36:27,266 --> 00:36:28,300 [Josh] Mmm-hmm. 967 00:36:28,300 --> 00:36:29,367 Well, I think the fruit 968 00:36:29,367 --> 00:36:31,066 definitely made it fierier. 969 00:36:31,066 --> 00:36:32,300 I get a lot of citrus. 970 00:36:32,300 --> 00:36:33,467 Yeah, it's citrusy. 971 00:36:33,467 --> 00:36:35,500 [Mark] It's a good jar. 972 00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:36,767 -It tastes good. -I think it's got 973 00:36:36,767 --> 00:36:38,467 some good qualities to it. 974 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:40,266 It's a good drink. 975 00:36:40,266 --> 00:36:41,567 [Mark] All right, Josh. 976 00:36:41,567 --> 00:36:42,667 We're on to Kelly now. 977 00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:45,200 See there? 978 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:46,767 Spot on. Pretty bead. 979 00:36:46,767 --> 00:36:49,567 For me, it was an honor to do this 980 00:36:49,567 --> 00:36:50,867 because of Jim Tom. 981 00:36:50,867 --> 00:36:51,900 And the rest of it 982 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:53,567 was a game playing with you guys to see... 983 00:36:53,567 --> 00:36:54,667 -Absolutely. -...if I could get y'all 984 00:36:54,667 --> 00:36:56,367 -to mess yourself up. -[laughter] 985 00:36:56,367 --> 00:36:58,900 [tense music playing] 986 00:36:58,900 --> 00:37:01,367 [Josh] This is a smoother jar for the proof. 987 00:37:01,367 --> 00:37:03,300 The cinnamon is not overpowering. 988 00:37:03,300 --> 00:37:04,400 Man, I'm gonna tell you right now, 989 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:05,367 that's a good jar. 990 00:37:05,367 --> 00:37:06,667 I could tell the spiciness 991 00:37:06,667 --> 00:37:07,667 is still there. 992 00:37:08,567 --> 00:37:09,900 The rye is there. 993 00:37:09,900 --> 00:37:11,867 Just enough, the spice on the back. 994 00:37:11,867 --> 00:37:14,800 And that cinnamon does not run away with it. 995 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,467 That is a good jar of liquor. 996 00:37:16,467 --> 00:37:18,667 You've got fruit, then you've got that spice 997 00:37:18,667 --> 00:37:19,767 you added to it. 998 00:37:19,767 --> 00:37:21,700 [imitating Jim Tom] Kelly, let me tell you something. 999 00:37:21,700 --> 00:37:23,867 That's a fine jar of rye liquor right there. 1000 00:37:23,867 --> 00:37:25,467 Rye whiskey. That's rye whiskey. 1001 00:37:25,467 --> 00:37:27,500 I sure do miss him. 1002 00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:28,767 I think at the end of the day, 1003 00:37:28,767 --> 00:37:31,700 Jim Tom would have been tickled to death 1004 00:37:31,700 --> 00:37:33,567 with all three of these jars. 1005 00:37:33,567 --> 00:37:34,967 I he was here, he'd be drinking them. 1006 00:37:34,967 --> 00:37:37,367 I just think that there's one on the table 1007 00:37:37,367 --> 00:37:39,200 that Jim Tom would have liked better, 1008 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,367 and that's what we have to judge on. 1009 00:37:41,367 --> 00:37:42,667 [Digger] All right. 1010 00:37:42,667 --> 00:37:44,066 Here we go. 1011 00:37:45,166 --> 00:37:46,867 [tense music playing] 1012 00:37:46,867 --> 00:37:48,567 -Oh, we're gonna find out now. -Here we go. 1013 00:37:48,567 --> 00:37:50,066 Oh, here's the beat. 1014 00:37:50,066 --> 00:37:51,467 [Joe] This is it, boys. 1015 00:37:51,467 --> 00:37:54,767 [tense music playing] 1016 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:01,934 [Josh] All right, boys. 1017 00:38:01,934 --> 00:38:03,567 Being here that we're running liquor 1018 00:38:03,567 --> 00:38:04,900 in Jim Tom's name 1019 00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:08,266 means that his legend's never gonna die. 1020 00:38:08,266 --> 00:38:11,266 [Mark] In honor of the master still builder, 1021 00:38:11,266 --> 00:38:12,867 Jim Tom Hedrick... 1022 00:38:12,867 --> 00:38:15,066 [tense music playing] 1023 00:38:15,066 --> 00:38:18,000 ...this will go to the winner. 1024 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,667 It not only looks like something he would have built, 1025 00:38:20,667 --> 00:38:22,700 sounds a lot like him, too. 1026 00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:25,166 [Jim Tom] ♪ Oh, whiskey Rye whiskey ♪ 1027 00:38:25,166 --> 00:38:27,667 ♪ Please don't let me down ♪ 1028 00:38:27,667 --> 00:38:29,767 [laughter] 1029 00:38:29,767 --> 00:38:31,767 You ever been sung to by a liquor still? 1030 00:38:31,767 --> 00:38:33,800 I love that. 1031 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:36,066 [Big Chuk] Now, the trophy with Jim Tom singing in it 1032 00:38:36,066 --> 00:38:38,200 and the little mini still, that's sharp, man. 1033 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,166 And I really wanna win that thing. 1034 00:38:41,166 --> 00:38:42,367 [Digger] Well, guys, this has been 1035 00:38:42,367 --> 00:38:43,667 pretty bittersweet. 1036 00:38:43,667 --> 00:38:45,767 We're here to honor the memory of Jim Tom. 1037 00:38:45,767 --> 00:38:47,967 I think we've all done just that. 1038 00:38:47,967 --> 00:38:51,000 [Mark] Chuk, your liquor was a little hot to me... 1039 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:52,100 Yeah. 1040 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:53,767 ...and it had a lot of flavor. 1041 00:38:53,767 --> 00:38:55,000 I mean, good flavor. 1042 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,867 Jim Tom would have drank the piss out of it. 1043 00:38:57,867 --> 00:38:59,367 [laughter] 1044 00:38:59,367 --> 00:39:02,867 Big Chuk, I tasted all those malts. 1045 00:39:02,867 --> 00:39:05,000 I tasted your sorghum in there, 1046 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:06,500 and it played out well. 1047 00:39:08,700 --> 00:39:10,567 Joe, you went with the citrus. 1048 00:39:10,567 --> 00:39:13,100 It came through like gangbusters. 1049 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,667 It didn't overpower your Danko. 1050 00:39:17,667 --> 00:39:19,567 It was still there on the back end, 1051 00:39:19,567 --> 00:39:22,266 where a rye should be, to me. 1052 00:39:22,266 --> 00:39:23,567 [Digger] But it wasn't quite the rye 1053 00:39:23,567 --> 00:39:25,467 that would have been in this region 1054 00:39:25,467 --> 00:39:27,300 -that Jim Tom relied on. -Mmm-hmm. 1055 00:39:27,300 --> 00:39:28,967 But I'm telling you, for a screwdriver 1056 00:39:28,967 --> 00:39:32,066 or a Sunny All Day, it'd be its best friend. 1057 00:39:32,567 --> 00:39:34,166 Thank you, sir. 1058 00:39:34,166 --> 00:39:38,100 Kelly, I saw cinnamon sticks over there 1059 00:39:38,100 --> 00:39:39,567 and I was terrified 1060 00:39:39,567 --> 00:39:41,700 that you were making a mistake. 1061 00:39:42,667 --> 00:39:45,000 Well, it smelled like an apple pie 1062 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:46,967 and it was a very smooth flavor 1063 00:39:46,967 --> 00:39:50,000 and you stuck to the Jim Tom recipe. 1064 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,867 And that jar is mighty fine. 1065 00:39:52,867 --> 00:39:54,100 Thank you, Josh. 1066 00:39:55,867 --> 00:39:57,367 [Digger] You all did your level best 1067 00:39:57,367 --> 00:39:59,667 paying honor to one of our greats, 1068 00:39:59,667 --> 00:40:00,767 but... 1069 00:40:03,900 --> 00:40:07,467 It's my pleasure and honor 1070 00:40:07,467 --> 00:40:10,500 to name the Master Distiller winner 1071 00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,600 that gets this prize in honor of Jim Tom. 1072 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:15,367 And that person is... 1073 00:40:15,367 --> 00:40:18,467 [tense music playing] 1074 00:40:22,166 --> 00:40:24,467 Kelly, you win it again, my friend. 1075 00:40:24,467 --> 00:40:25,600 Whoo! 1076 00:40:26,100 --> 00:40:27,100 Good job, big dog. 1077 00:40:27,100 --> 00:40:29,567 -Thank you, guys. -Yes, sir. 1078 00:40:29,567 --> 00:40:31,166 I have no doubt it wasn't easy, 1079 00:40:31,166 --> 00:40:32,900 because I have tasted both of those. 1080 00:40:32,900 --> 00:40:36,100 And these guys did bring great, great. 1081 00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:37,500 Well, I didn't win this one. 1082 00:40:37,500 --> 00:40:39,100 But, hey, I think Jim Tom 1083 00:40:39,100 --> 00:40:40,800 would have liked me as a person. 1084 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:41,867 And most importantly, 1085 00:40:41,867 --> 00:40:43,300 I think he'd have liked my liquor, man. 1086 00:40:43,300 --> 00:40:45,767 Men, you got nothing to be ashamed of. 1087 00:40:45,767 --> 00:40:47,467 Y'all winners in my book. 1088 00:40:47,467 --> 00:40:48,667 Looking down at my jar, 1089 00:40:48,667 --> 00:40:50,500 I really think that this is something 1090 00:40:50,500 --> 00:40:52,867 that Jim Tom would have definitely dug into. 1091 00:40:52,867 --> 00:40:54,767 I'll pay it forward to make sure 1092 00:40:54,767 --> 00:40:56,500 that I keep that heritage alive 1093 00:40:56,500 --> 00:40:58,467 and keep Jim Tom's memory alive. 1094 00:40:58,467 --> 00:41:01,567 You kept it simple, like Jim Tom did. 1095 00:41:01,567 --> 00:41:03,767 And Jim Tom would have said, "Keep it simple now. 1096 00:41:03,767 --> 00:41:05,300 Don't make it too complicated, 1097 00:41:05,300 --> 00:41:07,266 and we're gonna drink a whole jar." 1098 00:41:07,266 --> 00:41:09,767 -[laughter] -My time with Jim Tom 1099 00:41:09,767 --> 00:41:11,066 helped me to understand 1100 00:41:11,066 --> 00:41:12,567 that there's a history 1101 00:41:12,567 --> 00:41:14,266 to this liquor-making business. 1102 00:41:14,266 --> 00:41:15,967 And if we stay true to that, 1103 00:41:15,967 --> 00:41:17,867 there will be a future to it as well. 1104 00:41:17,867 --> 00:41:19,900 And you guys chase on out of here 1105 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:22,100 and enjoy those drinks together. 1106 00:41:22,567 --> 00:41:23,333 Thank you, guys. 1107 00:41:23,333 --> 00:41:24,567 Let's go have a cocktail, guys. 1108 00:41:24,567 --> 00:41:25,667 [Joe] Yeah, let's go get a drink. 1109 00:41:25,667 --> 00:41:26,767 [Big Chuk] I'm going to drink yours 1110 00:41:26,767 --> 00:41:27,867 since it's so damn good. 1111 00:41:27,867 --> 00:41:30,300 [laughter]