Ole Smoky Distillery Launches New Popcorn Sutton Brand...Plus My Taste Test
Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg recently launched a new line of moonshine and bourbon whiskey that honors the legendary moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. Facing a prison sentence, he committed suicide in 2009 from carbon monoxide poisoning. He is best known as an outlaw, bootlegger, and storyteller, descended from a long line of moonshiners. It was ultimately his penchant for obtaining celebrity status that proved to be his undoing in the end, but his legend remains.
Pam Sutton, Popcorn’s widow teamed up with Ole Smoky to produce a recipe that comes close to replicating the same shine Popcorn was best known to make for others. She is quoted as saying it was what he wanted and would be proud to see it hit the market.
Ole Smoky Moonshine was the first legal distillery in Tennessee and opened their Ole Smoky Holler Gatlinburg location in 2010. Joe Baker, a local entrepreneur who also took over the Ober Gatlinburg (now Mountain) ski resort. He says it is a special step for Ole Smoky to celebrate his legacy, and is happy to work with Pam to bring it to the market.
Currently, both of the Popcorn Sutton line of “likker” and bourbon whiskey can only be found at the Ole Smoky locations in Sevier County, but eventually the limited tag will be lifted for a more accessible drink.
I hadn’t done a tasting at Ole Smoky Whiskey since the first week we were locals. That was until last week. I was intrigued by the new release, so I participated in a premium tasting which included the new Popcorn line for $10. Honestly, they were both good, but surprisingly, I thought his “likker” moonshine was better than the aged bourbon; both were 100 proof. My favorite “premium” product from them is actually their James Ownby Reserve bourbon. It’s fruity and delicious at 94 proof, retailing for around $50(?) for a 750ml bottle.
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