I'm watching a show on one of the Discovery channels called Moonshiners. Yeah, I'm bored! Its setting is somewhere in the Appalachians. It's interesting TV, better than the stuff that's usually on. My question to anyone who lives down thataway is do people really talk that bad that you can't understand what they're saying? It's almost as bad as Pittsburghese! Pretty interesting for some dumb Northerner! Is shine very hard to make? I'm sure nobody here makes illegal liquor, but they may have friends that used to make it. I've tasted some good stuff from W VA when I worked in the steel mill. Tasted like warm water but half a cup was more than I could handle. A guy told me it had to be clear and taste like what I said. All fine till you have to get up & go answer nature's call...wet pants only if you're lucky!

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Waiting For The Sun.

The best liquor of ANY kind I have ever had was some W. Virginia rye moonshine, and that includes some very fine 25 yr. old VSOP Cognac. Very pronounced rye flavor, smooth as silk... but with the resulting kick of a large, gentle mule. It sure did make me smile!

What I can't believe is that "Moonshiners" is all as it is presented to be. Sure, it appears that they are making all kinds of hooch, including some really weird stuff that I wouldn't drink if you paid me to. Just think for a minute: Who in their right mind would be distilling 'shine and plastering their names and faces all over TV without all the proper licensing?

I have to call a very loud Bravo Sierra on this one.

I’ve seen it and it’s on par with the “Amish Mafia.” Painfully stupid. I’ve never had a root canal...

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213th FBINA

I’ve watched it a few times. Has to be pure scripted made for tv low brow entertainment.

Yes. It's like enduring a root canal without numbing chemicals! 1 1/2 episodes was the best I could take. I switched channels and fell into Garage Squad. Only one (or two) things kept me watching for about 10 minutes! Bedtime is welcomed! TV really (stinks) late night!

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Waiting For The Sun.

I've not watched Moonshiners but I may be qualified to at least partially answer your question. I live about a dozen miles east of Sevierville, Tennessee; in the heart of the country you're talking about. In fact, a friend who watches that show recently was kidding me because a famous moonshine still featured on the program was on the back side of my mountain.

Yes, some folks around here have a very strong accent. Since I was born and raised an hour north of Nashville it's probably easier for me to contend with than you folks from cooler latitudes. Please don't think the accent is proof of ignorance. I am friends with several of the old time locals around here who have ridden the economic growth in this area over the last 40 years to great wealth by investing in rental properties.

My favorite story involves a friend who has a very pronounced accent and who, years ago, had to raise her younger sister alone. She financed the girl's education by day trading. Could you do that? It always bothered me that her neighbors, outsiders who had moved into the area, constantly kidded her about her accent. I bet her IQ was at least 50 points higher than theirs. By the way, that friend is now rich too.

I have many other similar stories.

Ed

Tv is just tv, made up by some idiot that has NO clue. The moonshine Capital of the US is Franklin County, Va., look it up. Used to live just South of Franklin county and excellent shine could be had just about anywhere in the area. Revenuers and the shine guys keep each other Busy. I’ll never forget one Large bust. Guy had a heavy truck repair shop, always busy especially his cousin Septic Tank pumping trucks. Feds raided the place and found a huge shine facility under the concrete floor. 3000 gal mash tank and nice stainless distilling system. Cousin brought in his septic pumping trucks every few days to pump out the mash tanks then to one or 2 big pig farms. Pigs got stoned every few days, LOL

I haven’t seen the show, but I have tried moonshine.

I worked with a guy from Kentucky who went home to visit family on the weekends. He brought in a big mason jar of corn whisky one day and offered us some. I was reluctant to try it, but he showed us how you can tell if it’s safe. He poured a little in the lid and lit it on fire. He told us, “If the flame is blue, the whiskey’s true. If the flame is yellow, it’ll kill a fella!”

Sounded scientific enough to me, so I tried some. Holy rocket fuel! The first sip just about killed me, but the second one was nice and smooth!

After the crew sampled it, the yahoo pulled out a bottle of 7 Up and cut his 50/50. I’m sure he got a gold chuckle out of us green “Northern Boys”.

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"I also cook."

My wife has family in far southwest Virginia, I'm from the Richmond area, I have no problem understanding them. I have no problem understanding the ones on "Moonshiners". I think the scenes of them running liquor are staged and they may be doing nothing more than distilling water, but it is entertaining.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Probably some 130-ish proof stuff. I've had some that hot and it will start a fire in your throat.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I had no idea this show existed , thank you sir.
I must find the "drive by barn raising episode"

Precisely...The furthest thing from the minds of the creators of "reality" shows is reality...They are 100% scripted, staged and carefully edited...I haven't wasted a minute on network TV in ages...Life is better than that......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Many years ago I worked with a guy who was from KY. He would occasionally make trips “back down home” to buy moonshine. It was clear liquid in Ball jars and he sold it out of the trunk of his car in the parking lot at work. Supposedly very high proof. I had heard too many stories about people getting poisoned from drinking Shine so I never bought any.

Had a guy from our gun club come in one day and he was telling us about a production company that was filming a reality show called "Naked & Afraid" up at one of the gravel pits just out of town. Said they worked about 8 to 10 hours a day and they would be doing three or four episodes that month.
They would work there and then off to town, get a meal and stay in a motel. Everything was completely staged, and they did all the filming in a two acre area. I tried watching it and it was so stupid I could only take about 15 minutes of it.

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NRA Range Safety Officer

If you want rough try shine made from sugar cane. Difference between hate and wow is about one third of the bottle.

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Forum consigliere

Another all scripted reality show makeup for ratings and city folk entertainment.

I’ve been to Chuck Millers place a few times. More as a fan of Chucks whiskey vs a fan of the show but…

Tim’s electric still…

Oldest barrel on the farm…

Where it’s all made…


Tim’s “backwoods” still (it’s not backwoods like they portray on the show).

Idea for a new show: Sick of urban life in New York City, Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton quit their jobs, and with Alice and Trixie, move to Appalachia and go into the illicit distillery business. Hi-jinx ensue. "The Honeymoonshiners."

Belmont Farm Distillery, home of Climax Moonshine!
Not like they made it "back home" but pretty good.

We have directv, netflix, Hulu, Prime TV and a couple more subscriptions.

I have all this to keep the Mrs. happy and with what must be 14 million channels, there still isn't anything worth watching.

I made the mistake of asking the wife why there's a million cooking shows and who in the world watches them. That's where the fight started.

I tried a purely defensive end around and said that the only shows worth my time are the history channel, Nat geo. the military channel, and all the hunting programs on the 600 series of directv. That's where the fight really heated up.

I noticed that the secondary seemed to be snoozing so I went deep, hoping the QB could get me the ball but the best I could do was to run to the garage to pretend that something needed my attention.

After all, the wife surely wouldn't want to continue our "discussion" in the garage right? I was wrong again so I apologized, hung my head and quietly walked into the kitchen to get myself an adult beverage.

Then I noticed that on the wall hung, 70" flat screen was an episode of the real housewives of New York.

That's where the fight re-started.

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I only take a knee for God

There's apparently a lot of demand for these jughead TV shows on regular and pay channels. I suppose they're also cheap to produce.

Shine is really not that hard to make and neither is a still. You can find out how all over the internet. When my daughter taught middle school a few years ago two of her students built their own still in the woods out by their house. One thing about kids in that age group is they can't do anything without telling someone.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

In 1950, I proclaimed myself a teetotaler, because I was required to serve drunks in a hamburger shop, that served Hamburgers, 24 hours, 7 day, per week, after the beer-joints, closed,I had 'em to contend with. The occasional thimble full of wine consumed in Holy Communion, was the only alcohol I consumed, until, 2010, when I finally shared a beer with my son.

One might consider my palate, well cleansed, during those 60 years. I feel qualified to voice my opinion, of my first taste of moonshine.

A mutual friend, just outside Galax, VA, gave my wife, and I, our first taste of Moonshine. As best that I can describe it; It came in a clear glass, quart, caning jar, and was as clear as water, as smooth as silk, and for us beginners, mighty potent. a couple of sips, made us a bit tipsy.

Never, have I tasted a liquor, with a taste, or smell that pleasing, or potent. I’d love to have a supply of that superb liquor on hand. “Oh Well, Wishful thinking”.

Chubbo

I would think by now most people would realize that the term "reality television" is an oxymoron.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

My question about that show is do people in that part of the country really go around public wearing overalls with no shirt on underneath?

Tickle is entertaining, delivering shine with an RV.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Not only a shirt but no underwear either.

They have already admitted that the show is fake . It's sort of a recreation of possible scenario's etc.

TMI TMI TMI TMI!

That was brilliant and as I understand it, he has a very high IQ. Unfortunately, he also has a reputation for a very high blood-alcohol level.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA