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00:01Welcome to Master of Seller.
00:03Today, we're going to be making a Civil War era shine
00:06that was almost lost in time,
00:08Jimmy Redd corn.
00:10We've had a lot of competitions over the years,
00:13but you've never seen anything like this.
00:17America loves its corn,
00:19but nothing tastes like Jimmy Redd.
00:22If it has that robust, nutty, earthy flavor,
00:27we know we're tasting the Jimmy Redd corn.
00:30Three outlaw shiners take on one of America's rarest breeds.
00:35You ain't taking all my grains already.
00:36I'm not taking all you. I left you plenty.
00:38Born of the ashes of the Civil War.
00:40It's that red and that Jimmy Redd.
00:42Look at that. Look at that.
00:43And almost lost to history.
00:45It's really important to bring something like this back.
00:48Don't screw it up.
00:49They'll compete to capture its unparalleled flavor.
00:53It's like a butter biscuit with a lot of butter on it.
00:55In their own whiskey recipe.
00:57Wow.
00:58It is Jimmy Redd all the way.
01:14Hey, guys, I'm Tim Jones, international spirits judge.
01:18In the industry, there's not a lot of Jimmy Redd corn on the shelf.
01:22It's a really important part of American moonshine history.
01:27As the ravages of the Civil War and Reconstruction limited access to raw ingredients across the South,
01:35moonshiners from St. James Island, South Carolina,
01:38began cultivating and distilling an unusual strain of magenta-hued, peanutty-flavored corn
01:44believed to originate from Appalachia.
01:47Jimmy Redd moonshine proliferated across the Lowcountry until 1920 when National Prohibition turned distillers to cheaper industrial varieties of corn
01:59to meet the boom in moonshine demand.
02:02By the time the last bootlegger to grow it passed away, only two cobs of Jimmy Redd corn survived.
02:09But thankfully, the seeds were saved.
02:12That corn was pretty much saved from extinction by farmers and distillers.
02:18So it is an American comeback story.
02:22I had actually never heard of Jimmy Redd corn.
02:26I have heard of Jimmy Redd, but I never worked with it.
02:30Only one time before I'd worked with Jimmy Redd corn, I had plenty of difficulties and probably the worst thing
02:35I've ever made.
02:37Tim and I have had the pleasure of making a Jimmy Redd moonshine just like they did back in the
02:431800s.
02:45We've got to find out about this Jimmy Redd moonshine.
02:48I ain't never heard of Jimmy Redd corn.
02:52I've never seen a corn have so much oil as this.
02:56It just adds a real good viscosity to the whiskey.
03:00A quarter century ago, only bootleggers had it.
03:03It got a little seed from everybody and started growing it.
03:05Now it's growing exponentially because the hooch is so good.
03:10We'll put it in there, sir.
03:11All right.
03:12Now, there you go.
03:14So y'all want to create 1900 and earlier style moonshine?
03:18You got to hand crank it.
03:21Yeah.
03:22Got a whole bucket full there.
03:25Today's the day for us to run this Jimmy Redd moonshine.
03:28I think we got some drops coming out.
03:29Look at it.
03:30Just like it was made during the Civil War.
03:33That is good right there.
03:35It's more corn flavoring than any other liquor I have ever tasted.
03:39I'll have to say this is one of the rarest corns I've ever used.
03:42Please be careful and don't outshine this corn.
03:46Now, first off, all y'all are going to create your own Jimmy Redd corn mash.
03:52Then we're going to test that mash to see what your alcohol by volume is.
03:57Now, the winner of that will get first pick at their stills to run their signature run of liquor.
04:03The winner of this competition not only will get bragging rights, but you'll get your own limited run of Jimmy
04:10Redd corn spirit at two trees to sell in company.
04:14But right now, we want you to get a taste of how it was to prepare their corn back in
04:19the 1800s.
04:22Behind you, you will see three hand-cranked grain mills.
04:29You got a mason jar sitting on your box behind you.
04:31Your task is to get that jar full.
04:35You cannot light your fires or start heating any water until you have ground all of your corn.
04:42You can use other grains.
04:46But don't screw it up.
04:49Jimmy Redd corn has a great mouthfeel, big nutty flavor, and I want to make sure I still taste the
04:55Jimmy Redd corn.
04:58All right, you got one out. Time starts now.
05:06Being able to work with a heritage corn like Jimmy Redd, it's an honor, really, and a privilege.
05:11Now, Daniel, he's pretty fast now.
05:13But it makes me extremely nervous for this competition.
05:16That is not easy.
05:18This is a workout.
05:19My name is Daniel Stevens. I'm 47 years old. I'm from Bennett, North Carolina.
05:22Hey, baby.
05:23I have a 150-acre farm where we commercially raise chickens and cattle.
05:28These are my chickens. Got 140,000 of these.
05:31I'm a farmer, but I'm also a moonshiner.
05:34I've been distilling for 10 years.
05:36I usually run on my 20-gallon copper pot still.
05:38I'm a self-taught distiller. I learned it all on my own.
05:41I didn't want to ask questions because I didn't want nobody knowing what I did.
05:45My family history mostly is bootlegging and drinking it.
05:48I was the first one in my family to actually start distilling.
05:52I'm competing to get my name out there and expand my platform so I can teach the younger generation how
05:59to distill so we don't lose this.
06:04Right now, Julia is losing more than she's captured.
06:07Yeah, she's got it going all over the place.
06:09I'm Julia Register. I'm 48, and I'm from Hickory, North Carolina.
06:15I'm a former worship administrator at a church, and I am a musician.
06:20I love singing, and I love hanging out with my family and my friends.
06:25But my secret passion is moonshining.
06:27I built this brew room. That's what we call it.
06:31I've just pitched the yeast in here, which is a corn mash.
06:34My husband and I have brewed beer for 12 years and messing around with different mash bills for my beer.
06:42That next step is just take that beer and don't put hops in it and distill it.
06:48This was actually a Cavsab wine that I distilled and then rapid-aged it to make it kind of a
06:55cognac style, and it's really good.
06:57I'm excited to work with Jimmy Redcorn.
06:59I think it's very important to maintain heritage ingredients just because we need to preserve that legacy.
07:06Anthony said, he gave me everything up.
07:08He's going to tear that handle, pull him off, I think.
07:10My name is Anthony Dion Jefferson, and I'm from Henderson, North Carolina.
07:15I've been distilling a little bit over 10 years, self-taught.
07:19This is the poor man's pappy's bandwinkle.
07:22It's at 125 proof, barrel ready, ready to go.
07:26After running liquor for a couple of years, I've come to find out that my grandparents were bootleggers.
07:33What I love about distilling is the science, the knowledge that you have to know.
07:39This is a peach brandy.
07:40It started out clear.
07:41If you had smell vision, it smelled so damn good.
07:45It would mean the world to me to be the next master distiller, to open up doors that have not
07:50been opened ever in my family.
07:52So I think this will give me the opportunity to do so.
07:56Five minutes in, you've got 55 to go.
08:02There we go.
08:03Daniel has got a jar already.
08:04All right, Daniel, go to work.
08:05All right, you can go to work.
08:07All right.
08:08There you go, Anthony.
08:09There you go, Anthony.
08:10All right, Julia has a full jar.
08:13All right, Julia.
08:14Go to work.
08:17Daniel's got his lid.
08:18Daniel's got his lid.
08:19Anthony's lighting.
08:25They were all given the same amount of Jimmy Redd.
08:2725 pounds.
08:2825 pounds.
08:29Yeah.
08:31Now, wait a minute.
08:32He's putting his grain in already.
08:33He just put the water in, putting the grain in.
08:37You don't want to put that grain in that water.
08:39You use that pot to just heat your water, and you use that barrel to mash in.
08:44That's right.
08:44You can't scorch nothing that way.
08:47Anthony.
08:49We noticed you're the only one that started with water and grain.
08:53Normally, I'll let my water warm up.
08:55But in this case, we only have an hour.
08:57I'm actually doing my process a little bit different than my other competitors,
09:00because I'm staying on the fire and I'm cooking it.
09:02Just making sure it don't scorch.
09:04Julia?
09:05Yep.
09:05You making some decisions already?
09:06I am making decisions already.
09:10I ended up picking some of the Southern Select and the Base Camp,
09:13which are both two-row barleys.
09:14And also, I used Crystal Malt, because I know that's got a nice honey flavor to it,
09:19and I wanted to bring out that sweetness.
09:22Taking all my grains already.
09:23I'm not taking all you.
09:24I left you plenty.
09:26I go up to the grain bin, and I pick up Hickory King white corn,
09:29Cumberland corn, and Crystal Malt,
09:31because I thought with the Jimmy Redd that it would give it sweeter notes on the front,
09:35middle, and back.
09:36And the barley would help get fermented in five days.
09:40Little goes a long way.
09:43Bloody Butcher.
09:45I choose Bloody Butcher, Crystal, Southern Select, and Base Camp.
09:52I was looking for the Crystal to come through with a sweet flavor profile
09:56to add towards the Bloody Butcher.
09:58I hope they complement the Jimmy Redd corn.
10:00Not one person did 100% Jimmy Redd.
10:03They're complementing it with other grains.
10:06That can get the Jimmy Redd corn, the base that we're working with, confused.
10:10You know, if you start getting something else.
10:13I want to make sure I still taste the Jimmy Redd corn.
10:16All right, guys, you got five minutes left.
10:20Four past, four past.
10:21Jimmy Redd has more oils in it, which I was a little bit nervous about.
10:27Ooh, not sure my mash will give me the alcohol and the flavor that I wanted out of it.
10:35I'm hoping that I get a good conversion, plenty of alcohol, and a new flavor that nobody's tried before.
10:43When I dumped my pot into the bucket, I was kind of nervous about scorch.
10:49Ooh, I look good.
10:51Walking away from my mash-in, I really hope that it sets in within the next five days.
10:57Everybody's done.
10:57Everybody's in.
11:01We done?
11:02We done.
11:02Man, y'all did a whole lot in one hour, I'll tell you that.
11:05We'll give you a mash five days to work off.
11:08Head on out, then.
11:21It's been five days since you mashed in your Jimmy Redd corn.
11:25Today, we're going to measure your alcohol by volume.
11:28Each one of you are going to bring us one jar of your mash from your Jimmy Redd corn.
11:34And we're going to calculate who got the most alcohol out of your mash.
11:38That'll determine the order that you get to pick your steels for your first run.
11:43All right, guys, you're going to have two minutes to bring us a jar of mash out of your burrow.
11:48Time starts now.
11:55When I opened the lid on my mash, I saw the color, and I knew that it had done what
12:00I wanted it to do.
12:01I'm very happy with how it turned out.
12:06I know my mash could have worked off a couple more days, but I'm ready to give it a chance
12:11and see what it'd do.
12:14All right, one minute in.
12:16You got one minute left.
12:19Daniel ain't messing around.
12:20Wow, it's almost like a grapefruit juice.
12:22Coming back after five days, I thought the mash would be really pink, but it was a little more white
12:26pink, which made me interested in what flavor would come out of that.
12:30Julia's is different.
12:32Look at hers.
12:33There's that red in that Jimmy Redd corn.
12:34Look at that.
12:35Look at that.
12:37All right, guys, you got 10 seconds.
12:40Make sure you got your name on your jar.
12:44Five, four, three, two, one.
12:51I'm standing.
12:52Three different colors of mash.
12:53Very different.
12:53Three different things going on here.
12:55Very different.
12:56All right, guys, we're going to do a alcohol by volume calculation on it.
13:00We're going to find out how much of your sugars has converted over to alcohol and rank you one, two,
13:05three.
13:06It says start with Daniel.
13:10Somewhere around there.
13:11Yeah, let's see what's going to happen here.
13:15I was thinking with my ABV, I would land somewhere around like a 7 to 8% alcohol.
13:21All right, let's see what Anthony got going on here.
13:27I can smell it.
13:28The pick of the steel will determine this competition.
13:32And just a couple of steels that I got my eyes on.
13:35Let's see what Julia's got.
13:41Hmm.
13:43I'm thinking that I might be in the middle, possibly even in the bottom with my ABV, but I think
13:49my flavors are going to be great.
13:51All right, guys, we did some calculations here.
13:53And then, Anthony, you came in third with 6.0.
13:59But we have a problem.
14:03We have a time between first place.
14:07Daniel, you got 8.29.
14:10And then, Julia, you have an 8.29.
14:14The best way to solve a dispute like this is an old-fashioned cornflip.
14:19Julia, do you want to call it?
14:21Sure.
14:22All right.
14:24Heads.
14:27It's heads.
14:28It's heads.
14:28Hey.
14:29All right.
14:30Let's go.
14:31So, Julia, you win the corn toss.
14:35Julia, no two steels are alike.
14:38The first steel pot with a thumper, it's great for upping your proof and your flavor.
14:43Now, second, we have a classic steel pot with a condenser.
14:47Lastly, we have a pot steel with a diamond cap condenser and parrot attachment.
14:53Which one you pick?
14:55I want the one with a thumper.
14:57The one with a thumper.
14:58Old-fashioned.
14:59All right.
15:00Daniel, which one you pick?
15:01I take the straight pot steel.
15:03Straight pot steel with a condenser.
15:05No thumper.
15:06All right.
15:06Anthony, which one you going to pick?
15:07I'm going to take the one with the parrot.
15:09I'm trying to bring up my alcohol volume, so that will help.
15:13All right, guys.
15:15You've selected your steels.
15:16We got four hours to make this Jimmy Red corn.
15:20But, unfortunately, only two of you is going to move on to the next challenge.
15:25Jimmy Red corn, it's got an amazing history.
15:27It's really important to bring something like this back.
15:29We're also looking for that big nutty flavor, great mouthfeel in that jar.
15:33So I'm really excited to see what the outcome is.
15:38Time starts now.
15:43That's still bigger, then.
15:52Well, Anthony ain't playing around.
15:54He got fire going.
15:55I'm starting my process a little bit different than the competitors.
15:58It takes about three hours from a steel to run a parrot.
16:02So I'm really pressed for time.
16:06So, Julia, in the beginning, we talked about how important it is to showcase Jimmy Red.
16:11How are you going to do that?
16:14I saved some Jimmy Red that was not in the mash.
16:17It's just straight Jimmy Red.
16:19I'm going to put it in there with some of my mash to get even more of that good corn
16:23flavor.
16:24I'm putting Jimmy Red, raw cracked corn, the stuff that I made from the cracking challenge at the very beginning
16:31in my thumper,
16:32along with some of my mash in there to get extra flavor.
16:36So she's going to get a big second kick of that Jimmy Red corn.
16:40Mm-hmm.
16:42Boy, this is going to be tough.
16:48Oh, yeah.
16:49Well, it looks like everybody has got fire under their pots.
16:52How much of y'all's mash did you put in?
16:55About 15, 16.
16:56I put about 15 gallons of mash into my pot because I don't want to overflow the pot,
17:01and I think that will still give me plenty of alcohol.
17:04Two hours in, two hours to go.
17:07Man, come on, bro.
17:08Come on.
17:09I need mine to come on out.
17:11Oh, look.
17:12We got alcohol.
17:13We got a drip.
17:16So that stuff tastes great.
17:18Oh, oh.
17:20Got your liquor going?
17:21I got liquor.
17:23I just hope mine don't be too far behind.
17:27The other contenders that they run are starting before mine, so I'm actually getting nervous.
17:32Come on up here.
17:34That's the only thing I didn't like about that one is the time it takes to do it.
17:38Because it has so much reflux before it gets started?
17:39It has so much reflux.
17:40Better get your ABV up.
17:41If you ain't on a four-hour time limit, it's awesome.
17:44Yeah, come on, baby.
17:46Let's make some liquor.
17:49I'm already getting the mouthfeel that I wanted to get.
17:52It's coating my mouth more than other corn mashes will do, and so very excited on how
17:57it's turning out.
18:00Not as much Jimmy Redd as I would hope in the first few jars.
18:04And getting into the hearts, I was really concerned, because the flavor wasn't coming through like
18:07I liked it.
18:10You ain't the only one who got drip.
18:12Woo-hoo!
18:13We got drip.
18:14Let's go.
18:15My run starts, but I'm pretty nervous about my flavors coming through.
18:20I'm really pressed for time.
18:22I'm in tails.
18:23Just taste it a little bit, and you're going to get a lot of sweet notes in it.
18:26I've been tasting the sweet, yeah.
18:28I took a couple of my favorite jars from the middle of the run.
18:31I put just a little bit of the nice, clear, sweet part of the tails to give it more flavor.
18:37And then I ended up having to put a little water in it, because it was still too hot.
18:41Last little sploosh.
18:43But now I have a perfect jar at 90 Proof.
18:45Yeah, we're done in five minutes.
18:47You can put the name on the lid, screw it on the top.
18:51All right, first jar.
18:53There you go.
18:53Best jar I've ever made of Jimmy Redcorn.
18:55It's clean, it's clear, and I hope the judges will love it as much as I do.
19:00How you looking over there, brother?
19:01I'm looking good.
19:02How you looking?
19:02I'm looking great.
19:04Yes, sir.
19:06During the run, I actually got a 90 Proof jar, which helped a lot.
19:09It brought the 130 Proof jars down to help blend them.
19:13That's it.
19:15Daniel's coming in.
19:17Best I can do, fellas.
19:18The flavor was there, so I thought it was a perfect jar to turn in.
19:22Anthony, you need to start tightening up over there.
19:24Yes, sir.
19:25You got two minutes left.
19:27The crystal was coming through with a sweeter note.
19:30Kind of enhanced the bloody butcher.
19:33But the other characters were fighting with Jimmy Red.
19:36I had to do some tweaking a little bit.
19:40Don't overthink it, Anthony.
19:41You got this.
19:43I'm really pressed for time, and, yeah, it was nerve-wracking.
19:49Anthony, you need to get that top on that jaw.
19:51Okay.
19:51Just give me one second.
19:52Okay.
19:55Got this, got this, got this, got this, got this, got this.
20:00Got this, got this, got this, got this.
20:03Anthony might run out of time.
20:05I was looking for my Jimmy Red corn to come through.
20:08I don't know what's going on over there.
20:09I had to do some, some tweaking a little bit.
20:12You want a nice, clean jaw, but don't take the flavor out now.
20:15No, sir.
20:15I did use a lot of my tails, and the Jimmy Red came through more prominent than any other grain
20:21that I had in there.
20:23Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five.
20:29Yes, sir.
20:34We're going to go and do some tasting ourselves, and we'll be back with our verdict.
20:43This is a Jimmy Red corn challenge.
20:45They had to have 51% Jimmy Red corn.
20:48If it has that robust, nutty, earthy flavor, we know we're tasting the Jimmy Red corn.
20:55Let's try Daniel.
20:58Yeah, I would say that's a nice, pretty jaw.
21:00Mm-hmm.
21:01I mean, really, look at that.
21:02It's really...
21:05Yeah, and I would say it's high-prepared.
21:08With the Jimmy Red, mine could have used just a little bit more of it.
21:11It was right there.
21:17It's got that sweet, buttery finish, just like Jimmy Red should have.
21:23It's like a butter biscuit with a lot of butter on it.
21:27I'm not pulling out the earthy notes, I think, is normally there with Jimmy Red, but everything else is there.
21:35It's almost perfect.
21:36Let's see what we got here.
21:42And that tastes like Jimmy Red to me, too.
21:44But it may have been wise to have left that Hickory King out, because Jimmy Red, it's such a bold
21:49flavor.
21:50Yeah.
21:50You really want it to stand out.
21:52I think if it was proofed down just a little bit, maybe that Jimmy Red or some of those flavor
21:57profiles would have stood out a little bit more.
22:00Let's look at anything.
22:01It is not clear, clear, but I got proof.
22:05It's going away pretty fast, so...
22:09Just getting it to run, it took me a very long time.
22:12You guys were already running.
22:13Just hope that the liquor speaks for itself.
22:15I don't know what that is, but it's got Jimmy Red, but there's something else there.
22:20He's got different kinds of barley in here.
22:23That could compete with the Jimmy Red.
22:25It tastes really good, but I think he's got too much going on in that jar.
22:32There is a distinct flavor profile on this.
22:35Yeah.
22:36And it is very earthy.
22:37It is very funky.
22:40You know, I'm with Tim.
22:42I think his mash got too busy.
22:46Julia, that's a very clean job.
22:48Very clean.
22:49They brought it.
22:51Yeah.
22:51Yeah.
22:52I don't think about it at a time.
22:54I was afraid of overdoing it.
22:55Yeah.
22:55So I didn't put a ton in there.
22:57But 120 proof tasted like 40 proof.
23:00Exactly.
23:00I mean, it really did.
23:01I think we've all been challenged here today.
23:03It's a little bit lighter than the other guys.
23:06Mm-hmm.
23:07Now, definitely Jimmy Red.
23:14Now, hers has got alcohol all the way through.
23:16Mm-hmm.
23:17It's a little bit on the front and all the way to the end.
23:19I think she's using more Jimmy Red corn than the rest of them.
23:22Yeah.
23:23Well, you know, she added Jimmy Red grain to the doubler.
23:25To the doubler.
23:26She sure did.
23:26Yeah.
23:27She did.
23:27Raw grain.
23:28She did.
23:28Not cooked mash.
23:30I'm curious if that's where some of the spice is coming from, too.
23:33Yeah.
23:34You're going to see.
23:34That's some spice in there, even though it's still in the 90 proof range.
23:39See, I love it.
23:40I think this is Jimmy Red forward, even on the nose.
23:43Yeah.
23:44Yeah.
23:47I enjoy that one.
23:50We've got a competition.
23:51It's a much stronger Jimmy Red, more forward, I think.
23:55You know, there's a fine line between proof and flavor, and I think she hit that mark.
23:59Jimmy Red corn is there on all three jars.
24:02There's just one that fell a little short.
24:05All right.
24:05Let's go.
24:06All right.
24:19We had three really good jars.
24:22Unfortunately, this is a competition, and it was not an easy decision to make.
24:28Two of you is going to move ahead to the next challenge.
24:31One of you will be going home today.
24:34Julie, I was intrigued by your mash, and I was excited to taste your distillate.
24:41On the nose, it was Jimmy Red forward.
24:44We could smell it.
24:45And on the taste, I could taste it.
24:47But it was still a little crowded.
24:49But you did get the mouthfeel we're looking for.
24:52Julia, we've seen people put all kinds of stuff in their thumper, but you put grain in it.
24:58That was something different.
25:00And it did add to the flavor.
25:01I think it added a little spicy note to it.
25:04Really good.
25:06Anthony, Jimmy Red corn.
25:09It's there on the nose, and it's there on the flavor palette.
25:13You brought a whole lot of extra grains to the table today.
25:17Fold and move.
25:18And so when you bring multiple ingredients together, it's hard to balance out.
25:22I always like to say this much over just enough is too much.
25:26On the nose, for me, it was there.
25:29There was Jimmy Red right there.
25:31But it wasn't mingling.
25:33It wasn't playing well with the other grains.
25:36So the balance was probably a little off.
25:38Overall, though, really nice char.
25:41Daniel, you created some high-proof stuff.
25:45But you have a good mouthfeel.
25:48That Jimmy Red really overpowers.
25:50It always has that buttery taste, and that's what you want.
25:55Daniel, you told us you was going to deliver a high-proof jar.
25:58You said you sell alcohol, not flavor.
26:00Yeah.
26:01But yet it still had plenty of Jimmy Red corn in there.
26:05Good job.
26:06All three of you, great job.
26:09And it was very difficult for us to make a decision
26:13because all three of you are great distillers.
26:16All three of you brought us a good product.
26:18Unfortunately, one of you will have to go home today,
26:22and the other two will move forward in the next challenge.
26:31Anthony, that jar there brought you a ticket home.
26:35It's quite all right.
26:37I was expecting what I heard.
26:39My spirits were very complex,
26:41and I believe that's really what hurt me a little bit.
26:44And good job, and good to meet you.
26:46Even though I'm going home,
26:47I'm still taking home a jar where I can be able to work on that recipe.
26:51You haven't seen the last of me.
26:55All right, guys, we're going to take this Jimmy Red corn
26:58and turn it into a whiskey.
27:01But now you're going to have the opportunity
27:02to really bring out that Jimmy Red flavor and another run.
27:06But at the end of the four hours, you're going to have to age it.
27:10You will be running on identical pot stills with a thumper.
27:17This round is to really showcase all your decision-making
27:20with your distillate and mash and what chips you choose.
27:25Now, we have got 18 different wood chips over there.
27:29You can use your previous run.
27:31You can use your mash.
27:33Whatever you want to experiment with.
27:34But within four hours,
27:36we need a jar on the table with the chips in it.
27:38And we're going to let them rest overnight.
27:41We really want to see this Jimmy Red showcased.
27:46All right, four-hour stores now.
27:50Not turning back now.
27:52I go up to the chips, and I grab the Ambarana for sure
27:55because I have had that before.
27:57It gives a nice, sweet note.
28:00I hope you're remembering what you're getting.
28:02Yeah, that's why I'm putting them in different spots.
28:05Okay.
28:05All right, Daniel.
28:09I'm like a kid at a candy store.
28:10I'm grabbing anything I can.
28:12Even though if I ain't going to use it,
28:13I want to try it a little bit.
28:14I'm just going to try them in different jars
28:16to see which one works best for me.
28:21This is the first time that we've given them chips during the run.
28:24It's going to come down to who makes the right choice on these wood chips.
28:28If they don't have the right combination of these chips,
28:34we're going to lose Jimmy Red.
28:40They're going to take this Jim Reed,
28:42they're going to clean it up,
28:43and they're going to put it on chips.
28:50We've got both pots lit.
28:53For this run, I put about five gallons of original mash in,
28:57some spent Jimmy Red grains,
28:58and I put almost all the alcohol from the first run in.
29:02My strategy is to clean it up, bring a little more Jimmy Red flavor.
29:06Just get a better profile.
29:09It's breaking down there.
29:11Can you put this a little in the corn?
29:12It's got this a little in Jimmy Red.
29:15Daniel, what you putting in your thumper?
29:17I'm putting some grains I didn't use in the mash,
29:20and then I'm a little bit of the old mash, too.
29:22Yeah.
29:23Try to put a little cooked corn in it.
29:24Maybe it'll, Jimmy Red will bring that flavor over.
29:27For this run, I've got a thumper,
29:28and I really think it's going to help bring Jimmy Red forward.
29:31I've charged thumpers before,
29:33but this is the first time I've ever used raw grains in a thumper.
29:36That should carry over great.
29:38You see they're not putting that much in the steel,
29:40because they don't have that much neither.
29:44Went ahead and filled my pot
29:45with all the rest of the liquor that came off the previous run,
29:48along with some mash that I had already strained off and reserved,
29:52and just a little bit of water
29:53so that it wasn't totally overtaken with alcohol.
29:57Julia's got some distillate going over into her doubler.
30:00All right.
30:02My thumper, I poured my perfect jar of tails,
30:05because that also brings more flavor.
30:07Then I poured mash from the barrel that had grain in it,
30:10because I wanted to get more grain flavor.
30:12I kept my one good jar that I had turned in last time.
30:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:17And my plan is to get that one started aging now.
30:21Yeah.
30:21While the rest of this is running.
30:23She's taking a risk of putting chips in her jar already.
30:27Oh, I'm running.
30:29Nice!
30:29Woo-hoo!
30:30I got liquor!
30:34Liking it?
30:35A lot more from the Jimmy Redd on the front.
30:39Well, the first couple jars had me worried.
30:41They weren't tasting like I thought they should.
30:43They were sweet.
30:44They were a little hot.
30:45They were high-proof.
30:46But then it started calming down, and the jars got better each one.
30:50I tried several different chip combinations and char combinations on each jar.
30:54Just see what each one does tomorrow for a final blend and a final jar.
31:02How you doing, Julia?
31:04Doing pretty good.
31:05Well, it looked like a clean, clear jar there.
31:07Yeah.
31:08What's going on in your run here?
31:10I've already got some blends started.
31:13All right.
31:13I've got some of my really good hearts jars, and that's where I'm going to mix my different
31:18chips in to get the different flavors that I want.
31:23That's all the damage I can do.
31:26All in all, I think it was a good blend.
31:28I did the best I could with what I had, and just hope for the best.
31:36All right, guys.
31:37It looks like you're all done.
31:39I think you can head on out.
31:41Tomorrow we'll come back, get that one perfect jar.
32:03Up until this point, you've been making this Jimmy Redcorn shine, and today we're going
32:08to get the taste of Jimmy Redcorn whiskey.
32:11The Jimmy Red category is small, so if you bring us something that's complex but still highlights
32:17Jimmy Redcorn, it's a great opportunity.
32:21Now, the last challenge, you'll have 30 minutes to strain and clean your jar, present it back
32:27to us as a whiskey, and we'll do some tasting.
32:30The winner of this competition, we're going to name the next Master of Steel.
32:34You'll have 30 minutes, and the time starts now.
32:42Well, looks like they had a plan.
32:49Now, I see some jars really, really dark, and that could be really, really good.
32:54It could be really, really not so good.
32:57She's going to filter each one of the jars and separate that wood.
33:02My strategy for the final blend, I want to make sure that I get everything filtered first.
33:08Then I'll start blending together what I think tastes best.
33:12How'd the amberrana come out?
33:14Good.
33:15Good.
33:15Good.
33:16I just tasted this.
33:16I tasted it yesterday.
33:17I'd like to have a jar of it just by itself.
33:18Oh, my gosh.
33:19It's amazing.
33:20Amberrana has a little nutty quality to it.
33:23It's almost like toasted almonds or something.
33:26Daniel, how are you doing?
33:27It actually had more color than I thought it was going to have.
33:29Mine, too.
33:30A lot more.
33:31Mine, too.
33:31So I guess it's time to taste a little and see how it tastes.
33:34Jimmy Red is traditional Carolinas, so I just want to stay traditional American with it.
33:39Daniel went with more traditional woods with lighter toast.
33:42And we know, it's proven that that does work with Jimmy Red corn.
33:45Yeah.
33:47I used a French-American light toasted and American medium toast.
33:52Hopefully, I can do Jimmy Red justice.
33:55All right, guys.
33:56You got 13 minutes left.
33:59When I started blending, I used a good bit of the Amberrana, actually, because it turned
34:05out softer than I expected it to.
34:07In another jar, I had a pecan.
34:10And then I had heavy toast, mainly for that oak flavor and the color.
34:15And then I had a blend of the vanilla oak and Amberrana.
34:20Julia, are you happy with the jar that you blended?
34:23I am.
34:24I feel like it really brings out the sweetness of the corn.
34:27I hope y'all getting close.
34:28You got two minutes.
34:31All right.
34:34I'm good.
34:35I was so nervous, but at the same time, so relieved that I was done.
34:38I am very happy with my jar.
34:40Tastes amazing, and I can't wait to see what they say.
34:44Best jar of Jimmy Red I've ever made.
34:46Yeah, Julia.
34:49All right, Daniel.
34:50You're down to 20 seconds over here, buddy.
34:52If I had more time, I would have blended a little differently, maybe, to please the judges.
34:56But I was trying to balance the flavor and the alcohol content.
35:01Five, four, three, two, and that was Daniel.
35:07Outstanding, Daniel.
35:08You made it.
35:08All right.
35:09Head on back to your station.
35:10Good luck to the both of you, and I'm really excited to try both these jars.
35:23We all know that most of the corn that's used for distillations spread or grown for alcohol.
35:29Most of the yellow corn.
35:30Most of the yellow corn.
35:31There's not a ton of flavor in it.
35:32The thing that's interesting about this Jimmy Red, not only can you make alcohol out of it, but you can
35:36eat it, too.
35:37So all of this is made with Jimmy Red.
35:39Every single one.
35:40That oil, it shines through.
35:42It just, it raises the dish.
35:44You're in Charleston, so you have to have shrimp and grits.
35:46These are cornmeal pancakes with some fried chicken on top.
35:49Corn dogs.
35:50Jimmy Red sugar cookies.
35:52Your Jimmy Red cornbread.
35:54Mmm.
35:55If we can extract the same amount of flavor in this cornbread over into our alcohol, we're really going to
36:00have something.
36:01There's a great flavor to it.
36:03Most corn for distillation, you don't want to eat.
36:10Well, guys, you know, this is Jimmy Red corn.
36:13Now, their very first run, I maybe overpowered the Jimmy Red just a little bit and lost it.
36:18But with this second distillation, hopefully, they was able to bring the Jimmy Red out a little bit more pronounced.
36:27Listen, Julia, real nice dark jaw.
36:32Yeah.
36:36That's a good beat.
36:38Around 100.
36:41I'm getting a nice, nice sweet vanilla.
36:45A little cinnamon.
36:48It's spicy up front.
36:51It mellows out really good.
36:53What you smell is what you're going to taste.
36:55It's nice caramel vanilla finish.
36:58The Jimmy Red is clearly there.
37:00It did not cover it up.
37:01I would say it very much complimented it.
37:05That's a good jar.
37:06That's delicious.
37:08It's got a big graham cracker taste to it.
37:10But I think she did a good job highlighting Jimmy Red, but bringing something new to the table.
37:17Yeah.
37:17All right.
37:18Y'all made this jar sound wonderful.
37:20It is.
37:21It is good.
37:22Wow.
37:23The nose on that is great.
37:25I'm getting Jimmy Red, but all of these other sweet notes that y'all are talking about, caramel, vanilla.
37:32Marshmallow.
37:34Cinnamon.
37:34I mean, it's all there.
37:37You almost want to just drink that, y'all.
37:40Yeah, it's a dangerous jar.
37:42Wow.
37:44That is smooth.
37:46That's good.
37:47Daniel, he's calling this unfiltered, uncut.
37:50Hmm.
37:51Interesting.
37:53Okay.
37:54He was going to lower our proof down to about 100.
37:56Let's see if he did it.
37:59I'd give it a 90, right?
38:01Mm-hmm.
38:02But that's a nice gold color.
38:04It is.
38:06I expect a big Jimmy Red mouthfeel and flavor out of that jar.
38:11Let's hope it's up.
38:12I think he was really targeting her.
38:15Smooth butter finish.
38:18Really nice.
38:19It hits a lot of Jimmy Red now.
38:21On the nose, it's definitely Jimmy Red.
38:25There's nothing covering it up.
38:26Mm-hmm.
38:33It's definitely there on the flavor.
38:34It's complemented really well with the wood,
38:37but it's got that little rye spice that Jimmy Red brings to the table.
38:41Yeah.
38:42Not nearly as complex as Julia's,
38:45but I think he pretty much hit the target.
38:49That's G-O-O-D.
38:54Wow.
38:55That's almost like a buttered ear of Jimmy Red corn.
38:58I like that.
38:59And a glass.
39:00Mm-hmm.
39:01We've got a real tough decision on our hands.
39:04One's more traditional,
39:05and we've got another that's trying something new.
39:09Mm-hmm.
39:10And we have one that's really above the other.
39:13Yeah, there's one jar on this table that I could sell,
39:16and it would fly off the shelves.
39:18Let's go in and tell them which one it is.
39:20All right.
39:20How about that?
39:21All right.
39:21All right.
39:21Let's do it.
39:31All right.
39:32Guys, someone's going to go home.
39:35Someone's going to become a master distiller.
39:39You made it harder on us.
39:40Buffer, you made a perfect jar.
39:45Daniel, you stayed traditional,
39:48and your jar is a little bit light on proof,
39:51but that's where your taste profile comes in.
39:55We asked you to bring Jimmy Redcorn back and forward.
39:59You highlighted it.
40:01You didn't overpower it.
40:02You didn't overcomplicate it.
40:04And, Daniel, I think going down that traditional path,
40:06there was a risk there.
40:08I think you took the assignment, and you delivered.
40:11You not only showcased what Jimmy Redcorn is,
40:15but you showcased what Jimmy Redcorn can be.
40:20Julia, you have an exceptional palette for good spirits.
40:24The other thing is your blending skills are just as exceptional.
40:29Really good job on that.
40:31Your blending skills and your aging skills,
40:35you showcased them extremely well today.
40:39Both of these jars are very marketable,
40:42but I can only put Jimmy Redcorn on one of them.
40:47Both of you know what you're doing.
40:49You should be proud of yourself.
40:51And, you know, it comes a time
40:52when someone has to be named Master of Stiller.
41:00And, Daniel, you're the next Master of Stiller.
41:03Congratulations.
41:04I want you.
41:05I feel happy.
41:06I'm relieved.
41:07It's an honor just to be here,
41:09and even more of an honor to win it.
41:11Julia is a tough competitor.
41:12It could have gone either way,
41:13and if we did it again tomorrow, she might win.
41:16Good job, sir.
41:17Outstanding.
41:18Next up for me is a limited run of my liquor in a store.
41:21One of the very few times
41:23I wish we could have named two Master Distillers.
41:25Yep.