All language subtitles for Moonshiners.Master.Distiller.S01E02.American.Whiskey.1080p.WEB.x264-ROBOTS_untitled_track2_[eng]

Narrator: This time
on "master distiller"...

This mash bill
is made up of rye.

...American whiskey.

Bring us that mahogany gold.

Heritage grains meet
charred u.S. Oak.

We get up here
and see it in the oak, man.

The iconic american spirit
that spurred a rebellion...

I can't even
see through it.

...Whose rich distinctive flavor
still stands

as the ultimate test
of a distiller's skill.

He's putting more water
in it, man. Look.

Across the country,
a handful of amateur distillers

are heirs
to a centuries-old tradition.

Some operate on the legal side,

others practice their craft
beyond the reach of the law.

Now they'll face off to earn
their place

in america's
liquor-making legacy...

I hope he don't bring that jar
he just held up.

Narrator: ...Judged by three
legendary moonshiners,

they'll go head to head
in a series of challenges...

Going to give you a run
for your money.

I think I'm going to give him
a run for his money.

...To determine who has
what it takes...

We got to bring
our "a" game, too.

...To be named
master distiller.

Use a little evaporation,

kind of like the egyptians
used to do.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by
discovery communications

digger: Gentlemen, welcome to
our little still house here.

Y'all competing for the title
of master distiller.

Once you win that, not only
you get the bragging rights,

but you also get
your own liquor label

here at sugarlands
distilling company.

Now y'all are here
to make little whiskey.

Narrator:
Whiskey is distilled alcohol

made from fermented grain mash.

In colonial america,
where traditional ingredients

like wheat and barley
were difficult to grow

in the tough
new England soil,

colonists began
experimenting with rye,

a hardier cold climate grain,

and corn, an indigenous
north american grass.

Rye's spicy, robust taste,
along with the sweeter,

smoother flavor of corn,
revolutionized

the whiskey-making possibilities
in the new world

and gave rise to a new category
of american whiskeys.

In honor of this rich
whiskey-making history,

the first challenge features
a predominantly rye recipe

dating back to the days
of the founding fathers.

All of you have the same
still standing behind you.

We provided you
with a base mash bill.

This mash bill
is made up of rye.

The winner of this round, you
get first pick of oat flavoring

for aging their whiskey.

Men, you've got four hours
to run this liquor.

By that time we expect you
to have a jar tempered out.

The lid's got to be
on that jar

and that jar's
got to be on the table.

Your time starts...

Now.

♪

narrator:
The first run of the rye mash

will showcase the contestants'
technical skills

using the same ingredients
and equipment,

while the whiskey they distill

will also serve
as the base spirit

to demonstrate a more modern
whiskey making technique,

rapid oak aging.

Well, johnny seems to be serious
about what he's doing.

He's intent, ain't he?

Johnny:
I live on a dead end.

If you come down there,
you're looking for one of us.

If not, we turn you around and
send you back out pretty quick.

[ chuckles ]

my name is johnny...
And I'm from south alabama.

Little bit of rain
never hurt nobody.

Liquid sunshine.

I'm an illegal distiller.
I work in the backwoods.

This is a good friend of mine,
billy simms.

I had an old buddy of mine

that's done it years
and years and years

and got him teach me
a little bit about it.

Gave me a recipe,
basically put me on the mountain

making moonshine
and put me where I'm at today.

I got reputation for being
the cream of the crop,

having pretty much
the best whiskey around.

The little 10 gallon pot,
kind of old,

look raggedy-looking,
but it made a lot of liquor.

Away from people.
That's where I do my best work.

Them boys had hydrometer
refractometers.

Looked like a science
experiment.

Sometimes less is more.

Oh, this is when
you was in preschool.

I got one son and I got
a beautiful new granddaughter.

She's going to be
four months old.

Strawberry lemonade,
about a hundred proof.

Pretty much run moonshine,
babysit, and ride my motorcycle.

I see peter,
I notice over there.

He's very particular
and cleans.

Here we go.

He doesn't look like
the backwoods guy.

Well, that goes with his
profession, funeral director.

Oh, yeah, yeah.
That's pretty clean.

My name is peter cheney
and I'm from phelps, new york.

I've been distilling
for 20 years.

A lot of my goal has been
to make a very good whiskey.

I'm actually a funeral director.
I own a funeral home.

I think we ought to start it up
over here.

I've always had to be there,
so I needed something to fill

the time when I wasn't busy
and started distilling.

This rye is just spectacular.

You can just smell it
when you pick it up.

What I make at home,
I do a lot of stuff

just to kind of practice

and I'll share it
with my friends.

We go out to other distilleries
and you can try their stuff

and my friends
always look at me and say,

"yours is better,
yours is better."

digger:
Casey has got his fire going.

He's in a hurry,
like he's going to rob the bank.

That'll give plenty of time
to temper a good job.

I guess so.

The challenge is to come here
and make a whiskey,

and that's something
I do pretty well.

My name is casey flint.
I'm from southern west virginia.

I grew up in a family
hardware store.

There's me at the hardware store
as a little kid.

About 13 years old,
we started mashing in my closet.

Grew up, I went to college
and majored in biochem.

So I learned a lot about biology
and a lot about chemistry,

and that's pretty much the
fundamentals of distillation.

The thing about distillation
and mashing

is it's a living organism.

It eats sugar
and it poops alcohol.

A little bit of insulation
when it gets nice and cold.

That way you don't have
to push your temperature

so high on the pot.
The more you know about it,

the better whiskey
you can produce.

♪

and at home,
I don't use the thumper.

I actually double distill.
But here with the timeframes,

what we've got to work with,
go ahead and use the thumper

and I'll double distill
it in one round.

Narrator:
To distill whiskey,

the fermented grain mash
is heated

in order to separate the alcohol
vapor from the remaining liquid.

The vapor then travels
to the thump keg,

or doubler, moving through
another volume of liquid

for a second distillation before
making its way to the condenser,

where it's cooled
into high-proof whiskey.

All three of them
are using a doubler.

Johnny uses a beer.

He's going to strain it.
There you go.

Johnny: I use beer
in the thumper to infuse it

to give it
a little bit more flavor

rather than charge it
with water.

But I didn't put very much in it

because the mash
was real thick looking.

Peter uses water.
Casey uses water.

I like to put the water in
because I think it really keeps

the product clean
when it comes out.

I don't want it to distill
to do what they call puke

and have it like push out
some mash into my final runs.

-That will make it clean.
-Yes, it will.

Water, it'll filter it,
but it distill your liquor.

There's a lot of people say not
to use water in your thumper.

They like to throw mash in there
and tails and everything else.

But as far as other
than being a country guy,

I'm a chemistry guy, too.

Don't believe
everything you hear.

Stand by, nasa.
Getting ready to happen here.

Narrator:
Once burners are lit,

distillers have to carefully
control the heat

as the mash approaches
173 degrees,

when the alcohol vapor
is stripped from the liquid.

This window of time is crucial.

Contestants must
regulate the heat

so it's high enough
to produce alcohol,

but not so hot that it scorches

the residual
starches from the grain.

He ain't got nothing
happening here,

and he was the first one
to light up.

So I'm a little confused.

He lit up 30 minutes
before everybody else.

Things were moving along.

I was looking at my thumper
and that's when I noticed

I started having
temperature issues.

The water in the thumper
is not heating up.

That's when I realized
the water that I used

to fill my thumper
was extremely cold.

That's when I knew I had
to do something quick.

♪

he's insulating.

So my plan is to try to conserve
as much heat as I can.

I mean, obviously, moonshining
is a nice slow process,

but when you're under
a time limit,

ingenuity can do a lot for you.

♪

I'm not sure what he was trying
to make sure it don't get away

or what over here.

Where we at, casey?

We're coming, fella.
I'm insulating this still.

Trying to speed it up.

I didn't really stick my finger
in it before I put it in there.

You don't have anything
running yet, right?

Nothing running yet.

If I can get enough distillate,
I can make a good batch.

Peter: Casey got it all going
on over there.

Buddy, what did you
build a tent, man?

Yeah. I had some spare time.
I figure make a chicken coop.

Building clubhouses.

Digger: Hey, men, if y'all
wasn't already nervous enough,

I'm going to put
a little more pressure on you.

You're halfway done.

You hear that thumper
starting to thump good?

-Yeah.
-It's starting to hit.

Boy, it smells good.
Here we go.

You got it going, bud?

I'm running right about where I
want to see my stream come out.

Narrator:
As alcohol runs off the still,

distillers make cuts to separate

the dangerous compounds
found in the heads

from the most desirable liquor
in the hearts

before reaching
the lower-proof tails,

which contain the heaviest,
funkiest flavors

of the base grain

that can transform into
more complex taste profiles

in oak-aged whiskey.

I can't see my gauge.
It's all fogged up

so I'm totally running blind
and just doing it the way

I know to do it.
Old school, follow the copper.

Johnny: Jar number four.

Boys, you're over
in 20 minutes.

♪

you got liquor coming there now,
ain't ya, casey?

It's coming.

Narrator:
To complete this challenge,

the distillers must not only

deliver a crystal-clear liquor
with a spicy rye bite,

they must gauge
the alcohol content

using only
the time-honored shake test.

Johnny: Pretty much starting
to drop a little bit.

Being a little bit
more drinkable.

That's probably
about 120 or so.

Got about two more jars and
then get a little bit of tail

then I will cut it off
and take jar number two

and jar number four
and blend them together.

Johnny done broke out
the big jar of water over there.

Must be too hot.

Johnny: Maybe add just tad bit
of distilled water

and you get something
about a hundred proof,

good drinkable rye whiskey.

-That it, johnny?
-Guys, here it is.

Special delivery
from south alabama.

First to the table.

♪

-pete's getting a new jar.
-He's getting close.

Peter: I like a spicy rye,
but I didn't know that mash,

so I've charged
the thumper with water.

I cleaned it up too much.
Nervous. I'm nervous.

So we're actually
going to give this

a little bit of a whirl here.

But when we had the chance
to go back and blend,

I took my fourth jar,
which was deeper in the runs.

All that water
that was in the thumper

was now gone.

♪

that's clear.

And I blended them up a little
bit in the original jar.

That's good.

I waited
until it just tasted right.

There you go.
-Crystal clear, pete.

Yes, sir.

♪

no pressure or anything, casey,
but you're at eight minutes.

I'm getting worried because
I know

that I'm not getting
enough distillate.

Mark: He ain't got
a hundred milliliter

in neither one of them jars
over there.

I hope he don't bring that jar
he just held up.

And I know that
I'm maybe going to run short.

♪

three minutes.

It doesn't look like
I'm getting in the hearts.

It's stressing me out
over here.

I've got to get something
for these judges.

♪

narrator: Coming up...

Oh, my lord, how much chips
is in it?

Whiskey meets wood
in a 48-hour challenge

that'll send one shiner
home for good.

Tim: I think
he's only at one jar.

Kind of tastes
like damn pasta water.

Three minutes.

♪

narrator: An outlaw distiller,
a backwoods biochemist,

and an undertaker
turned undercover shiner

are using the same
heritage rye recipe

and still set up to make
a winning american whiskey

for the title
of master distiller.

I'm starting to get out
of the heads.

I got just enough
distillate in my jars

to make me a good batch.

You're at one minute.

Narrator: Competitors need to
find the right balance

of clean hearts,
flavorful tails,

and perfect proof as the
distillate from the first run

will be used in
the next challenge, oak aging.

Casey:
I almost got my proof and added
just a little bit more alcohol

and then all of a sudden
I wasn't getting bubbles

like I wanted to, so I decided
to go with some water.

Finally, I just gave it
a good swig

and actually got hit
almost right where I wanted.

Here we go. With 35 seconds
to go, casey slides in.

There's 100 on there.

We got you, brother.

♪

I got the "last minute casey."

hits you on the nose.

After that,
it ain't got anything.

That damn liquor kind of tastes
like damn pasta water did.

He didn't get two jars out of
the 20 gallons.

He's saying
it's a hundred proof.

Well, it's way off
from a hundred proof.

This is johnny boy's.

Good looking jar of liquor.
I'm telling you.

It's got that dryness taste
to it.

That's what rye is
supposed to taste like.

I think he missed his proof
a little bit.

Yeah,
he's a little low.

But everything's there. The nose
is there, the palate's there.

That's the undertaker.

I believe he overestimated it
a little bit.

It's funny how all of them
want to be a hundred

and none of them
are a hundred.

He did all right, I mean,
it's got a good nose on it.

-It looks good.
-I wouldn't be at all ashamed

to drink that right now
or aged 10 years.

Go get them boys.

Take your spots,
gentlemen.

Cool casey, your liquor
was good and stout.

It'd be
a good aging liquor,

but rye's got
that peppery, slick feeling.

Real spicy,
rye's a real spicy grain.

And we didn't find it
in this jar.

You don't have full jar
in your lot do you?

I'm a little disappointed with
what I brought to the table.

I didn't get into the hearts
like I thought I did.

I just kind of
ran short on time.

The milk might not be as sweet,
but it's there.

Don't mean you can't catch up.
You're salvageable.

That's the undertaker.

There ain't nothing right here
to be ashamed of.

You've got
the alcohol there,

but it don't have the right
finish like we wanted.

Mark:
I think casey and undertaker,

think you both charged
your thump kegs with water.

The water will steal your flavor
and your alcohol.

♪

johnny, you've got
a good flavor here.

It's smooth
on the front end.

Got that peppery bite
on the back end.

Johnny charged his with mash.

It's just a personal preference
in the world of liquor making.

So, all that being said...

Johnny, you're the number
one jar of liquor right here.

You get to go pick out your
aging chip before anybody else.

Narrator: Before the turn of
the 19th century,

all whiskey was sold clear,

but as distillers discovered
that storing liquor

in charred oak barrels
improved the flavor,

barrel aging became a signature
of american whiskey.

Rapid aging is a technique
used by backwoods shiners

to speed up the barrel-aging
process.

Instead of putting the liquor
into charred oak barrels,

they put charred oak chips
into the liquor itself.

As the liquor soaks
into the oak chips,

the caramelized sugars
in the wood imparts sweetness,

and the carbon
and the charred wood

filters out tannins
and sulfides.

The effect is similar
to barrel aging,

but the greater surface
area of the oak chips

speeds up the process,
resulting in a whiskey

with a smooth flavor
and a rich brown color

in just a matter of days.

Alright, guys, I'm going to
take you to see the oak man,

he'll fix you up
with what you need.

We get up here and see
old dwight, the oak man.

You guys get you some chips
or cubes, whatever he has.

Mark: Dwight,
he's an excellent moonshiner.

He's just a walking
encyclopedia of moonshine.

I do want to caution
you boys.

You choose wisely
because after this

next little stage
of the game,

well, now one of younz
will be going home.

Hey, dwight.
-How you doing, mark?

This is my friend, johnny.
He was the first winner.

He won the challenge.
Help him out, dwight.

I'll do it,
do everything I can.

We've got several
different kinds here.

Got the white oak,
medium charred,

and the heavy charred
oak chips.

Well, the raw whiskey I got
there,

I want to give it a smoky
oak flavor.

I think I'm
going to go with

some of the medium
toasted chips.

Narrator: Medium charred chips
strike the perfect balance

between wood flavor
and smoky charcoal.

With less medium chips
to choose from,

the remaining distillers have to
decide between two extremes --

lighter toast chips that may not
impart enough flavor

in the short amount of time,

or darker toast options that may
overpower the base whiskey.

I don't want it
to overtake the rye.

Rye is a pretty
dominant grain.

Johnny used almost
all of the medium toast.

So, I went with the...Medium,

and I also added some
of the cubes that were offered.

Casey: I'm extremely limited
in with the chips left,

but it's my only opportunity
to do anything to improve.

All right. I think I'll take
a little bit of this dark oak,

and I'll go for a little light
oak, as well.

I went with a heavy and a
combination of a light oak,

as well, and I think
that'll be hopefully enough

to save my jar.

It's time to take your liquor
and go from this --

it's crystal clear
as spring water --

to this right here
in 48 hours.

It's up to you
to get your chips

the way that they need to be
to get them to this point.

You're not held to these bottles
right here.

You can take what you got,
blend you some more,

get your best
possible profile

to put it in there
and start aging it.

Bring us
that mahogany color.

Get the job done.

-Okay.
-Go to work.

Alright, boys.
Good luck.

♪

mark:
Believe it or not, you wouldn't
think something that works

that fast can change the taste
profile of it, but it will.

Narrator: The distillers may add
any combination of chips

and cubes to the liquor

they collected
during the first run.

As long as the final mixture
is contained to one jar,

that'll be aged
for a period of 48 hours.

What'd
you get in this bag?

Went with two different types.
Try not to add too much.

The other fellows, they've got
plenty to play with.

Myself, was still in the head,
still had some acetone flavor,

and that's going to be
a tough jar to improve on.

Let's try to work some magic.

Uh-oh, look he's putting more
water in it, man. Look, look!

Casey:
I've went with a heavy and
a combination of a light oak.

Hopefully that'll provide
a little oak flavor

to overcome
those acetone flavors.

♪

tim: Johnny's one,
his looks real dark.

It's going to do
what it's going to do

once you put them in there.
Hell.

Peter:
Well, I wanted to make a char.

Give it a smoky oak flavor,
go along with the rye.

Mark: What's old undertaker
doing over here?

I think he's only
at one jar.

Oh, my lord, how much chips
is in it?

Peter: When we did our first
run, they kind of critiqued me

about putting water
in the thumper.

So, when I oaked it,
when we went back in

and we were able to blend them,
I actually use that fourth jar

because I knew
that would be a stronger rye.

Might've been touching the tails
a little bit, too, for flavor.

Just put them in,
got some flavor out of them,

hopefully got a little color.

I don't want to get too crazy
with the toast.

I just wanted to pull
a little bit out,

and we're going to let it go.

It could be terrible.
I don't know.

We're going to
find out soon enough, though.

There you go, fellows.

I can't even see
through that.

I don't know what
the other guys chose,

but as far as what I chose
I'm pretty confident with.

Thank you, casey.

Moving it around, stirring it,
shaking it.

It ain't going to change.

♪

-thank you, sir.
-Yes, sir.

Bring us the finest taste
in quick aged liquor you can do.

Narrator:
Rapid aging meets alchemy

as distillers sweat
the first elimination.

What are you doing,
casey?

I'm try to use
a little evaporation

kind of like
the egyptians used to do.

-Hmm.
-How's he getting that smell?

I have no idea.

Honestly, it would pass for
a really, really good bourbon.

♪

welcome back, boys.

Narrator:
A funeral home distiller,

a backwoods whiskey runner,

and a moonshiner
with a master's degree

are warring to see who makes
the best american whiskey

to earn the title
of master distiller.

Digger: Johnny, you've got
a good flavor here.

All up straight,
we'd drink it all day long.

After an initial run of
the house heritage rye mash,

they used a 48-hour
rapid-aging technique

to imbue charred oak flavor.

Mark: Believe it or not,
you wouldn't think

something
that works that fast

would change the taste profile
of it, but it will.

I'd like for you
to meet tim jones.

Nice to meet you guys.

Tim is a whiskey expert
in the big state of kentucky,

and we know what comes
out of kentucky.

Narrator: Kentucky is
the birthplace of bourbon

and home to over 70
whiskey distilleries,

and native son tim jones works

with some of the biggest
names in the business.

He knows everything about making
and marketing

a top-shelf whiskey.

You've had your 48 hours.

It's time
to take your liquor,

finish it
however you see fit.

Bring us the finest taste
in quick-aged liquor you can do.

Downside is one of you are
going home after this round.

Digger: Your time...

Starts...Now.

♪

narrator: The distillers may
temper the oak-infused spirit

using the remaining liquor
from their first run

to present a final blend
that most closely resembles

the flavor profiles
of a barrel-aged whiskey.

♪

yeah, I'm interested in
a new york guy

making some rye whiskey.

Peter: When I first turned it in
when we oaked it,

I know that tim smith had picked
it up and he said...

Tim:
I can't even see through that.

That right from the get-go
had me nervous,

but if I can draw even 25% or
50% out of those bolder chips,

that might give me that middle
of the road flavor

that I'm looking for.

A little mad science
over here.

Yeah, I had
a little going on.

Look at that. Which one are you
going to put on the table?

-This is the winner!
-This is the one?

That's the one right there,
yes, sir.

I'm not going to
take a sip yet.

That's okay.

Oh, whoa!

That's a honeycomb
smell on that thing.

-Thank you.
-It's wild.

Yes, sir.

Digger:
Did johnny have the most...

Yeah, I think he had
most liquor.

Look at color
on that sucker.

Jones: Looks good. Smells good,
tastes good.

That just basically come in here
and strain the chips off

and temper a little bit,
and it's going to be good to go.

Keep it simple.
Make a good product.

♪

casey, what you
doing over here, man?

I'm trying to air it out
a little bit, brother.

I didn't get quite
into the horse like I wanted to.

I started roughly from the last
jar and worked my way forward,

so there's not a lot
of room for error.

I'll tell you what, though.

The big bold flavor
on the heads over here

with flavoring with oak.
It could play in your favor.

The wood turned out good for me.
I'm happy with the way it oaked.

Having a strong
background in biology.

I'm doing everything I can
in my power to make sure

I get to that last round
and show my skills

and see what I can do.

♪

all right.
You've got 35 minutes.

Tim: Don't feel rushed.

♪

it looks like johnny's
done put the cap on his.

Johnny: We aged it. It was real,
real dark color.

So I was thinking I can
pull the color down

with a little bit
of distilled water.

Johnny man's on the move.

-Here comes johnny.
-Believe I got it ready for you.

Look at his color
on this, boys.

It looks like its been
in barrel long time.

Well, so far I'm digging
the coloring.

It's got
good color on it.

I didn't want to go
too far with it

and was also enjoying
drinking it

for a moment to make sure
it was really good, so.

There you go, gentlemen.

Peter done drank
some of his.

Yeah, he did.

That a boy.
I highly recommend it.

This looks good.

Casey, just keeping
you posted buddy.

You got 20 minutes.

As far as distilling goes,
it breaks down into chemistry

and it breaks down into biology

and those are the two things
I'm good at,

so I'm taking every minute
I can do to improve that jar

so that I make it
onto the last round.

♪

digger:
What are you doing, casey?

You gonna give it up?
You holding on to it.

Trying to get it
heated up.

They can get far enough
through my run.

We don't care as long
as you don't stick it

down your britches.
-All right, good deal.

My plan is to get that jar
heated up by any means possible

to try to increase
the temperature

and get some of those
volatile substances off of there

and improve the flavor
of what I've already got.

Wait a minute, what's he
doing over there now?

Now he's wrapped his jar
up like a princess lady.

What you got
going on, casey?

Try to use
a little evaporation,

kind of like egyptians
used to do.

♪

the hour's up. I've done
everything in my ability

to increase
the quality of the product

I'm trying to put up
on the counter.

I know it's a vast improvement
over what it was.

Good luck, buddy.

They're all different.

They're very different.

I don't know about you guys,
but I'm nervous.

-I am very nervous.
-I'm very nervous.

You got four different judges,
four different palates.

You're the guest. I'm gonna let
you start where you want to.

Jones: We'll start on casey.
He took a lot of time.

We got to look
at some clarity here.

It's a little cloudy, not as
clean as we'd probably hoped.

I'm not going to call it
unpleasant,

but there's not anything
pleasant about it either.

It almost tastes like it
was column to steel

versus pine to steel.

It's just there. It's just
in your mouth and it's wet.

A homeless alcoholic
would probably welcome that.

In his defense, I think it's not
the clarity that he wanted.

It's not salable,
is it?

I wouldn't put it
on the shelf.

He had
a little knowledge,

and I don't think
that he had enough knowledge.

This here, this undertaker,
you spoke highly of it.

I like to know the difference
in his wood chips

'cause on the nose
I think it's like...Honeycomb.

I mean, it's unique.
-How's he getting that smell?

I have no idea,
but I'll tell you,

it's at the finish of it, too.

I mean,
isn't that different?

-I like that.
-I do too!

I like that a lot!

Honestly it would pass for
a really, really good bourbon.

Tim: Did he blend any more?
I didn't notice.

-He did.
-He worked it man.

-He did blend some more?
-He worked it.

I think he knew
where he was going...

And when he got there,
he didn't mess with it anymore.

This is johnny boy's.

-We've got color.
-A lot of color

♪

-different.
-Definitely different.

Once it goes away, it's gone.
There's nothing lingering.

Yeah. When it's dark
like that,

you want that rich vanilla
flavor from the wood.

Digger: And the proof
is just not there.

He could have blended
a little bit differently.

I think when it came to him
going back to his table,

he let his color panic him
and he went with water

where he should have went
a little bit of liquor.

I think we're unanimous
on our choices, aren't we?

I think we all --
we all agree.

I believe we're
all in agreement.

Yeah, we agree.

Well, I'm going
to go fetch them boys.

Narrator:
Two days of aging...

That's a hell of a jar
of whiskey right there.

...Leaves
two distillers remaining.

We made you all sweat
long enough,

it's time to tell you
which one's going home today,

unfortunately.

♪

the moment of truth
for you.

Narrator:
Three experienced distillers

have presented their best jars

of a rapidly aged
american rye whiskey

to a panel of expert judges.

One of them is about to go home.

It never ceases to amaze me how
the three different distillers

can come up
with such different flavor.

I think this flavor came down
to the blending process.

We're going to pass
everything off

to our guest
counterpart here,

tim, because he talks
much prettier than we do.

Peter, I felt like I had high
hopes for that new york boy...

And honestly
I felt like you found

a really good balance
of proof and flavor

and utilizing the wood and
the flavoring with the grain.

I was kind of hoping to catch
maybe a little vanilla taste,

so if I use some of the cubes
too, when I put them in,

I actually let them sit in there
for just a little bit,

and I actually pulled
about a cap full out

and then left some in.
I didn't leave all those cubes.

I think it's
an exceptional jar of whiskey.

Flavor, nose, palate and finish
were all right there.

That's number one.
-Thank you very much.

Casey, johnny, we've made you
all sweat long enough.

It's time to tell you which
one's going home today,

unfortunately.

Johnny, I felt like really
enjoyed the flavor and the nose.

Your color is there.
My gut told me

johnny probably looked at this
and said,

"it's probably
a little too dark.

I need to do something about it.
I'm going to proof it down."

and I felt like, to be honest,

I felt like maybe you went
a little too far with it.

Yeah, I did.

The taste doesn't line up
with the color.

Casey, I feel like you had

some really nice grain notes
on the nose,

and then on the finish I felt
like it got a little flat.

You vastly improved
the jar of liquor

that you first brought us.

The fact that you have the skill
to take that jar

and improve it
as much as you did --

-thanks, sir.
-...Is pretty impressive.

It's going to be
with heavy hearts

that we got to say bye
to one of you.

Casey, this jar
bought you a ticket home.

All right.
Appreciate you guys.

-Sorry, old buddy.
-It's all right, man.

Casey: Finding out I'm
eliminated is tough.

I came off with the worst jar,

I improved it the best I can,
but it wasn't enough.

Good luck, my friend,
good to see you.

Extremely wanted to get
to that last round

and take my home recipe

and show these guys
what I'm working with.

Back to west virginia I go.

Time to move on.

The final run is going
to be made from the ingredients

that you brought with you.

That's going to be
your signature mash bill

and that'll be
your signature run.

Narrator: For generations,
american whiskeys

have been divided
by dominant regional grains.

In the south, corn is king.

In the north, cold-tolerant
crops like barley and rye rule.

For the final round,
the last two distillers

must craft their own
signature whiskey

using local grains
they brought from home.

Johnny: I'm a traditional
old school distiller

known for making just
a simple good corn liquor.

It's a single grain mash,
you got crack corn.

Instead of whole corn,
crack corn or yeast

has already busted out.
A lot of the old timers say

I hadn't had anything
like that for a long time,

and it kind of takes them way
back to the younger years.

Okay, grain it down
a little more

and then we'll put your yeast

and let her work off
and do her thing.

A few days, come back
and we'll run it off.

Peter:
I am making a multigrain mash.

I used flake corn maize, rye,
and then I use barley.

The malted barley actually
will help the corn convert

from those starches
into sugars.

And then I also throw
in triticale.

And triticale is a hybrid
of wheat and rye.

I don't want this grain
in my mash when I ferment it,

so I'm going to have
to hand siphon all of it.

These grains love to soak up
a lot of your mash

so you really got to make sure
you squeeze that out.

About 17 more to go.

Narrator:
Once the yeast is added,

the mash is left to ferment.

During fermentation,

the yeast consumes the sugars
and starches in the mix

and releases alcohol
as a byproduct.

When the mash's alcohol
content reaches 10% to 20%,

the yeast dies off
and it's ready to distill.

♪

digger: Well, men, if your mash
is ready, it's time

for y'all to run it and let's
see what you can do with it.

This is going to decide
who's master distiller.

We're going to
give you four hours.

You get a jar on the table
and lid on that jar,

starting...

Now.

Peter: It was like
a muhammad ali/frazier fight.

Johnny won the first round.

I won the second round
with the oaking.

♪

johnny: I'm glad I made it
to the last run

and the last run
being what we do at home,

that's one I'm more
comfortably with,

so I feel real good about it.

Johnny's, his just look like
a standard corn grain and mash.

Isn't that white corn?

Well, they use white corn
and yellow corn.

They use
whatever was in their area.

We have
very little white corn.

Peter's looks
a little heavier.

Looks like whole milk,
rather than skim milk.

He's got a lot of rye in his,
I can tell that from out here.

He's got rye and barley.

I'm pretty sure
from new york,

he's going to have
something different.

So on the final run
I'm going with four grain.

I want to take that risk

because I'm trying to give them
a jar of liquor

that they haven't had,
something that's different.

Now, you didn't have
no grain in yours.

What happened?
-Nope.

I fermented off the grain.
I mashed it down

and then cleaned all of it off
through the siphon over there

and decided
to go off the grain.

♪

now peter is fixing
to light his up.

Did you lose any eyebrows
over there, peter?

I lost a little bit of hair
for sure there, I smell it.

Well, that'll happen
on these big jobs.

Tim: There we go, getting ready
to get some over here.

Yeah, they're pretty much neck
and neck

on everything right now.

Once we get that heat
dispersing,

boy, it'll kick in
pretty quick, won't it?

-Yep.
-That's when things happen.

Gentlemen, 20 minutes.

Narrator:
Two perfect jars....

I believe I'm going to edge him
out and be master distiller.

Mark: You got something sitting
on a table over here

that's going to give you
a run for your money.

Maybe I'm going to give him
a run for his money.

...But only one winning whiskey.

It's master distiller,
it ain't distiller.

She's about ready
to start spitting out.

It's tricking me,
holding back a little bit.

Digger: Oh, yeah, it's right
there on the edge ain't it?

Yes, sir.

That's kind of like j.B.
At pissing.

Boys,
we got liquor coming out.

Squirts a little bit,
then stops and starts back.

Oh, god.
I suppose that happens

when we
get a little older, right?

Well, I found out after
I got past 50.

You think you're through pissing
until you put it up.

That's...
-[ laughs ]

johnny's, his just looks like
a standard corn grain mash.

Narrator:
A southern outlaw shiner
and a new york undertaker.

Digger: Peter's
is a little heavier.

It's like whole milk
than skim milk.

We're going with the grain
for the final run

of their signature
american whiskey.

Boys,
you got two hours.

But only one can be
the next master distiller.

Peter: So this is my first
collection jar right here.

Johnny: You're running
pretty clear.

I'm very pleased with how
it's coming out looking.

Got a good strain, good high
proof and good sweet corn smell.

Tim: Yeah, both of them
got the "a" game.

It may be difficult
for us to make a decision.

All that corn smell's starting
to really come through.

Smells good.

We've got to bring our
"a" game too.

Good corn flavor, right?

Mm-hmm.
Nice and clean.

Yeah. I always like
the smell of that corn.

I believe the judges is
gonna like my corn liquor.

Going to take them back
to simple times

back when it was just pure
straight corn liquor

and a lot of flavors
wasn't around.

I know you've got
straight corn.

Peter's
got a combination.

Peter:
I am going with four grains.

I wanted to do something
that they hadn't had.

Something that hasn't been
brought around them too much.

Gentlemen, 20 minutes.

I'm shutting mine down.

Johnny: You're back there
playing mad scientist.

Yeah, no, it's all about that,
huh, buddy?

Pete's a tough competitor.

It's been a tough bout
all the way through,

but I believe
I'm going to edge him out

and be a master distiller.

I got her about
where I wanted her,

and a good taste,
corn comes through real well.

Proof about where we need it,
good and clear.

That's all I got to offer.

Fellas, this is what
I got to offer you.

Is that the one, johnny?

-That's the one?
-Pick of the litter.

Yeah,
it sure is clear.

-Yes, it is.
-It is nice, buddy.

Pete, the pressure's on,
let me tell you.

Johnny is tough, man.
He's got me worried.

I can't lie.

But I'm happy with the run,
I couldn't do any better.

I think it tastes
pretty goshdarn good.

You got something sitting
on a table over here

it's going to give you
a run for your money.

-Well.
-I can see it.

I think I'm going to give him
a run for his money.

-Good luck to both of you.
-Thank you.

All right, boys.

We're going to start
with the first jar that came in?

It don't matter to me.

-Welcome back.
-What's going on, guys?

Long time, no see,
brother.

Tim: And just in time.

This is johnny boy's,
straight corn.

Well, I can smell that.

Don't even have to
raise it to my nose.

Man: Yeah, johnny be good
right there.

What corn liquor
is supposed to be?

It's sweet at the front and then
finishes with a little bite.

I'd like to have
a truckload of that.

You ain't [bleep]
good, good bead.

He's on the money.

I don't know that
a better jar is possible.

It's just back to back
good corn liquor.

That may be 105
on the tongue.

-It's 100 on the bead though.
-It is one good-looking jar.

This jar right here
might just raise the bar.

I've made
a lot of corn liquor

and I wouldn't want to go up
head to head with him.

-Nope.
-God, it's so good.

It's so good,
you can do so much with that.

You know
the old undertaker.

I know that that one's going
to be different...

Because he's got multigrains
in there.

He's got rye,
malted barley and corn.

It's got something
different.

The hybrid grain
he put in there.

♪

it's damn good.

And that spice is rye.

It's got a good rye
finish on it.

Mm-hmm. [ whistles ]

for me, it breaks down
from front to back.

So I think complexity for sure.

This is crazy.

Now, I'm up a stump on what
I'm going to do here.

I might flip a damn coin.

Lord, have mercy.

So I think what we're trying to
figure out is, what can we sell?

What would we put
on the shelf?

I mean, it's master distiller.
It ain't distiller.

Inside these jars,
they're both winners.

Unfortunately, we've got
to make one of you

off the next
master distiller.

Jones: You know, they're both
so exceptional.

I really think, johnny,
you're really raising the bar

on what corn liquor should be.

We're kind of blown away by it.

I don't know about that,
but I appreciate the compliment.

No, it is.

Digger: There are people that
spend a lifetime

working in legal distillery
trying to achieve this.

Jones: Peter, this jar of
whiskey right here

probably
encompasses everything

I would expect
from a master distiller.

Digger: Yep. I mean hell, it's
still rolling around

inside of us right now.

Thank you.

As a master distiller,

you're going to get your liquor
put on the shelves...

And when it comes
down to it...

Peter...

You're the next
master distiller.

-Congratulations, peter.
-Thank you, buddy.

-Man, you better...
-Oh, yeah. Thank you.

It's disappointing to lose,

but I lost
to a great competitor.

And then them telling me that

it was a second-to-none
corn liquor,

I've raised the bar,

I'm going back with more
than what I come with.

Johnny, it was just
the marketability,

that's what we had to look at.
-Okay.

Peter:
Johnny's a great competitor.

I mean, I learned a lot
from him here.

Congratulations.

Thank you, digger.
Thank you, man.

-You're welcome.
-I appreciate it.

I won master distiller today,

and it's pretty crazy.

♪

narrator: Next time
on "master distiller"...

You'll be making
a pechuga mezcal.

...The moonshine of mexico.

-They're hiding in the forests.
-Like us.

Narrator:
Like tequila with a twist.

I've never put a chicken
in still pot.

But only one shiner can survive
this mexican standoff.