[narrator] This time on Master Distiller Tournament.
You monsters.
[narrator] It's the legal versus outlaw showdown finale.
We gonna make something great.
[narrator] Winner take all.
[Mark] Go, Mykala!
Come on, you're not gonna let her beat you!
Come on, keep winning!
[narrator] Kentucky outlaw Kelley Tennille.
[Kelley] This works so good!
10 out of 10, Kelley approved.
[narrator] And Oregon legal distiller Mykala Stinson.
I think it'll be pretty good.
[narrator] ...in a high difficulty
distilling challenge.
[exclaims]
[narrator] Grappa.
So, what if I dropped one of these?
-[laughing] -Oh... my gosh.
[narrator] To determine, once and for all,
which side of the law will prevail.
That's a lot of...
That's gonna win it.
[Digger] You know, we knew it was gonna be tough.
But we didn't know how tough it was gonna be.
Hi, guys. Welcome back.
Only two of you left standing.
Outlaw versus legal.
At the end of these toughest of all challenges,
one of y'all will be named
Master Distiller Tournament champion.
Kelley, Mykala.
You won all your respective fights.
Kelley, you beat out all the other outlaws.
And Mykala,
you beat out all the other legal distillers.
[Mark] We've been really impressed
at how hard you two have worked
since your last time here on this competition.
You're both more confident,
more skilled,
and we can't tell you how moved we are
to witness your growth.
[Digger] All right, guys.
What's next is you're gonna bring us
your version of grappa.
Now, Mark and myself both know exactly
how tough it is to get the fermentation right on the grappa mash.
This stuff is fermented, I guarantee it.
That definitely needs release, look at that.
-[air hisses out] -[exclaims] God Almighty!
[laughs]
Oh, that'll knock your head off.
[whistles and coughs]
Yeah, boy.
It's fermented, baby.
You know, wild yeast land on these grapes
and it's caused them to ferment,
and they're fermenting hard.
So we've got to move fast.
Add more water, more sugar to it.
We won't know if it's really grappa
or grappa moonshine.
[Digger] I like hillbilly grappa.
We is hillbillies, you know.
[Mark] Thank the Lord.
Grappa is the moonshine of Italy.
Made both in distilleries and in the back woods.
And it's kinda tricky.
But this is a opportunity
for you to show off your skills.
You both need to make sure you dial in your mash
because at the end of your fermentation,
we'll be checking the potential ABV.
[Mark] Whoever comes up with the highest ABV
will get an advantage in the next challenge.
We're not gonna tell you what it is,
but trust me, guys, you're gonna want it.
Aight.
Y'all are gonna head out with Tim to build your mash.
While Digger and I set up your next challenge.
Good luck to you.
[Tim] Aight, guys.
If you're a legal distillery, you may call it grappa.
If you're outlaw,
you may call it grape brandy.
Whatever it is, you only got a hour to make it.
So get all your ingredients ready,
get to smashing grapes, smooshing grapes.
We gonna make something great.
Your time starts now.
[Kelley] Burn off my eyebrows.
[Mykala laughs]
My name is Kelley Tennille.
I'm 35 years old,
and I live in Clark County, Kentucky.
Everything I start, starts in this kitchen.
Like, this is where the magic happens.
My favorite part about distilling
is that it's alchemy.
And that I'm taking a grain
and moving it from one alchemical form to another.
Are you ready? Are you gonna help me?
I mean, you'll notice that there's herbs hanging everywhere.
I put these into my brandies and into my 'shines.
And then, if somebody wants to buy a little bit of liquor from me,
I'll sell it to him.
As outlaws, for the most part,
we get to develop our own recipes,
perfect our own recipes.
And we don't have to answer to anyone.
A lot of my distillation,
especially when I wanna do small experimental batches,
happens right here in my kitchen
directly under people's noses.
Even though I'm exhausted,
I want this.
And I wanna do something good with this once I win.
[groans]
[Mykala] May I get a hand?
Yeah, what do you need, honey?
Uh, I just wanna put some water in here.
Yeah.
Oh, beautiful.
I'm Mykala Stinson.
I'm 34 years old,
and I'm from Portland, Oregon.
Distilling is more than just a job.
It is a passion.
I really like making things for people,
seeing them enjoy what I made.
It feels good
when someone tries my spirits
and they're like, "Wow!"
Winning Master Distiller
for me would in part be about redemption.
I feel like I've grown a lot as a distiller
and I'm glad to be able to show that,
not just with how well I've been doing,
but my creativity and problem-solving.
If this works the way it sounds
like it's going to in my head,
I'll be okay, but we'll see.
[laughs]
[Kelley] My game plan
is to run the best grappa mash
that I can.
I don't really have any tricks up my sleeve
other than running the solid brandy mash
that I'm used to.
Everything that I've done here
is techniques that I'm practiced at.
I'm not trying to experiment while I'm here,
and I think that's in my best interest.
[Mykala] Pedal to the metal.
Having not a lot of familiarity
working with grappa,
I am coming into this final challenge
knowing that I know how to work a still.
If it's got alcohol in the mash,
I can make it run.
[Kelley whoops] This works so good!
[Kelley laughing] I am not kidding!
10 out of 10. Kelley approved.
-Can you do me a favor? -Yeah.
-Pour the other half of this bucket? -[Mykala] Yep.
Just don't worry about getting me dirty.
-I'm covered already. -Coming in hot.
Coming in hot.
[Kelley laughing] This is so trippy!
Stomping the hell out of them to get all the juice out.
I feel like that's my most effective method of extraction right now.
And I'm doing it.
[Kelley laughs]
You know, last time I screwed up bring the must
because it got infected.
So this time I'm going fresh.
The first time I was in a grappa challenge,
I chose to bring a must,
which are wine grapes
that have already been fermented and pressed.
The problem was that they started fermenting again
on the way here,
so by the time I got here and put everything together,
I realized that it wasn't gonna taste good.
Kelley, I'm sorry, that jar bought you a trip home, sweetie.
It's okay.
You just got those sulfury artifacts,
from your fermentation
and carried through your distillation.
It was just unfortunate circumstances.
[Kelley] I'm not doing that again.
I'm choosing to use grapes in stems only.
I'm using 100% wine grapes,
which makes a much better grappa than anything else.
And I feel like adding any sort of sugar to my mash is cheating,
so I'm not gonna do it.
I want the grape flavor to shine through.
All right, guys. You're halfway there.
You've been 30 minutes.
-[Kelley] Oh, my God. -30 minutes to go.
[Kelley] Gotcha.
-Hello, Kelley. -Hello there.
Now, last time you was making some grappa and some grapes
so I'm taking that you know what you're doing.
Yep.
This time I'm doing things a little bit differently.
-Uh-oh. -So...
this time I picked a bunch of grapes,
hauled them over here fresh.
These are a real dark, super juicy, Zinfandel grapes.
They're called Zinthiana
So, are you calling this grappa
or are you calling it brandy
since you're on the outlaw side?
[clicks tongue] Uh...
Technically, brandy,
but I'm calling it 'outlaw grappa'.
Okay.
I did add a little bit of pectic enzyme
just to help break down some of those skins
and access all the sugars in my grapes.
But beyond that,
I'm not doing any tomfoolery.
Okay. All right.
-Good luck. -Mmm-hmm.
-Mykala! -Hello!
Well, tell me about your grappa
or grape brandy here.
It's kind of neither.
-I opted to use raisings. -Neither?
Raisins?
Raisins.
I think with all of that extra sediment nutrition in there,
I'm hoping it takes off well.
I opted to use raisins
for this grappa, grape brandy challenge.
I know that it's a little out of left field,
but so am I, so it tracks.
And I'm using a combination of Concord, white grapes and red grapes.
What kinda strategy you got?
So, by agitating the raisins,
I think that's gonna break off chunks,
I think that's really gonna help my ferment.
Definitely hasn't been an easy road to get here,
but win, lose, or draw,
I've been having a really great time.
-I look forward to it. -Thank you, man.
Good luck.
-How's it going? -Good.
Oh, that looks perfect.
Yeah, they're breaking down nicely.
-[Kelley] That's good. -Yeah, yeah!
All right, guys. Five minutes to go.
It's all happening.
Three.
Two.
One. That's it.
We done.
Step away from your barrels.
We'll pitch the yeast later,
record the starting gravity,
and we'll come back
and we'll see how much alcohol you made.
Let's get out of here.
Watch your step, guys.
There's all sort of ankle killers
up here, too.
Howdy, boy.
Hello, boss.
-[Digger] Easy. -Good mornin'.
-Morning. -Morning.
-Good morning. -How you guys doin' this morning?
Great.
All right, guys, we recorded your starting gravity
a few days ago.
Then we're gonna check your finished gravity.
That's gonna tell us
how much potential alcohol there is in your mash.
[narrator] A Brix hydrometer
measures the relative density
of the liquid compared to water
otherwise known as specific gravity.
By comparing the specific gravity
of the mash before and after fermentation,
distillers can calculate how much of the original sugar
has been converted to alcohol.
The higher the alcohol by volume,
the better.
-We all square about the challenge? -[both] Mmm-hmm.
We gonna start right here
with Mykala.
Aight.
Let me see here what we got from Mykala.
[Mykala] Definitely looking to have
every advantage I can
going into this grappa challenge.
It's really Kelley's field of experience,
and so if I can win this challenge,
then hopefully it'll help me in the end.
[Digger] Let me see that.
[Mark] Mmm-hmm.
Wow.
[Digger] Get you a little taste.
-[Mark] Yes, please. -You're the official taster.
Oh, my...
That a shame turn that into liquor.
[giggles]
Mykala, your beginning gravity is 1.050.
We're gonna do the hydrometer test on it now.
We'll see where we're at.
And here we go!
Ah! You're zeroed out.
You're at 1.000.
That gives you a potential alcohol by volume of 12%.
-You good with that? -Very good with that.
All right, moving on to Miss Kelley.
Get me a little tasty of that out there.
I think I shall. I might get myself a little.
[Mark] I'm telling you, this is some handsome mash right here.
It is really good.
Beginning gravity for Miss Kelley is 1.035.
Let's put a little in the column here
to see what you come up to.
[Mark] Oki-doki.
I'm not feeling really confident about the ABV test.
I know that Mykala used a whole lot of sugar,
so she's just gonna have a denser mash.
So I'm a little bit worried.
I hope I've got enough to win.
So, Kelly.
You are...
Mykala, you got a potential alcohol by volume of 12%.
-You good with that? -Very good with that.
All right, moving on to Miss Kelley.
Beginning gravity at 1.035.
Let's put a little in the column here
to see what you come up to.
[Mark] Oki-doki.
Kelly...
you are almost flattened out.
You are 1.002.
Potential ABV...
that should be right around 10%.
[Mark] Mykala, great job.
You're the winner of this little challenge.
I've only got 10% alcohol.
So, I'm a little bit worried.
[Digger] All right, guys.
You know normally mash would be where your still is.
Now, here's your curveball.
You gotta get your mash to that still
in a safe manner
in the back of that UTV over there.
[all laughing]
[Digger] To move your mash,
you're gonna need to strap it down good and tight.
[Digger and Mark] And...
[Digger] ...we've seen what can happen
when people aren't careful with their mash.
Moving mash barrels from one place to the next,
now, that requires two things.
Skill and patience.
Now, if you lose the barrel...
Damn it to hell!
...that could affect your output,
your run,
and most importantly, your profit.
Lord knows we've had some mashes loose in the back woods.
-[all exclaiming] -[man] Run!
Get out of there!
And stay back!
-Mykala. -Mmh?
Since you have the highest potential ABV,
you get first choice at tie-down devices
to strap down your mash in the UTV.
Kelley, you'll have to take what's left.
Challenge accepted.
Aight, ain't no time like the present, guys.
Let's get with it.
Grab your mash and let's go.
Follow us.
Mykala, this will be your vehicle right here.
So, step over and pick out your poison.
I didn't see that coming.
[Digger] Would have never thunk that in a million years.
It's all you taking?
It's all I need.
I cannot believe that Mykala went for that rope.
I think she knows how to tie some knots
that I don't know about.
All right, Kelley.
You know you can strap yours down as you see fit
with whatever remains.
Um... we're gonna do this.
I don't need these.
All right, Kelley. Team Outlaw.
Mykala, Team Legal.
Your challenge is,
get your mash strapped in,
get it down the hill.
Be careful now.
It's a bumpy road.
[Mykala] I'm opting to use the rope.
It's flexible,
you can tie a million knots,
I think it's gonna be the smartest move for me.
This went totally sideways
in a way that I wouldn't even halfway predicted.
[Kelley] All I'm trying to do
is just get this secured
to the side right behind me.
I've seen the hill that we're riding down.
And I know that if I go any closer to the middle
or any closer to the passenger side,
I'm gonna spill a ton of mash.
So I'm just spaghetting this,
I don't care what it looks like.
[humming to herself]
[Kelley] How you doing?
[Mykala] Yeah, I think I'm just trying to decide,
like, how else I wanna anchor it.
Where you at?
[tuts]
Yeah, this here.
[Digger] This whole thing right here,
what we're looking at,
it explains what this whole world's about.
I mean, we got legal and outlaws... helping each other.
They're still a team.
[Mark] They get it.
Do you want me to just get all the slack out of this?
-Yeah. -Okay.
Oh, wait. Let me...
I'm a little nervous.
I don't have the best track record
with keeping my mash in the barrel
and not all over me.
So I'm very much hoping
that I don't dunk myself.
[Kelley] I think this is, like, really solid.
[Mykala] Yeah.
-You good? -Yeah.
-Okay. -Thank you.
Think that'll do her.
I think that's as good as it's gonna get.
All right.
Just a matter now
of transporting your mash to the stills.
And if you're ready for...
Oh! One last thing.
Another curveball.
Take those lids off.
[sighs deeply]
You monsters.
[Mark] Yep, there you go.
-[Mykala sighs] -Now you're good to go.
It's a little nerve-wracking
that they made us take the lids off.
[Digger] Put them tailgates up and get 'em down the hill.
[Mykala] So, I'm going into this
a little bit more cautiously.
[Digger] Careful, careful.
This may be all you got at the end of the day.
[engine starting]
All right, girls, you ready?
Get going!
Go!
[Mark] Go, Mykala!
Come on, keep with it!
[Kelley exclaims]
I'm Driving Miss Daisy.
I'm driving real slow.
I don't have a whole lot of mash,
so spilling this could potentially destroy me.
[Mykala] It was probably a good thing that Kelley's in front of me,
because I would have driven a lot faster,
and probably would have lost a lot more mash.
[whooping]
[Tim] You made it.
Let's see how much mash you got left.
Yeah.
You don't look like you lost too much.
[Mykala] No, I think I did okay.
You did good tying it up and everything.
What's Mykala got going on over here?
She got the bungee cords going on.
Outstanding.
You don't have... probably nothing leaped out.
Y'all did a good job at driving.
Thank all you gotta do is get them out of that rig
and follow me.
-You got it. -[Kelley] Yes, sir.
[Digger] Ah, ladies.
Everybody made it back.
How much mash did you lose?
Just a couple of drops, nothing too bad.
Nobody got a bath in it, that's a good thing.
[chuckling]
Well, you know, you done eliminated everyone around you.
It's only you two.
You know what that means.
One of you will be Master Distiller.
Aight, you guys ready to get going
and make us some liquor?
-Yes, sir. -Yep.
[Digger] So am I.
It's time for y'all to run us that beautiful grappa.
We're ready for it.
I love it. Ready to taste it.
It's your final challenge.
Bring us your signature grape liquor.
We just want it on this table
before four hours past.
Good luck to you ladies.
Bring it. I can't wait.
You got four hours.
Your time starts... now.
Good luck and get with it.
Good luck, ladies.
Always assess the equipment first.
Always a smart move check it's locked down.
[Kelley] To be competing against Mykala,
it's a little intimidating.
Mykala really knows what she's doing
and she's stiff competition.
So I am bringing my A-game here.
And I'm bringing my 100%.
And even if I don't win,
I'm the last outlaw distiller that's left.
[Mykala] Think I got as much mash as I need in there.
I'm pleased with how my mash turned out.
And I'm pleased with the flavor.
I'm just hoping that it makes a good spirit in the end.
I'm planning to run the still low and slow.
I wanna make sure that I have the full spectrum
of taste and alcohol available for blending later.
[Digger] There's a big contrast here.
We got a red wine, a deep red wine.
With a white wine.
I mean, that's basically... we're cooking off here at the end of the day.
Both of these young ladies are as comfortable
as if they'd done this all their lives.
[Tim] Yeah, they know where they're at.
[Kelley] I'm very confident in the quality of mash that I've created.
But as I'm taking out all the grape seeds and stems,
I'm realizing that I'm ending up with
more like nine or 10 gallons of mash
rather than the 14 or 15 that I thought I would.
Um, I'm gonna use every last bit of it that I can get.
And given the failure of my last grappa run here,
the most anxiety-inducing part for me
is even producing any sort of spirit,
let alone a palatable one.
Basically, it's got a fire lit under my ass.
As I'm taking out all the grape seeds and stems,
I'm realizing that I'm ending up with
more like nine or 10 gallons of mash
rather than the 14 or 15 that I thought I would.
I'm literally gonna scrape the bottom of the barrel
to get all of the liquid that I can out of here.
I don't care how long it takes.
That's as nice a looking color of mash, though, as I've saw.
[Digger] Yeah, it's pretty mash.
[Kelley] I'm happy with the color. I'm happy with the flavor.
So far, I don't smell anything off,
but we've got to find out, huh?
[Mark] I reckon.
We're gonna figure out here in a little bit.
[Kelley] How are you feeling, little bop bop?
-[Mykala] Oh, good. -Good?
Should be good after I fill the thumper.
I'm still going back and forth
-on if I wanna put some raisins in the thumper. -[Kelley] Yeah.
My experience working with thumpers
is pretty limited at a legal distillery.
So I'm a little nervous.
But I understand the basic principles of how it works
and I think that putting the raisins in there
would really benefit the overall flavor.
How are you doing?
[Kelley] Ah! I'm about to light.
Whoo!
-[Digger] Mykala? -Mmm?
[Digger] Is this a new recipe on you or is it...
It is my first time trying it
so we'll see how she goes.
Not having a lot of familiarity working with grappa,
I'm definitely a little nervous going into this.
But my test batches with it
actually turned out pretty tasty.
Well, we couldn't have picked
a batter pair to compete in this final round.
I mean, it is kinda special that we ended up with two ladies.
Yeah.
Mykala and Kelley both are the final two.
Cream rises to the top.
[Kelley] Even though we're down to two women at the end
and I feel so much comradery there,
um, there's still an element of competition
and I feel like an outlaw distiller like me is gonna come out on top
because we're versatile and we're tough as nails.
[Digger] Those were all raisins, Mykala?
Yep.
-I like it. I like your spirit. -Yeah.
-We'll, they just rehydrated, didn't they? -Yep.
So much aroma is contained in the skins of grapes.
When they're made into raisins,
you lose a lot of those volatile oils.
So I was hoping that, putting the raisins into the thumper,
I would be able to elicit at least some extra flavor.
Did you end up having enough mash
-without having to go crazy straining it? -Yeah.
[Mykala] Nice.
Anything going in the thumper?
I'm gonna wait till it heats up and pop some in there.
I'm only putting enough mash into my thumper
to where it will run properly
because I can't afford to lose a whole lot.
I wanna be able to infuse some flavor in there,
but not at the risk of losing volume.
Hey, come here.
That looks cross-center to me.
-Mmm. -What do you think?
It does kinda look like it's a little off-kilter that way.
[Kelley] I think so too.
Crookeder than a dog's hind leg.
[Mykala] I mean, there's no real harm in pasting it now.
Being that I already have less ABV than Mykala,
I can't afford to have a leak.
I'm not even gonna risk it
and I'm gonna paste up every joint in my still.
I'm just gonna lay the paste to it.
I just wanna make sure.
If I spring a leak I'm gonna be pissed.
You thumping yet?
I'm at 180, so should be heating the thumper soon.
I'll feel better once I can smell it.
Two hours, guys. You're halfway home.
-Oh, so close! -160. I know!
Did you know that checking it every five seconds
doesn't actually make it heat up faster?
I hear that water is wet.
[bleep]
I know. I'm just sitting here watching it.
Oh, speaking of...
-Can I use some of your paste? -[Kelley] Yeah, of course.
[Mykala] It's, like, really leaking.
I do have some experience with moonshine paste.
It's a trick that was up my sleeve
but, working in a legal distillery,
not one that I have to use regularly.
Hot, hot, hot!
You all right, babe?
Yeah, I think I might have got it.
Hey, perfect timing.
I got liquor.
[Kelley] Hey-yo!
Here you go, baby.
Whoo!
That's a little bit spicy.
There's definitely some "al-key-hol," as they say.
[Kelley] And liquor. Oh, there we go.
Attagirl. Big girl.
Come on, baby.
Love you so much.
[sings] This is the first jar.
-[Kelley] How's it coming? Taste good? -[Mykala] Good.
Still in the heads,
but I'm happy with the aroma and stuff, so...
As the spirit is coming off the still,
I'm liking the aroma
and I think that, once I get later on in the run,
I think it's gonna be pretty tasty.
-Do you wanna smell? -[Kelley] Totally.
Nom nom.
I think it'll be pretty good.
-Can I get a little smell of yours? -Of course, yeah.
Tell me what you think.
Oh, that smells really nice.
-Yeah. -Holy biscuits.
My first thought trying Kelley's grappa was, "Oh, no."
The aroma, super pleasant.
I think it's really smooth.
You can absolutely taste the grapes that she made it from.
I think it's gonna be a really tough decision.
You definitely have me beat on flavor in the early.
I'm hoping I can pull some later in the run.
Ladies, you are officially down to one hour.
I'm just about done.
Yeah?
I mean, I didn't have that much liquid.
I've got enough experience in running grappa
to know that there's no point in me running any longer.
There's nothing in grappa tails that I want.
I've just gotta come up with one good jar,
but, hopefully, I have a few to play around with.
All right.
Bring her down.
-[Mykala] All done? -Mmm-hmm.
Yay!
Do you think you'll blend jars or are you gonna just...
I'm gonna sit here and stare at it
for about 30 minutes, I think, and then we'll see
'cause I just don't have a whole lot to work with.
Yeah.
[Tim] Kelley,
-what are you doing? -Hey, buddy.
You taking it apart or putting it together?
Taking it apart. I'm done.
You're done? Okay.
You don't have many jars here.
You didn't have enough to produce enough
or you just got there and you think you're finished?
If you look right here, I'm in tails.
-And you got, what, four jars, five jars. -[Kelley] Yep.
I can say I'm much happier with
-what I'm turning in today... -Mmm-hmm.
...versus what I turned in last time.
-Well that's a credit. -For sure. Yeah.
-Right, well, good luck. -[Kelley] Thank you.
-Can't wait to see your jar. -Thank you, sir.
-How are you, Mykala? -Hello.
[Tim] I see you're still running here.
That is a pretty clean jar
and I see you've got a few more jars over here,
like 10 more jars over here.
[Mykala] Yep.
Now, what is going on over here with all this right here?
-[Mykala] Had a couple of little leaks. -[Tim] Yeah?
Thankfully, caught it early.
[Tim] You know, this is a little bit odd for you because
-you're a legal distiller working at a legal distillery. -Yep.
Do you all have a lot of this oatmeal in a big bag or...
-No. -So, if you have a leak,
-you probably just call maintenance. -That's right. Yep.
-Well, I am the maintenance, but, yeah. -Oh, you the maintenance.
-So you get your wrenches. -Mmm-hmm.
Okay.
How about some bead-reading skill? You still practicing?
I kinda just do it by taste.
So you may give us 123...
It may knock your socks off,
-but I hope it doesn't set your hair on fire. -Yep. Yep.
All right, girls, you got 30 minutes left.
[Kelley exhales]
I think... Okay, I'm gonna try to blend, I guess, a few.
I'm working with a blended jar
because I just wanna have the option.
But then I've also got a jar
of really, just, pure, beautiful hearts.
So I'm going back and forth between turning in either one of those.
What if I drop one of these?
Oh, my gosh.
-Don't put that juju on yourself. -Butterfingers.
I have a pretty good palate when it comes to blending
and I've gotten really good feedback on my blending skills so far.
So I plan on presenting a blended jar.
How you feeling?
Ooo, red in the face.
Me too.
Some sampling going on.
What I'm feeling right now is sheer panic
because, for a while, I really had my heart set on this blended jar
and now my gut is telling me that's not what I need to turn in.
Everything in my body and my spirit is telling me
there's just something off about it.
What I'm feeling right now is sheer panic
because, for a while, I really had my heart set on this blended jar
and now my gut is telling me that's not what I need to turn in.
So I'm not gonna use the blended jar
because there's just something off about it.
Everything in my body and my sprit
is telling me to turn in the unblended jar.
I think I'm all done, so I'm gonna shut her down.
I think I got the jar that I want, so...
Shut her down, honey.
I'm feeling a little bit nervous, but hopeful.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay. Walk away.
-Walk away. -[Mykala groans]
[Digger] Right, ladies, you're down to five minutes.
If you ain't where you need to be,
you'd better be getting there fast.
I think I'm actually ready. Kelley, are you ready?
[Kelley] I'm done.
Do you wanna turn 'em in together?
-I do. You ready too? -Yep.
[kisses] Kiss her goodbye.
Great job, lady.
Gentlemen, we're ready.
-Bring 'em in, girls. -Bring 'em on in.
[Digger] That's what I like to see.
You both still wanna win, but you're rooting for the other one.
Mmm-hmm.
All right, ladies, you know the drill by now.
We're gonna go taste, deliberate,
taste a little more,
and once we reach a decision,
we'll come back and you know which one of y'all
is gonna be crowned tournament champion.
Until then, y'all feel free to sit back at your stations.
Clean up, neaten up, or have a little drink.
Good luck to both of you.
You've both been fantastic competitors.
-Thank you, gentlemen. -Thank you.
-Good luck, ladies. -[Mykala] Thanks!
All right, guys, you know, honestly, what we've got here
is two really, really dangerous distillers,
a legal one and an outlaw distiller.
Both of 'em, if you remember,
got eliminated in the first round
-on their original challenges. -Original challenge.
But I think they've both got a chip on their shoulder
and they have something to prove to us
-and they're proving it. -Yeah.
They run the still like they own it.
They do.
Yeah, we know, definitely, from watching these ladies
from the beginning of other challenges
that, no doubt, these ladies can distill
about anything you put in front of 'em.
-Right. -Oh, no question.
You know, and we've seen it. We've seen it.
We've got two jars good on the table...
-[Mark] Exactly. -...but one is gonna be your Master Distiller.
Well, we'll start, damn it.
Let's start with Kelley over there.
Go right ahead there, whiskey pusher.
-All right. -Yeah, Kelley's the outlaw.
Kelley's, what, a half-jar.
I think it don't have any proof in it.
I don't see no proof.
I'm overjoyed. I'm so stoked. It's been...
-I could, like, flip a table right now, but I won't. -I know. Like [shrieks].
[Kelley] I'm happy.
It was definitely the clearest jar
and the best that I had.
I mean, that right there is a perfect nose.
It's got a lot of flavor.
[Digger] I think it's really good.
It's very, very drinkable.
-[Tim] She got a poker face. -[Mark] She does.
I'm thinking that's about 80 proof.
[Mark] Yeah. I'll go along with that.
You know, grappa can be 35 to 60% alcohol,
so that's 70 to 120 proof.
So that's a wide range.
It's got tremendous flavor, though.
Lot of flavor.
I've got no problem with it. I think it's fantastic.
And, honestly, better than the grappa we made.
It's way better than the grappa we made.
Well, let's look at what we're comparing it to.
Very clear.
She brought her A game with this one, I feel certain.
Holy moly!
That's got a lot of alcohol in it.
-110? -Yeah.
[Mykala exhales]
How you feeling?
I was a little bit worried that the flavor of the raisins
was gonna be kinda weird and off,
but I'm glad that I was able to, like, pull something out of it.
So I'm proud of what I've done.
That's all I can hope for.
Total different smell.
It don't smell like grapes, does it?
It's got an off aroma.
-Kelley's has more of a grape nose on it. -Yeah.
Yeah, Mykala's has a raisin nose on it.
Oh, it tastes good, though.
Uh-huh-huh.
-It tastes really good. -[Digger] Oh, yes, it does.
It don't taste like 110 proof.
-It tastes like 90 proof. -Yeah.
And then it's got that dry finish.
-It tastes really good is what it tastes like. -Yeah, boy.
But I'm not crazy about the nose on it.
You know, she put all of those raisins into the thumper
and that's where you get the nose.
If she would've just put hot mash that she had in the still...
Wouldn't have tasted no different.
We just got the nose now
because she put the solids of the raisins in the thumper.
I like 'em both. Them ladies have done an excellent job.
Gentlemen, we got a dilemma.
Well, we knew we was gonna have this.
When you got two good distillers, that's what happens.
It don't matter if they're outlaw or legal,
if they're both good they're good.
You know, you look at Kelley's
and, yeah, she's low on proof,
but she's still within the range that would qualify it as a grappa.
-Mmm-hmm. -Yeah.
And Mykala is as well.
We gotta take proof off the table here, guys,
'cause they both meet criteria for proof.
[Digger] That's where I'm going with this.
One lacks the nose, one's got the nose,
and then they've both got the flavor.
One is a little bit better than the other, I think.
I agree.
We all together, then?
I think so.
Well, let's go get it while we can go find the door.
Yeah.
When they gave us the rundown
on what we were gonna be expected to do,
as I kept reading the list and it kept going longer,
I was like, "And what? And what?"
-Yeah. -And also, [exhales].
It was definitely a lot,
but I think we both performed really well
and rose to the occasion, like, one and two the whole time.
-Yeah and nobody else did win anything. -[Mykala] Nope.
-It was just you and me. -Yeah.
I never even thought about that.
We powered through it, baby. We really did.
Sorry, boys.
Sorry, not sorry!
[both laughing]
I wanted it to be me and you
-and then it was! -[Mykala] I did too. I know.
Yeah. And, like, I didn't believe it
and then look what we did. Look what we manifested.
I'm really, really happy it's us.
Like, no matter who wins, I'm a happy camper.
[Kelley] Me too.
Bam.
-Cheers. Great job. -Thanks.
-Love you to death. -Love you.
-You're my bestie, baby. -Yeah.
All right, well, come up and get your jars.
Well, all I can say across the board is "Wow."
You know, we knew it was gonna be tough,
but we didn't know how tough it was gonna be.
Now, think about this, guys.
Oregon, legal.
Kentucky, outlaw.
You both come into this challenge against each other.
And this is not every day that this happens
that an outlaw and legal
come together as happy as you are.
Both of you, very special
and should be proud of where you're standing today.
So, here we go.
Mykala, flavor,
I'm telling you it's all in there.
Finished dry
and levelled off well on the palate front to back.
Mykala, great job.
And it's a really smooth drink.
Little different on the nose.
The nose wasn't really what I expected
and, you know, maybe it's because of the raisins.
But you did a wonderful job running your still.
You're not used to a thumper,
but I think that you've acclimated yourself very well to one.
[Tim] So, Mykala,
now, your proof is really, really good.
Outstanding. I like it.
Real clear jar.
And it tastes really good.
Great job.
Thank you.
Then we come to Kelley,
the wildcat in the bunch.
[Mark] You didn't run a lot of jars,
but, you know, this contest is not about quantity.
It's about a good turn-in, drinkable jar
that's what it's supposed to be.
Really great nose.
A lower proof, but it carried through well.
Lower proof usually brings a lot of flavor.
And it did.
You knew exactly when to make that cut.
I mean, it was just "Pow!" you know?
You knew when you got into that that that was a grappa.
[Tim] Kelley,
your proof is a little bit lower,
but you brought flavor
and your brought the perfect jar
that you thought was the best jar
and I think it tastes really good.
Thank you.
Fine job on both y'all's parts.
All right, guys,
the dirty deed, I guess, if you wanna put it, falls to me.
And, you know, normally, it does really bother me,
but, you know, I've spent a lot of time with you two
and I know that, whichever direction this goes,
that you two are at peace in your souls with that.
It's never an easy job here,
but there can only be one tournament champion
and, Kelley, you are that next Master Distiller.
Congratulations, young lady.
[Kelley] I am happy. Over the moon.
You know, being the winner
of the first Master Distiller
where it's two women at the end...
Um, I just wanna inspire more women to get into this industry
and to trust themselves and to be taken seriously.
Ain't that good?
[exhales] [bleep]
[Kelley exhales]
[exhales] Thank you.
I was super appreciative of the judges' comments
about how I nailed my proof, nailed the flavor.
I think that it shows how far I've come.
And being able to rely on my senses
and be able to execute the things that I'm shooting for...
I made it farther than I did last time.
And I'm always willing to come back
and, you know, next time I'll just win it.
Just so you know, at any given time,
I will be honored to run liquor
with either one of you or both of you.
I'll see you soon.
[Kelley] I think it's cool that I got another chance
to showcase my talent and skills.
I've never had so many curveballs thrown at me,
um, so many wild-ass challenges.
I mean, I've won on the outlaw side.
I've come back. I brought my A game this time.
I've done everything that I said that I was gonna do.
So I'm proud of myself.
I am the Master Distiller.
Now y'all get on out of here before you make us start crying.
-[Tim] Get out of here! -All right.
[Mark] Get! Before we're all squalling.
An outlaw wins.
[Kelley] I might need to, like, sit down.
[Digger] That was great.
You know, guys, outlaw versus legal...
I mean, the outlaws won today,
but what's gonna happen in the future?
You've been on both sides of it.
-[Digger] Outlaw's gonna win again. -I've been on both sides.
-[Digger] Let's go hunt a jar. -[Tim] Oh!