[imitates angelic choir]
[narrator] this time on master distiller...
Italian moonshine.
[narrator] grappa, history's original moonshine,
created with the scraps from winemaking.
Kelley, did you stomp those grapes with your feet?
Under the light of the full moon.
We have made grappa before.
We realized how hard it is.
[digger] tim, stay on the slicker already, but...
[mark] this grappa, procuring the pomace and hauling it,
and mashing it, it's been a terrible amount of work.
[narrator] now three distillers are challenged with making grappa
that pays homage to its italian origins.
It'll light ya up pretty good.
[tim] I've had some that takes the oxygen out of your body.
[chuckling]
[narrator] 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.
150 lb of grapes, picked fresh yesterday.
[narrator] judged by three legendary moonshiners...
Damn, you are putting some liquor out there.
...They go head-to-head in a series of challenges...
[kelley] come on, baby, be grappa.
I bless you, my child.
...To determine who has what it takes...
I have never used a thumper before.
Today's not the time to test.
...To be named master distiller.
It's just like real grappa should smell like.
I'm goin' rogue. I'm goin' awol.
[digger] guys, I wanna welcome y'all to master distiller.
We're fixing to put y'all's skills to the test.
Whichever one of y'all we deem being the next master distiller,
you'll get your bragging rights, of course.
But the big prize is you'll get
a limited run of your liquor in a major distillery.
That's a big deal right there.
Grappa, what we want you to build us this time,
we're kinda partial to it,
and we look forward to tasting what you got.
Italian moonshine.
I've had some good, and I've had some bad.
And if you get some bad grappa,
takes the oxygen out of your body.
But I hope you bring us something at least we can drink.
Tickle!
Tell us all about it.
Grappa,
the moonshine of Italy.
Alcohol was being distilled in Italy as early as the 8th century.
But the first written evidence we have of grappa
is from the mid-1300s near the italian alps.
Grappa started out as a poor man's drink,
made in the backwoods with the scraps left over from winemaking
called pomace, or vinaccia.
You need good-quality grapes and fresh soft pomace
to make good grappa.
Its proof ranges from 70 to 120.
But every good grappa should hit the nose hard,
but be smooth to drink.
That's not too shabby.
All right, guys. One hour.
Build us some grappa mash.
Your time starts now.
Good luck.
-[mark] get busy, guys. -Get with it.
Kelley, did you stomp those grapes with your feet?
Sure did. Under the light of the full moon.
My name's kelley tennille.
I live in clark county, kentucky.
These are my laying hens.
This one's name is tori amos.
Everyone's on their best behavior.
Whoop!
I'm a first-generation distiller.
This is my new baby.
I contract to make liquor at all sorts of distilleries
all over kentucky.
So, although I've been bootlegging and I've got a moonshining past,
I'm gonna be goin' legal again.
Distillation is alchemy. It's witchcraft.
It's magic.
This is one of the things I'm most known for,
boiled corn cobs.
My distillates have a certain magic about them.
This is nocino,
and this is made from immature black walnuts.
It's a little witchy.
But when it comes to distilling,
I try to respect the grains and the plant matter.
And then I get to ingest it.
It's so good.
My ultimate special sauce is the spiritual respect that
I have for the path of distillation.
And I think that's gonna get me somewhere.
Now, kelley, do you got more than one kind of grape
or are they all the same?
Uh, these are cabernet that were fermented on the skin.
So I've already got alcohol in my stuff,
which cuts out part of the process for me.
My recipe's a winner 'cause it combines black grape juice
and norton cabernet red wine grapes.
I mean, grappa's got a pretty solid bite to it.
But I don't want it to be overwhelming.
I don't want nobody spittin' out my liquor.
You might know a little, tiny bit about makin' wine.
Kelley brought hers with her already stomped.
Boys, y'all gonna get in there and stomp your grapes?
-You wanna help me? -No.
You don't want my feet in there.
You don't want mine in there either.
My name's brian battle.
I'm a general contractor from fort lauderdale, florida.
What started my interest in distilling
is my grandpa.
Papa used to take me down to the creek with him,
cook moonshine.
I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Now, this is papa's grappa.
It's a legacy grappa.
He just wanted to pass his legacy
to someone who wanted to take interest in it.
And our secret ingredient is a little bit of honey.
My grandfather got caught in the middle of a run,
sent to prison for eight years.
My nanna had to work two jobs.
The older siblings took care of the younger siblings.
So, to be able to see my papa's recipe legally sold
would mean a lot to my family
and he deserves to be the face of a jar.
What I'm making today is a legacy recipe
that was taught to me by my grandpa.
Where did you get your grapes at?
My grapes come from south florida.
-South florida. -Yes, sir.
-Is that seedless? -Seedless.
[tim] there you go.
My mash build is 48 lb of grapes,
24 lb of sugar
and 18 gallons of water.
This recipe was a winner because my papa created it.
[mark] how you coming down there, michael?
I'm racin'. I got to get all these in the pot.
My name is michael sharry,
and I live in great barrington, massachusetts.
I am a distiller at berkshire mountain distillers.
This is the tasting room.
This is a pot still built during the prohibition.
But this is the pot part.
There is a condenser piece that attaches to it.
People would just like bring their fermented apple mash
and all stick it in this thing.
What I like about distilling is that you take something,
like a grape or an apple,
and then when you distill it,
it brings back all those fresh fruit aromas and flavors.
The first spirit I ever made was some grappa.
In college, I got to go apprentice under a winemaker in Italy,
and when we finished making all the wine,
I asked, "what are we gonna do with all these grape skins?"
and he said, "we're gonna make grappa."
I was smitten.
Making italian moonshine just makes me smile.
I guarantee you those are sweety mcsweet, right there.
Oh, yeah, they are.
I am making grappa as traditional I can
to the stuff I learned in Italy.
I didn't wanna add too much stuff.
I didn't wanna add too much water,
I didn't wanna add too much sugar.
Just like really let those grapes shine.
[mark] michael got his grapes locally.
Y'all got your grapes from our neighbors.
Picked fresh yesterday.
150 lb of grapes in two hours.
The chambourcin grape is a red grape.
Wanted a red grape with a lot of tannin
so that you can actually taste all that beautiful aroma and flavor.
You'll get some nice mouth feel too.
I just don't wanna get any of these stems in here,
'cause that's what makes bitter grappa.
15 minutes left in y'all's run.
[digger] 120 proof's benchmark for grappa.
It'll light you up pretty good.
But it's supposed to be a dessert drink,
make your whole evening complete.
[tim] but 120 grappa
takes the oxygen out of your body.
[chuckles] okay.
Set the head on fire, for sure.
[digger] that thermos will take off on its own right quick like.
[kelley] it already has.
Just from me being in the car yesterday,
like, it's already took off.
-So... -I you would've gotten pulled over,
you would've been in trouble.
I was a rolling felony yesterday, I'll tell you what.
You've got one minute left.
Better be gettin' all of your things together.
Come on, baby, be grappa.
I bless you, my child.
[michael] hope it's a full moon tonight, huh?
It is a full moon tonight.
[digger] five, four, three, two, one.
Step away, guys. That's all you get.
Hope you all are where you need to be.
We'll see you in five days.
-Good luck, guys. -Good luck.
[narrator] once the yeast is added,
the grappa mash ferments for five days.
Then distillers strain the solids,
distilling the liquid and stripping off the alcohol.
The resulting base spirit will be measured
then re-distilled in the second run,
where distillers refine their flavors
and achieve a 70-120 proof grappa
for the judges to taste.
All right, guys, this is your stripping run.
The mash is in here. Time to separate the wine from the pomace,
get it in your still.
You're gonna get your alcohol out,
then we're gonna judge you on what you bring to the table in a bucket.
We're gonna be judging you on proof gallons.
Run all the volume you can at a higher proof.
Don't worry about heads.
You're collecting it all.
That will be your base spirit.
So you all got the same basic setup.
Still and a condenser.
And the winner of this competition
gets first pick of the sill parts for the next competition.
Four hours, guys.
Get us a bucketful of liquor.
Your time starts now.
Well, we can't have that stuff.
-Pretty color, ain't it. -Beautiful color.
I don't wanna burn anything. Don't want any solids in there.
Gotta get that proof gallons up.
[mark] gotta get the proof out of it.
[digger] what's gonna tell the tale, I'm afraid,
is whoever has the most volume of mash.
[tim] but you know, at the end of the day,
maybe they can make jelly.
[kelley] honey, this is so thick.
Kelley's really struggling.
She's got a lot of fruit in there.
[tim] she's not straining it the right way.
It's taking too long to strain.
[kelley] the cape on mine is like 6 inches.
Oh, [bleep].
God almighty.
You had a lot of fruit in there.
I know it.
-[mark] there's just so much solid. -Yeah.
Yeah, you're doin' the hardest part right now.
Uh, I'm in hell.
My stripping run is all screwed up.
I knew that I wasn't gonna get the proof gallons that I needed.
I can't get enough liquid in my still.
Come on, baby.
Yeah, it's not an option at this point.
You work with what you got.
[exclaims] [bleep]
[kelley] my stripping run is all screwed up.
Come on, baby.
I knew that I wasn't gonna get the proof gallons that I needed.
So right now, I'm just gonna try to get enough liquid in this still
to run it
and try to make as much proof gallons as I can.
[tim] michael, he's got it figured out.
So excited about my mash.
The only thing that I was worried about was making sure I had enough time
to get all of that liquid into the still
with enough time to strip it all out.
[mark] michael, where you at?
How many gallons you think you've got in your pot?
[michael] we're about halfway full.
[brian] easy-peasy, brother.
I thought my mash was beautiful.
Tastes pretty good.
Came out perfect.
I got my good luck charm.
[laughs] is that a coon pecker?
-Yep. -I've never used one of those.
We call that a coon [bleep].
Yeah, I try to be more-- not so derogatory.
Guys, two hours left in your run.
[brian] a little nerve-racking.
It's go time.
[michael] cowabunga. I'm drippin'.
-Yeah? -Just got it goin' on a trickle.
[kelley] how are you doing, big dog?
[brian] beatin' the sucker.
Making my grandpa's recipe means a lot.
I hope that's he's looking down super proud today.
[kelley] it smells good in here.
Yeah, it does smell good.
Michael, how's this run going?
Pretty high-proof. So I'm pleased.
What do you think you're gonna get out of this run?
Probably 5 gallons.
Maybe it's not 5 gallons.
It's not even half, buddy.
I hope I get more than that.
-Good luck. -Thank you.
Kelley, are you where you need to be?
Taste wise, yes.
Proof gallons, probably not.
But it was fairly alcoholic.
That's all that matters.
-Good luck. -Thank you.
Well, hey, you're coming on with it, slim shady.
-Yes, sir. -Looking good.
Damn, you are putting some liquor out there.
Like what you tasting?
-Yes, sir. -Like where your proof's at?
Right now, yes, sir.
-Good luck. -Thank you. I appreciate that.
What you got?
If I had to guess, probably 90.
30 minutes, y'all.
You can turn in anytime you want to
or you can take every second.
[michael] pretty much done.
Michael said he's ready.
I gotta say, the proof's really great.
I basically turned the still off when it turns into water.
[digger] all right, michael,
you got your liquor turned in.
Head on out, buddy.
I got exactly what I expected.
So, I feel good about proof gallons.
-I'm ready. -[mark] all right, brian.
-[tim] good job. -Yes, sir. Thank you.
My papa's definitely with me.
You ready to go, kell?
Bring up the rear.
I knew pretty much from the get-go
when I couldn't fill my still up all the way
that I wasn't gonna get the proof gallons that I needed.
Is it a run if some grape [bleep] didn't go down?
I caught about as much as I thought I'd catch.
[digger] all right. That's all that matters.
Thank you.
Let's get with this.
[narrator] after stripping off the grappa mash,
each distiller's bucket of raw alcohol is judged by proof gallons.
To calculate,
the judges weigh each bucket
and measure the alcohol content with a hydrometer.
The weight times the alcohol by volume
is multiplied by 2 then divided by 100.
Having more proof gallons in the next run
will help split cleaner cuts of heads,
hearts and tails
and blend the perfect jar of grappa.
[mark] this is brian's.
[digger] 25.8 lb. Right there on the money.
Most important for me today,
to make sure I keep that alcohol by volume up.
Above 100, yeah.
He is about 94.
94 proof after the calculations...
Brian has 2.62 proof gallons. Pretty good showing.
Yeah. A little over two and a half.
[digger] let's move on to kelley.
[mark] yeah, kelley, just had too many problems
getting her liquid into the still.
She's has a total weight of 12 lb.
She is 100 on the money.
All right, kelley's proof gallons is 1.19
that's a little light.
[kelley] I squeezed out as much as I could.
I didn't catch as much distillate as everybody else.
So, I mean, I think that really, like, shot me in the foot.
I'm gonna have a little bit of alcohol left from there,
but it only takes one jar.
That's all you need is a jar.
In we go with michael.
[mark] he got a lot of mash out.
He has 29 lb on the money.
I kept everything, just 'cause, you know,
I was trying to get the most amount as I possibly could.
[mark] damn it, boy.
We'll call it 104.
Michael with a whopping 3.31 proof gallons.
-Ah, damn. -Yup.
That boy's a-doin' business.
I know we're competing here, but I wish we could all three
go in the still house at the same time.
I'm gonna wait till later, and then I'll cut your brake lines.
-Like, not yet. -[both chuckle]
proof's in the puddin'.
Yup. I'mma go get 'em.
-[mark] bring 'em in. -It's that time.
[tim] welcome back.
We did our measurement calculated by the weight,
proof gallons.
Kelley,
your proof gallons, 1.19.
Brian,
your proof gallons, 2.62.
Michael, your proof gallons is 3.31.
Kudos to you.
That puts you first place in still parts.
Brian, you're second.
Kelley, you're third.
You had a slow start,
but that don't mean nothin' at the end of the day.
We just require one good jar,
and that's all it takes to win this contest.
My hat's off to all of you.
You went to get your boy in here and take 'em for a ride.
Tickle!
Did you call me?
[mark] michael picks parts first,
brian goes second
and kelley's third.
Y'all, come on here.
Let's go run and get some still parts.
-Good luck, guys. -Thank you.
I used to date a girl who was a moonshiner,
but we broke up, but I love her still.
Just her still, not her anymore.
[chuckles]
we are here to pick your still parts.
Michael, you have got three minutes
starting... Now!
[kelley] go get it, big dog.
I felt pretty confident going in.
I'm gonna grab the thumper and stick the grape skins in there
and really just accentuate that flavor.
You've got 15 seconds left in there, michael.
Have you found everything you need?
Uh... Yeah.
All right, still parts down.
If you don't see what you're looking for,
I might have grabbed it.
[kelley] okay.
Brian, you have got three minutes
starting... Now!
-Go get it, big dog. -Yes, ma'am.
I'm gonna go from two to number one
with the best-tasting jar.
My strategy is get the thumper,
and get the flavor to where I want it.
[tickle] you got 45 seconds.
All right.
He's got a bunch of parts, too.
Kelley, assuming these guys left you enough to build a still in there,
you have got three minutes
starting now!
See you [bleep] later.
Just 'cause you have a bunch of proof gallons
doesn't mean that you've actually distilled something
that tastes good.
The flavor that I got during the stripping run was phenomenal.
So what I'm gonna do is focus on flavor.
Anything else you can find in there, kelley?
I'm a-coming!
You're coming, you're coming!
Six-- all right. You got what you need?
I got everything.
All right.
Now, let's get these things inside
so we can build these stills, all right?
I believe they got everything they need,
but I think they all got each other's still parts.
I'm gonna leave y'all to it.
All right, guys, get your stills together.
You got one hour.
We'll know when we see 'em if they'll work.
Your time starts now.
Good luck to all of you.
[kelley] these gaskets are too new for me.
I'm used to using beat-to-death [bleep].
[tim] the still is bent so you have to adjust it.
You don't see gigantic thumpers inside production facilities,
so I've never used a thumper before.
Is it pointing down?
[digger] it would have been way too easy just
to move that little bench, wouldn't it?
[moonshiners laughing]
my papa used a 20-gallon copper pot.
So I'm doing exactly what my papa taught me.
I'm goin' rogue. I'm goin' awol.
My still setup's hopefully gonna help me with it
because the line goin' from the cap to the thumper,
it's set up on a downward angle,
and so that vapor doesn't have to try so hard
to pass down into the thumper.
I'm gonna be able to run every drop of alcohol out of there.
[tim] this is good. All three of you set up the same basic still, really.
Yeah, kelley's running a little different cap to thumper arm,
but, you know, they'll function the same way.
All right, guys. Time to get into that spirit run.
[tim] well, hopefully, you've got your still set up how you want it.
This competition, someone's going home.
Make sure you make those cuts right.
Grappa's one of my favorite distilled beverages.
So, keep that in mind.
You're gonna have four hours to get us a clear jar
right up here on this table.
You time starts now.
Good luck, guys.
[tim] hopefully, they use that water that they got.
This stuff smells good he's pouring in over here.
Oh, yeah, we got some fire now.
Now we got two of 'em got fire.
They're not using a whole lot of water.
[digger] I noticed that.
She ain't got a gallon and a half of liquor
but surely she'll put something over here.
I'm hoping she's gonna put some water in there.
I hear you talking about me.
Just sayin'.
I just don't have a whole lot of proof gallons to work with,
so my strategy is to just
put the smallest amount of water possible into that still
and run it low and slow.
You lookin' to level your liquid in there, kelley?
I've been having nightmares about how little proof gallons I have.
We just need one jar.
I have about 2 gallons of liquid, total.
1.19 of that is alcohol.
We can't allow you to run that small amount of high-octane spirit
without some water in it.
If I cut this too hard with water,
there's not gonna be any flavor left in it.
I'm gonna have to figure out a way
to distill that without losing a whole lot of the flavor.
It's not safe.
You've got high-octane alcohol sittin' over an open flame
in a boiler.
If it reaches its flash point,
-it's gettin' blowed up-- -you don't want me to blow up--
no, nobody wants to get blowed up with you.
Michael, do you or brian need to be blowed up today?
Oh, no. No, sir.
I mean, blowing up ain't worth a damn.
We can't allow you to run that small amount of high-octane spirit
without some water in it.
It's not safe.
You've got high-octane alcohol sittin' over an open flame
in a boiler.
If it reaches its flash point,
what are you gonna have?
If I cut this too hard with water,
there's not gonna be any flavor left in it.
You need a couple of 3 gallons in there, bare minimum.
There's not gonna be here nothin' to push the steam through
you're gonna run dry.
-Oh, geez. -[digger] exactly.
Today's not the time to test.
I don't think so either.
All right, well, I'll water it down.
Do you feel like getting blowed up today?
Uh, it's your turn.
I'm not afraid of it blowing up, long as you keep that cap on it.
If you hear that thing hissin', run.
[sighs] way to go, kell.
Michael, you're pacing, brother.
Are ya nervous?
I actually have never used a thumper before.
Really?
I almost dumped the whole batch of grape skins with all the seeds in there,
but it might make it too bitter.
If you put those skins and stuff in there,
maybe stop up your arm going to your condenser.
I was just worried about flavor, but you're right.
-[mark] brian. -Yes, sir.
What did you use to charge your thumper with?
Did I see you putting some of your wines in there?
Yeah, I put a gallon
and about a half a quart of my backins in my thumper.
Now, you're gonna pick up even more alcohol there.
Correct.
I have been worried over the last few days.
My competition have both worked in distilleries.
It's intimidating.
I'm a backwoods country boy.
Folks, y'all got three hours left.
[sighs]
[tim] one of you are going home after this run.
[kelley] where are you guys at?
140 vapor.
[brian] yeah, I'm at 150.
We should be runnin' any minute now.
Oh, we got some drippin' goin' on here.
Low and slow.
What kind of proof are you hoping to get out of there?
I want it to be somewhere 100-120,
but it's gotta taste good.
Sometimes when it's too hot,
you don't taste anything.
I agree.
[kelley] all right, I'm getting there.
There it goes.
[imitates angelic choir]
[tim] she ain't drippin', she runnin'.
[kelley] we're just gonna see what happens.
I'm goin' rogue. I'm goin' awol.
Guys, two hours left in your run.
Take your time.
-Have you tasted your stuff yet? -Not yet.
Oh, I immediately stuck my finger in it.
I always do.
-[kelley] can I try? -Yeah.
Cool.
Ooh, I'll be damned.
[slapping michael's back]
-good job, buddy. -Not too bad.
Not bad at all.
Can I try yours?
By all means.
That is good!
That's got a lot of flavor.
That's, like, fresh.
Why, thank you for the nice comments.
-I appreciate that. -Yeah, that's really good.
[digger] 1 hour and 30 minutes, y'all.
[tim] hey, bri.
Now I see you got three jars, but they're half full.
So you always cut your jars in half.
[brian] I usually stop around a pint.
You know this is important.
If you make the wrong cut, you're going home.
I don't wanna go home.
Good to hear.
-Yes, sir. Thank you. -All right.
[tim] hey, kelley.
I see you got something dripping there.
You had a little rocky start.
You think you're getting the proof out of it you want?
My first two were pretty hot,
-which is to be expected. -Oh, what-- what jar are you on now?
Um, I'm on three.
Really, the difference between me going home and not going home
is the cuts that I make.
That's right.
Bring us your best jar.
I will.
-[tim] hello, michael. -How are you, sir?
All right. What jar are you on?
I'm just cutting into hearts now.
Are you happy with your taste profile?
So far, yeah. The aroma's really good.
There is a lot of flavor in there.
I think the cool thing is that there's actual mash in here.
When you end up using a lot of the grape skins and seeds,
they're our centering components in there,
so I thought to just use the juice.
You good on proofin' it?
Uh, you know, I have not had a lot of practice with reading the bead.
I usually use a hydrometer.
Six jars.
Yeah, well, I mean, these will probably get blended in.
I don't usually blend on the fly like this...
-Okay. -...So, uh,
I'll just trust my instincts.
Well try to bring us something you would drink.
Exactly.
Personally, I'm not a cuts guy.
I mean, hell, we just made everything we'd run.
In grappa, you really need to get your proof and your flavor.
One hour left, guys.
Better be buttoning it up.
[michael] how far along are ya in?
[brian] this'll be jar number six.
Noting the tails a little bit.
[michael] I can see the bead on the flow is different.
[kelley] I think I can run this whole jar
and then I think I'll be done.
[mark] nice job, kelley.
[tim] somebody's done.
Somebody's finished.
[michael] yeah, it stopped.
Time to cool it.
This is done.
It's over.
[tim] cut your gas off.
[michael] hopefully, this doesn't screw up my taste buds.
[brian] I know.
I'm not trying to get drunk on set.
[all laughing]
-[kelley] I am. -[michael] just five sips. Okay.
This is the funnest part. I'm having a great time.
[digger] 45 minutes, folks.
[brian] that's hot.
That is the flavor profile that I'm looking for.
The hint of burn on the backside.
[kelley] it's all so hot.
I'm really happy with the proof.
I ran it, I think, the best that I could.
Yeah, I got just about every drop of alcohol out of there.
Proud of that.
You got 30 minutes left on your time.
[tim] you're runnin' outta gas.
[kelley] you're setting it on fire?
I was just making sure it wasn't too low proof.
I'm worried about checking the proof
because I rely on scientific instruments.
So the fact that we don't get to use a hydrometer
is a little unsettling.
The problem that I think michael's gonna have,
he doesn't know how to proof by the beads.
When you make that many small cuts,
blending and proofing is critical.
He could be in trouble.
He doesn't know how to proof by the beads.
I ended up blending a lot more tails in than I usually would.
So the flavor got more concentrated,
there was a lot of aroma.
I'm ready.
[mark] michael's bringing it in.
[digger] look at them cheeks.
Looks like you've been field testing a little bit.
I've tested quite a bit.
Good luck.
-Thanks. -[mark] good luck, michael.
[clicks tongue] that's interesting.
I taste this off-flavor.
But, overall, it's a good bottle of grappa.
All right, boys,
I got about had to lit.
All right, bring it in here, kelley.
I'm gettin' it on in.
Too much field testing for you too.
Am I a little red?
-You're walking sideways. -[chuckles]
we'll be to get you here shortly.
-Thank you, fellas. -[mark] good luck, kell.
Thank you.
[mark] bringin' it in here, boss?
Yes, sir.
Saved the best for last.
-[digger] we'll come get y'all when we reach a verdict. -Good luck, brian.
Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.
[digger] we might as well get busy a-tasting there, tim smith.
I know. Yup.
Let's go with michael's grappa.
-Pretty good bead. -[digger] yeah.
I'm thinking that's about 90-95.
Little light on the nose,
but I'm picking it up.
Michael oughta know grappa.
He apprenticed in northern Italy.
These other two better have their a game a-comin'.
[michael] I thought the flavor was good,
but, like, we all were tasting at the end.
It was a little tough.
I put somethin' into the jar.
[chuckles] I don't know if it was anything I wanted.
Well, there is kelley.
Nice clear jar.
Yup.
Pretty good proof, too.
She's in the range of 90-95 also.
[digger] I would just about bet.
Yeah.
Well, it's different. I don't know what she put in it,
-but-- -there's a little funky something on the nose.
It's got an off-taste to it.
You know, travelling with her own pomace and juice,
it's gonna get hot.
That's what brings that sulfury note out.
Kelley did a really good job for the amount of distillate she had.
Moving on. Let's go to brian.
Probably 120 up here now.
Now, that's not out of range, right?
-Not out of range. -No, that's not out of range at all.
But he would be at the higher end of it.
For me, I like my grappa a little hot.
You know, I wanna taste, smell the citrus on the front,
little fire on the back end.
Yeah.
[tim] real light on the nose.
-Really light. -Ooh!
It's buttery, good mouth feel.
Somebody knows what they're doing.
Backwoods versus master distillers.
If you know the process, you know the process.
[digger] welcome back, guys.
All across the board,
great job on everybody's behalf.
Brian, good drink.
It was just like grappa's supposed to be,
little last kick on the tongue,
and all the aromas on the nose just hit you like a punch.
But a little high on the octane for me.
You're a higher proof. I'm gonna guess 120.
But you did a good job on running that still.
-Thank you. -Outstanding.
Kelley.
Grappa, through and through.
You had just one little hint in there that probably
shouldn't have been there.
Now, you said your bus was working when you were bringing it, right?
Trunk of the car.
Do you know what yeast does when it gets stressed?
-Mmm. -Yeah.
I'm gonna have to agree with digger.
I think there was a flavor there that shouldn't have been.
Proof, right on. About 95.
With no hydrometer, you did an excellent job.
Thank you, sir.
Michael, good proof,
-good flavor. -Thank you.
Your distilling mechanics there was good also.
I know you said you wasn't familiar with the thumper,
but you poured it out.
-Thank you. -And then proofing,
I know you said you wasn't too good at eyeballing it,
but I think you cheated off of kelley.
'cause both of you about 95.
-Yeah. -You're right on it.
Good job, guys, all of you.
Just know that whoever goes home,
there's nothing to be ashamed of.
-Thank you, sir. -Thank you, all.
It's unfortunate that we have to cut somebody loose.
Kelley, I'm sorry that jar bought you a trip home, sweetie.
It's okay.
You just got those sulfury artifacts from your fermentation
that carried through your distillation.
It was just unfortunate circumstances.
Thank you, all, for having me here.
We enjoyed having you as a contestant.
And we certainly appreciate you being a good sport.
Yeah, no problem.
[mark] good job, girl.
My experience here was so incredibly empowering.
There's such a wealth of knowledge.
We expect to see more big things coming out of you.
Thank you, darling.
I'm gonna go home,
I'm gonna hug each of my chickens individually,
probably stay in my muumuu for the next week and a half,
drink some booze,
and then I'm gonna go back to work.
All right, gentlemen, the only step you got left
before we cut the other one loose,
time to rapid age your spirit.
This is where the rubber hits the road now.
You're gonna have 30 minutes to get your chips prepped and your liquor.
When we bring you back, there'll be time for you
to spend 30 more minutes polishing that up however you want to.
This is gonna change the profile of your grappa.
I'm hoping you're careful with it.
In Italy, aged grappa
is called grappa invecchiata.
You can overoak it or underoak it real quick like
so be careful.
30 minutes.
Your time starts...
Now.
Good luck, men.
I think they talked.
'cause both of 'em's got three jars.
[digger] that gives you something to blend with
if you don't quite get the flavor profile you're looking for.
To do this rapid age, I wanna use a little bit of heavy char.
There's some french oak I saw.
And then I wanna do another jar of just untoasted white oak.
Those untoasted chips, they'll give you that more mild vanilla note.
When I was living in northern Italy,
the guy who taught us how to make grappa,
we would always drink the clear stuff.
So we are in uncharted territory.
[tim] I think brian brought something from home.
-Toasted cherry wood. -Yes, sir.
Not a bad move.
I use the cherry as a finisher.
Doesn't take anything away from the oak.
Doesn't take anything away.
It just helps with the flavor.
It's oak's backup.
The hardest part, I knew that you wouldn't get the flavor profile
that my papa would have had in his jar
in the timeframe that I had.
I lay my jars on their side,
'cause I want the cubes to reach more of the alcohol
along the top of the surface.
'cause that's where they're gonna float.
[tim] michael, what are you doing here?
Put cheesecloth and let them age open-air,
maximize that smooth...
Finish.
[mark] brian's is turning a nice color already.
Michael has one jar over there that looks like it's been
in a barrel for five years already.
[digger] one minute.
If you ain't ready, you ain't gonna be.
All right, I think I'm good.
I feel comfy where I'm at.
[digger] all right, boys, chase on out.
We'll come get y'all when the time comes
to come back in here and finish 'em up.
Thank you.
Welcome back, men.
The time has come for you to strain your grappa
that's aged on your wood chips.
Clean it up, make it gorgeous
and see-through, can't be cloudy.
We want that in less than 30 minutes.
Everything's at stake right here.
And somebody's gonna be crowned master distiller.
Your time starts...
Now.
Do you think you're gonna do any blending with other jars?
I'ma leave 'em alone.
Yeah, I'm gonna shoot for an easy medium.
I understand.
One extremely clear and one not so clear.
A lot of concentration over there, brian.
Yeah.
I am super-focused,
and I'm ready to get the flavor to where I want it.
The grappa that I've made my whole life
has always had honey in it.
That's what I was taught as a kid.
You see what brian just did?
Mmm-hmm.
Make it or break it.
[michael] I saw brian using honey,
I thought for a second, like,
sugar hides mistakes.
Maybe he's looking to get rid of some of the tails flavor.
I saw there was some cloudiness in there.
[digger] I like tasting what the wood does first.
And then if you need some honey, throw it in there.
I'd like to be the judge of that.
[mark] I mean, it may have the best flavor. I don't know.
But he destroyed his clarity.
[digger] I mean, that looks like apple cider now.
Tim, have you ever made any grappa
other than what you've learned how to do
and what you done in Italy?
I got introduced to it in europe.
We started drinking it,
then we started making it,
then we started drinking it,
and that's the last I remember of it.
That's the last you remember of it, okay.
You can take a real good big shot of it, you know,
and you'd be like... [groans] "I can't breathe."
without oxygen,
then that don't allow for rational thinking, does it, tim?
No.
It sounds like maybe your collar was a little tight
when you was a-drinkin'.
-Yeah. -[chuckling]
[digger] I like tasting what the wood does first.
And then if you need some honey, throw it in there.
I'd like to be the judge of that.
He destroyed his clarity.
[sighs] dang it.
It's very stressful. These guys are living legends.
You feel like that was a pretty good move?
-Yeah. -I thought you would.
You got 10 minutes, gentlemen.
I ended up using almost half of the jar
of the untoasted white oak.
It left a nice clean, little bit of vanilla,
a little bit of caramel flavor.
[mark] I ain't never saw such concentration.
Michael took it to heart when I said I don't want no cloudy liquor.
Yeah, it's not bad, right.
That made me nervous when I heard digger talk about the cloudiness.
Michael's jar, clear, it looked beautiful.
My jar was a little cloudy.
[digger] three minutes left in your time, gentlemen.
Looks like brian's all done.
Bring it in, boss.
[brian] I kept my blinders on,
kept my eye on the prize.
I will not let this legacy die.
That's where you feel like you need to be, big 'un?
Yes, sir.
All right.
We'll come get you when we reach our decision.
-Yes, sir. -Good luck.
Thank you, guys.
Two minutes, michael.
[michael] I made pure
delicious grappa
to show them my best work.
I have a lot of confidence.
All right, guys.
All right, big boy, we're gonna do a little tasting
and we'll come get you when we've reached our verdict.
-Thank you, guys. -Good luck.
-[mark] good luck, michael. -Cheers.
Let's get with it.
[tim] now this is michael.
[digger] grappa invecchiata.
I've never used that many chips
on such little alcohol before, you know.
You typically age it in a barrel, right?
Yeah, yeah.
[tim] I'm still getting a little bit of the grappa smell,
the grape notes on the nose.
It's a pretty good drink of liquor, isn't it?
[digger] it's 90-95.
It's got a little fire on the back end of it.
You get that little fire like it's supposed to.
It's supposed to hit you in the throat as it goes down.
It damn sure done that.
But don't burn your gullet. It's not overoaked,
but it's just about right.
[mark] you taste that heavy.
That's where the good oak comes from,
the cinnamons and the vanillas.
Then that fruity floral from the grapes comes in.
Let's move on.
For me in the past,
usually only use quart jars.
You wanna use about a handful of chips,
so you don't overoak.
-Yeah, yeah. -I learned that lesson the hard way.
Can't see through it.
-It's a little bit milky. -[mark] sure can't read the bead.
Can't even read the bead.
He got a whole lot of sugar in that.
He put four tablespoons of honey in there.
We're just gonna have to see what it tastes like.
[brian] I blended the best I could,
got the flavor that I was looking for.
Hope that it's what they're looking for.
Now I'm getting a little bit of sweetness on the nose.
Good proof. Proof's right on.
It just like real grappa should smell like.
And I'm getting a combination of whiskey and honey on the palate.
[digger chuckles] that's really nice.
I was kinda closed-minded to that honey going in there.
But the honey's not overpowering,
it's just complementary to the liquor.
-I like that. And I taste a little bit of the oak in it. -Yup.
And I think he's got the alcohol right on the money.
Yeah, the proof is perfect.
[mark] these guys are spot-on.
Michael trained in Italy.
Brian's grandpa's grappa was his number one product.
He's been taught something as well.
Which one would you buy sitting on the shelf?
This is as good as it gets in both jars.
I'm confident in what I'm doing,
but I do also know that I'm going up against a professional here.
And for me, I do it once a week as a hobby.
That's kind of nerve-racking.
I think it's just gonna go up to the personal preferences of the judges.
-You know? -Agreed.
Uh, we're all on the same page?
I think we are.
I'ma go fetch 'em.
They've waited long enough.
Welcome back, men.
This contest right here...
Was probably the toughest decision we've ever had to go with.
But somebody's gonna be crowned master distiller.
You get a limited run of your liquor
and sugarlands distilling company.
Brian, great drink.
The color was good. The flavor was there.
I wasn't quite as boom-on-the-nose
like I would expect it to be,
but it's silky smooth.
The only thing that I had against it,
I don't like cloudy liquor.
The clarity is not quite up to par.
The touch of honey, yes, it did make it cloudy,
but it's just added a little bit of complexity to your jar.
Michael, your jar, when you open that top,
it hits you right in the nose.
You know exactly you're getting ready to taste something very good.
[digger] you get the benefits of the aging,
your fruity floral notes open up in the middle.
So it's really, really a great drink of liquor.
Proof is right on the money.
And clarity is perfect also.
At the end of the day,
I could find everything right with both of 'em.
It's hard to express how outstanding those jars are
that both of you have.
You both should be very proud.
Unfortunately...
We gotta cut somebody loose
and name somebody the master distiller.
Brian,
you're the next master distiller.
Yeah!
Congratulations.
To hear the words "you're the next master distiller,"
it's one of the greatest feelings in the world.
The jar I turned in is papa's grappa, to the t.
Michael,
that jar is frigging outstanding.
-Thank you. -[digger] it is off the charts.
Brian had some really awesome flavors.
He deserved it.
I was happy to be here.
And I think I could be a pioneer for the grappa movement
in the northeast sometime in the future.
-Hey, brian. -Yes, sir.
Thank you. Papa's proud.
-Ain't no doubt, man. -Yeah.
I'm grateful for my papa.
He spent eight years in the state penitentiary
because of moonshine.
I stand here today because of him.
I want to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart
for allowing me to judge y'all.
Now get on out of here before you get us in tears.