The skill of distilling beverage alcohol has been around for about nine hundred years, most of it done by farmers looking for a way to 1) preserve their crops and 2) make some extra money. Despite the intervention of government regulations and licensing, many stills continue to work on the sly even today. Clyde May was one of these “stillers” working post-1945 in the densest illegal still area of the U.S. What made his whiskey different from most, is that he brought a certain skill in the final product that folks from Alabama recognized and desired. It is in that spirit that Clyde May’s Conecuh Ridge is now made (legally) today.
Clyde May’s Conecuh Ridge Whiskey (85 proof)
Visual: Deep rich caramel.
Nose: Spicy, yet sweet with a lot of caramelized sugar.
Taste: Wonderful balance of sweetness and oak. The spice character comes through midway, but supports the overall effect, similar to the spice blend in fresh baked gingerbread.
Finish: Appropriately short, leaving a final, satisfying dessert-like sweetness.
Overall: A truly great American sipping whiskey.
GSN Rating: A
For more information go to: Clyde May’s
