Neither of us had ever heard of Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey. We were in the checkout line at a local liquor store and checking out their huge selection of small, some call them airplane, bottles when we spotted Clyde May’s and decided to buy a couple of them for one of our tastings. Per their website, it sounds like Clyde started out as a moonshiner and actually spent some time in jail for it. In fact, it is still marketed as premium moonshine. From the site “Distilled since 1946. Legal since 2001. Over 70 years of authenticity, dedication, integrity, and perseverance — that’s what it takes to become the first official state spirit in the country, the Official State Spirit of Alabama™.” So, if you live in Alabama, maybe you have heard of this stuff.
We are not sure as to Clyde May’s availability since we have never looked for it. It is 85 proof, aged 4 years, sells for under $30, and comes in a plain-looking corked bottle. We were not able to find the mash bill, just that it contains rye, corn, and barley. Nor were we able to ascertain exactly what is meant by Alabama-style whiskey. Also, from their website, “is aged 4 years in oak barrels and finished with a hint of apple.” We could not find out what they meant by “finished” with a hint of apple. We assume this is the “Alabama” thing but there are other whiskeys made in Alabama that don’t mention the apple finishing.
This Whiskey is not a bad price and has a somewhat cool story behind it. Here’s to hoping we like it. As a side note, we did not know about the apple thing when we tasted it.
NOSE
Todd: I’m getting an odd aroma that I cannot quite nail down, almost like a medicine or acrylic. Beyond that picking up scents of rye, malt, wood, and some black pepper. I am getting a fruit smell that I also cannot nail down. Ice didn’t change it.
Matt: Smells like your average inexpensive Bourbon with vanilla, caramel, oak, and bread all making their presence known. I am also picking up the fruit that Todd couldn’t identify, maybe red apples? Agree on the ice, nothing.
TASTE
Todd: Getting a bit of the rye and while tasting sweet caramel and chocolate, also getting a touch of bitterness. I am tasting that odd thing that I got on the nose and still can’t identify it. I lost the fruit.
Matt: Taste like what it is, inexpensive whiskey with no real complexity. Taste a bit of the vanilla and caramel that I got on the nose, but the bread, fruit, and oak were absent. I did pick up the bitterness, though.
FINISH
Todd: Bitter, medium long with a little fruit.
Matt: Bitter, medium without the fruit.
OVERALL
Todd: Not terrible, but probably wouldn’t buy again.
Matt: I wouldn’t buy, but as far as cheap whiskeys it is better than Jack or Jim.
Nose 2.75 out of 5
Taste 6 out of 10
Finish 2 out of 5
Total score 10.75 out of 20 barrels.
Glad we don’t live in Alabama; we might think this stuff is the cream of the crop. Wonder how much they actually drink of it? Is it along the lines of Chicago’s Malort, kind of a cult thing? We don’t know nor really care. What we do care about is good whiskey, and this stuff does not make the cut. There are some good points, price being the main one, but also pretty smooth neat, and at 85 proof you won’t get tipsy as quickly. Some might look at that as a bad point.
In the end, as we say with almost all the lower price juice, if you can find Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey, you should probably try it for yourself, you can always use it as a mixer.