6 White Whiskies You Should Be Drinking

By Jeremy Glass

Published on 2/10/2015 at 8:20 AM

To the untrained eye, a straight glass of white whisky could be easily confused for a cup of gasoline or—worse—Everclear. White whiskey is a take on the iconic liquor that gets its distinct lack of color from a quick distillation process and lack of barrel-aging. It's better known by its redneck alias, moonshine.

But don't let any negative connotations with the word sway you from sipping down the clear stuff. White whiskey is making a comeback in a huge way and it's time you get yourself into the scene. Here are six white whiskies that you should be drinking. 

1. Bully Boy Distillers - $34.99
ABV: 40 percent
Made In: Boston
Best Served: On the rocks. Bully Boy has a complex series of flavors that comes at you like a dessert buffet gone wild. There's a nutty, peppery, full body taste that has hints of vanilla and banana and you don't want to sully with a mixer or chaser. Chasers are for wusses anyway. 

2. White Pike Whiskey - $39.99
ABV: 40 percent
Made In: New York
Best Served: Try a Bloody Monty, you're not going to regret it. The dudes from White Pike came by our offices and blew our minds with a cocktail comprised of five ounces of McClure's Bloody Mary mix, two ounces of whiskey, Worchester sauce, olive juice, and horseradish. It'll change the way you think about drinking in the morning. 

3. Buffalo Trace White Dog - $14.99
ABV: 62.5 percent
Made In: Kentucky
Best Served: Moonshine burns like hell going down, but that's kind of the fun part about it. Try White Dog neat and report back for further instructions. 

4. Rock Town Arkansas Lightning - $24.99
ABV: 55 percent
Made In: Arkansas
Best Served: Since these guys proudly proclaim that their moonshine tastes "just like grandaddy used to make," we recommend mixing it with Mountain Dew—just like grandaddy. If you're going for that whole look, try chugging Lightning during a NASCAR race with your too-hot-to-handle second cousin on your arm. 

5. Hudson New York City Whiskey - $29.99
ABV: 46 percent
Made In: New York
Best Served: Hudson specializes in making whiskies you can sip calmly—preferably in front of a fire. On the rocks or on ice, it's tasty either way. Hudson is soft on the tongue, low on the burn scale, and we swear it tastes like running through a corn field with your mouth open. 

6. Few Whiskey
ABV: 40 percent
Where It's Made: Illinois
Best Served: Slowly sip over ice—preferably circular or in the shape of the Death Star. Few Spirits have a killer line-up of Bourbon and Rye—but this small-batch grain whiskey is a great way to go.


Jeremy Glass is the Vice editor for Supercompressor and likes his whiskey on the rocks, but literal rocks.