Tim Smith’s Climax Wood Fired Whiskey Review

Climax Wood Fired Whiskey (90 proof $29.99) is Tim Smith’s century-old moonshine recipe aged and filtered with toasted oak and maple wood. The process includes southern Appalachian Oak-in tank staves. Hand selected to be without defect each stave is carefully cured to with +/-0.5% moisture content before undergoing a unique small batch open flame wood toasting, and aging process throughout the entire thickness of the whole stave and is allowing 100% of the oak to work on the maturation. The final process allows the whiskey to cool in Oak containers.

If this description seems a bit vague, it is because Climax Whiskey is an accelerated Moonshine and not a traditional age for many years Bourbon. I have had a few discussions with the head distiller, and their proprietary process is top secret. I know many spirits industry professionals do not approve of accelerated whiskeys, but I think it’s a fun and exciting trend.  I like that Climax isn’t trying to be a knock-off of a traditional whiskey, it has its unique flavor using both Oak and Maple wood in the aging process.

Climax Whiskey is dark amber, darker than most whiskeys in its price range. The aroma is moderately strong corn, turpentine, peat, and smoke, like wet wood in a fire pit. Taste is campfire smoke, cooked corn sweetness, burnt toffee and toasted pecans. Finish is lasting sweet and smoky with plenty of vanilla.

I sampled this to friends along with some traditional whiskeys in a blind taste test, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Keep in mind I did not tell them it was an accelerated moonshine, as I am sure that would have tainted their responses. Climax Whiskey still has a bit of moonshine flavor to it, along with a fun combination of smoke and charred woods. At $29.99 Climax Whiskey does compete with some four years or older bourbons. In comparison, it did win the Platinum Best of Class award at the SIP 2017 awards as well as the Best Single Barrel American Whiskey under ten years old. In the same competition, the second highest rated whiskey was the eight years aged Chicken Cock Whiskey (their 160th-anniversary recipe) that sells for $79.95 a bottle. If you enjoy a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned with a bit of smoke on the finish Tim Smith’s Climax Wood Fired Whiskey is a fine choice to try.