Ep 4. Mountain Brandy

In the Moonshiners: Master Distiller season 1 episode 4, titled "Mountain Brandy," the distillers continue their quest for the perfect batch of moonshine. This time, they head to the mountains to experiment with making brandy, a type of liquor distilled from fruit.

Mark, Digger, and Tim are the main distillers featured in this episode. Mark and Digger set up their brandy operation in a makeshift shed that they constructed themselves. They start by brewing apple mash, which they then distill to make apple brandy.

Meanwhile, Tim is experimenting with a different fruit - pears. He's determined to make a successful pear brandy, but it's proving to be more difficult than he anticipated. He struggles to find the right balance of sweetness and tartness, and his first batch doesn't turn out quite right.

Back in the mountains, Mark and Digger are cautiously optimistic about their apple brandy. They've never made brandy before, so they're not sure what to expect. But after a taste test, they're pleasantly surprised - it's good, but there's room for improvement.

The next step is aging the brandy in barrels. Mark and Digger use small oak barrels, which they hope will give the brandy a nice, oaky flavor. They leave the barrels to age for several months, occasionally sampling the brandy to see how it's progressing.

Meanwhile, Tim is still struggling with his pear brandy. He decides to add some spice to the mix, hoping it will help balance out the sweetness of the fruit. He also experiments with different types of yeast, trying to find the one that will give him the best flavor. It's a lot of trial and error, but Tim remains determined.

As the weeks go by, Mark and Digger's apple brandy continues to age. They decide to try blending different batches together, hoping it will create a more complex flavor. They also do a blind taste test with some expert tasters, who give them some valuable feedback.

Finally, after several months of aging, the brandy is ready to be bottled. Mark and Digger are excited to taste the finished product. They also decide to take a bottle to Tim as a peace offering, as the two pairs had some disagreements earlier in the episode.

Overall, "Mountain Brandy" is an enjoyable episode of Moonshiners: Master Distiller. It's fascinating to see the distillers explore a new type of liquor, and to watch as they overcome challenges and experiment with different techniques. The episode is also a reminder of the dedication and hard work that goes into creating high-quality moonshine and other spirits.