The Best Distilleries in the Smokies

To be completely honest I was only able to get to two of the distilleries on my list. The trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was one of those that felt like I did a lot but I actually didn’t get to do much at all, if that makes any sense. In any case, I had a pretty extensive list of distilleries in this area of Tennessee click here for the list. 

I ended up trying to visit these distilleries on a Saturday. Don’t make the same mistake; Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are both incredibly packed on weekends. I couldn’t even find parking in Gatlinburg during the day and it was still hard to find parking at night. I ended up only visiting a few distilleries in Gatlinburg and although I tried, none in Pigeon Forge. 

The Favorite: Ole Smoky

According to their website, Ole Smoky is a White Oak Barrel aged whiskey, which is a truly American experience. The Ole Smoky families were some of the first to step into the Smoky Mountains. And like many others, they perfected the art of making whiskey in order to survive economic hardships. And it probably comes as no surprise that Ole Smoky Distillery Barrelhouse was our favorite. We did the tasting for $5 with Colby and had a great time! I ended up buying a ton of different whiskeys.

Her Favorite:

Whiskey – cinnamon, salty watermelon

Moonshine – Apple Pie

His Favorite:

Whiskey – mango habanero and blended

Second Place: Doc Collier’s Moonshine Distillery

My other favorite distillery was Doc Colliers and according to their Trip Advisor write up, Doc Collier’s Moonshine Distillery comes from a heritage steeped in folklore and stories found in and around the mountains of East Tennessee. “Great-Great Grandpa William ‘Doc’ Collier traveled these mountains on horseback delivering his moonshine before moonshine was even a word. This at a time when an honest man knew he could find a stiff drink in our neck of the woods.” I’m not going to lie that write up had me hooked and I really wanted to check it out!

I ended up going shortly before they closed for the night. We did the $5 tasting session with Trey and had a great time. I didn’t buy quite as much from Doc Colliers but I loved the atmosphere here. I also loved that it was specifically moonshine. 

Her Favorites:

Smoky Mountain Sunrise – I love the tartness of the cranberry!

Greenbrier Apple – Green apple

His Favorites:

125 – straight off the still – high proof moonshine. 

(this stuff has some serious burn – Vanessa)

Wish We Had Time For:

I attempted to check out Sugarlands Distilling Company’s tasting but every time I stopped by (I’m pretty sure it was 3 or 4 different times) the line had a 45+ minute wait. It is listed as the number 1 thing to do on Trip Advisor for Gatlinburg so I’m sure it’s great. But I heard from several people at our Ole Smoky tasting that it was nothing to write home about. I still would have liked to have tried it but I was also not willing to wait in for upwards of 45 mins.

I was super bummed to have missed out on Old Forge Distillery in Pigeon Forge. They offer moonshine, bourbon, rum, and vodka. I just felt like their moonshine flavors sounded awesome, specifically, french toast, oatmeal cookie, and bananas foster really caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was located in Old Mill Square, which is so cute but I couldn’t find parking a single time I tried to visit that area, which was 3 different times. 

I would definitely recommend that you visit at least 1 distillery while in the Smokies. Whether it be Ole Smoky, Doc Colliers, Sugarlands or Old Forge, you really can’t go wrong, Plus, the tastings are a lot of fun! Never turn down a tasting!

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