The McMinn County Sheriff's Office busted a moonshining operation Tuesday, the first such bust in years.

McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy doesn't stumble upon moonshining operations very often.

But Tuesday morning, Guy and Lt. Detective Eric Allman found one at an old barn at the base of Starr Mountain near Etowah, Tenn.

"It's just not something we see every day, and may never see again," Guy, who is also county historian, said in a news release.

Allman conducted interviews about the incident, and the district attorney's office was consulted, police said.

Allman said he believes the case will result in criminal charges.

The operation seemed to involve the production of homemade brandy, or "wineshine," Allman said in the release.

Police found five 50-gallon barrels of muscadine and apple-based homemade wine in one room of the barn, and they found the still in another room.

Police also found other liquor-making devices and bottles at the barn, Allman said. Elsewhere on the property, they found a small amount of marijuana and a "mini still" that can produce small amounts of liquor.

The products were destroyed and the stills were dismantled, police said.

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