Today we'll again be examining a very old tradition come new hot product on the market, flavored day shine. Now, you may be asking yourself now, why did he use the phrase "day shine?" Well, moonshine is named after an adage that those folks crazy enough to be distilling illegally might say, "done by the shine of the moon." This method was intended to keep the authorities from being notified of what was going on at the site of a clandestine distillery. What is being reviewed here today and in future articles in this on-going series is a legitimate commercial product, thus it can be distilled in broad daylight, hence "day shine."
Review:
Ole Smoky Cherry is birthed from a neutral grain spirit produced much like other products in its category, from a corn mash. Produced by the Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg, TN, it is essentially unaged whiskey. Where it begins to differ is that it is distilled six times akin to a vodka, or also like its competitor, Georgia Moon. The nose is an absolute cherry bomb to the senses. "This result is a complete surprise," said nobody ever.
Rather than try to wax philosophical on this product, instead I will cut to the chase. It tastes like cherries. I do not in any way intend for this to be interpreted as bad. It isn't too sweet, mixes amazingly, and is balanced in its profile. It straddles the fence perfectly between the stereotypical backwoods high proof liquor and a pinkies out liqueur. One word of caution though, the cherries themselves soak in quite a bit of the 'shine, and are stronger than you might imagine. Get a 750 ML bottle at your local area Spec's Wine, Spirits, and Finer Foods for roughly 24 dollars.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Suggested Tasting Method: Neat or mixed with soda of your choice and garnished with the cherries in the bottle
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