I picked this up mainly because I have fond memories of the orange Ole Smoky moonshine. I recall having a whole jar of it over the course of a few nights, and it really grew on me. I liked it so much that I went to a local amusement facility with my nieces and nephews, and there was a bar that served that particular kind of moonshine, I ordered a double, and it smoothed out the festivities for the evening. I sincerely hope that Sugarlands is equal or surpasses the fond memories I have of Ole Smoky.
Well, it looked orange in the jar, but I've been fooled by that before. This looks orange in the glass. It is orange Kool-Aid color, but of course it has the consistency of moonshine. That is to say it is similar in viscosity to brown liquors, but it is not brown. The aroma should be orange, but I am confronted with a prodigious amount of alcohol, instead. At 25% ABV, this is not a beer, but it's also not the strongest moonshine I've had. I'm not even sure it matches the average for the amount of alcohol I normally find in a jar like this. Does that mean they strive for stronger flavor, or was it less expensive to produce a weaker beverage? Only trying it will tell.
First sip is more genteel than most moonshines that I've had, and it is more mild than it probably needs to be. What is strange is that the orange isn't really coming through all that strong. As a result, the alcohol flavor is simultaneously more intense and less intense than it needs to be. What this really needs is a shot of orange Kool-Aid and a shot of higher proof moonshine.
Continued sipping reveals that I may have been a little harsh with the first sip. Orange does seem to come in pretty well right at the beginning, and it also hangs on for the trail off. The alcohol seems to disappear after about the third sip. This is not too unusual, as I seem to just get used to the idea of a well-oiled beverage. However, this isn't really as robust as the competing orange moonshine is, and I will probably grab that one instead of this one, if they are on the same store shelf.
Bottom Line: Pretty good, but only pretty good.
2.5/5
