Review: Cole Swindells Pre Show Punch
A bottle of Cole Swindells Pre Show Punch has been sitting on my back bar for a month now as I’ve anxiously waited for it’s release. Pre Show Punch will start arriving on store shelves Friday January 18. It is produced and bottled by Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg Tennessee. The neutral spirits base is made from Tennessee white corn milled onsite. The milled corn and pure cane sugar are combined with back-ins from the prior batch along with yeast and pure Smoky Mountains water. The fermentation process takes 4-5 days. Once fermented, the mash is transferred to a copper pot still for the first distillation. The spirit next moves through a copper distillation column where it condenses and is redistilled 5 more times. The heads and tails of the liquid are separated leaving only the heart. Natural flavors and certified colors are added before bottling at 50 proof. The aroma is Fruit Strip Gum, maraschino cherry, orange, and coconut with a corn spirit backing. The sweet cherry Kool Aid entry builds to a tart fruit punch peak. At its flavor peak I find notes of orange and lime within the fruit punch flavor. It fades with cherry leaning fruit punch and finishes with a mild burn, coconut, corn spirit, and fruit punch taste. While sweet, Cole Swindells Pre Show Punch has about the same sugar feel as a glass of Hawaiian Punch and at 50 proof Pre Show Punch is smooth enough to drink straight from the jar.
Made in Gatlinburg Tennessee
25% Alcohol
Score: 89
Award: Silver Medal