Flavored Whiskey

As with other spirits categories, whiskey can be flavored with herbs, spices, fruit flavors, or just about anything else, typically just before it is bottled. One of the biggest trends in whiskey in the last decade has been the growth of cinnamon-flavored whiskey, particularly Fireball. Honey-flavored whiskeys have also surged in popularity in recent years. These flavored styles offer an easier, sweeter, and friendlier entry point into the sometimes daunting world of whiskey and are usually geared toward novice drinkers, though a few more elevated offerings are on the market. Note that flavored whiskeys are distinct from whiskeys that are aged or finished in a unique barrel (such as a used Port wine barrel or a maple wood barrel), even though it may impart a specific and unique flavor. These types of whiskeys are categorized (and are widely considered) as full members of their parent category (bourbon, rye, Scotch, etc.).

Top Flavored Whiskey Posts:

George Dickel Tabasco Barrel Finish
Sons of Liberty Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey (2016) and Gala Apple Flavored Whiskey
Ol’ Major Bacon Flavored Bourbon
Old Forester Mint Julep
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
Wild Turkey American Honey Sting

Review: Forthwest Whisky, Giant Peach, Shiny Apple, and Spice of Life

By Drew Beard | August 19, 2024 |

Move over Crown Royal. There’s a new kid on the flavored Canadian whisky block. Forthwest Whisky Co. launched earlier this year with a portfolio of three flavored offerings and one unflavored blend. The whiskies are all sourced from an unspecified Canadian producer and finished at Oregon’s Hood River Distillers with glacier-fed spring water from Mt.…

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Review: Bearface Canadian Whisky Wilderness Series 01: Matsutake

By Christopher Null | May 21, 2024 |

Vancouver-based Bearface has launched a new whisky series called the Wilderness Series, each bottle to be aged and infused with products sourced from or inspired by the great outdoors. Up first is a version of Bearface infused with wild matsutake mushrooms — which may be a first for us. Per the company, the whiskey is…

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Review: Mash & Mallow S’mores Whiskey

By Christopher Null | February 20, 2024 |

Mash & Mallow looks on the surface like any old industrial flavored booze product, right? I mean… s’mores whiskey? Come on. Turns out the product is made by none other than Kaveh Zamanian, the man behind Rabbit Hole Bourbon and no slouch when it comes to quality spirits. So maybe there’s something to this after…

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Review: Catoctin Creek Hot Honey Rye

By Drew Beard | November 18, 2023 |

This fall, Catoctin Creek released Hot Honey Rye, the first permanent addition to the small craft distillery’s core range in over five years. First introduced as a limited Barrel Select offering in 2022, this flavored whiskey is now slated for the big leagues with distribution to all of Catoctin Creek’s mid-Atlantic markets, as well as…

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Crown Royal Golden Apple 23 Year

Review: Crown Royal Golden Apple 23 Years Old

By Frank Dobbins | September 4, 2023 |

Is the world ready to try a high-end, 23-year-old flavored whiskey? One brand is banking on the answer being “yes,” and thus Crown Royal Golden Apple was born. As the newest entry in Crown Royal’s Master Series, Golden Apple is a blend of Canadian whiskies aged for 23 long years that is flavored with golden…

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Review: Buchanan’s Pineapple

By Christopher Null | June 3, 2023 |

Just when you think you’ve seen everything along come something new: Pineapple flavored Scotch courtesy of Buchanan’s. Officially billed as a “spirit drink” — Scotch cannot legally be flavored — it is a product “crafted with Scotch whisky, pineapple, citrus, and other natural flavors.” While I would suggest this is exclusively a mixer for oddball…

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Review: Whiskey in the Wild Flavored Whiskeys – Original and Orange

By Monica Uhm | May 25, 2023 |

An introduction to the origins of Whiskey in the Wild sounds a bit like the opener to the standard bar joke: “a food chemist, pro hockey player, biotechnician, and physician walk into … er… the woods.” And they start a whiskey company. Or rather, they start a whiskey-centered lifestyle company catering to like-minded consumers with…

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Review: Journeyman Corsets, Whips and Whiskey and Pit-Spitter Cherry Rye

By Drew Beard | April 5, 2023 |

It’s been a hot minute since we last checked in on Michigan’s Journeyman Distillery. Now we’re back with a look at two humorously named expressions, one a wheat whiskey and the other a flavored rye whiskey. Thoughts follow. Journeyman Corsets, Whips & Whiskey – A single distillation of 100% organic Michigan wheat bottled at cask…

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Review: Ballotin Chocolate Toffee Whiskey

By Christopher Null | February 26, 2023 |

Our last encounter with Ballotin‘s (many) chocolate whiskey flavors was back in 2016. Since then, the company’s continued to innovate on the choco-whiskey tip, including this new release, Chocolate Toffee. The flavor design should be fairly self-explanatory, and for the most part Ballotin comes through with this expression. There’s chocolate on the nose, plus an…

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Review: Village Bourbon and Bonfire

By Christopher Null | January 14, 2023 |

Village Garage Distillery (housed in a former garage for the local highway department, hence the name) can be found in Bennington, Vermont, where it was founded in 2018 and began releasing products in 2021. All of the company’s spirits are made in the state — though not necessarily by the company itself. In addition to…

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