If you’re a whiskey aficionado, you might look at the words “flavored whiskey” and treat them like a modern-day scarlet letter. There’s a stigma around flavored whiskeys that suggests they’re all cloyingly sweet and overly flavored with fake-tasting additives. And while there are expressions on the market that fall under that umbrella, there are also a handful of great, subtly flavored bottles perfect for sipping and mixing.
Honestly, if there’s any season to get on the flavored whiskey bandwagon, it’s fall. When the weather turns cool, you eschew hazy IPAs and gin and tonics for beverages that warm you from the inside out.
Below, you’ll find our favorite flavored whiskeys to drink during the crisp fall months. They highlight the flavors of the season including apples, caramel, maple, and, yes, even pumpkin spice. Keep scrolling to see the bottles you should be stocking up on this month to enjoy now—and well into the winter months.
Best Flavored Whiskeys to Drink for a Taste of Fall
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1. Wild Turkey American Honey Sting
You’re probably familiar with Wild Turkey’s American Honey. As the name suggests, it’s a blend of Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon and honey. That’s all well and good, but if you want to get some fire in your blood, opt for the ramped-up American Honey Sting. It gets a spicy kick from the addition of ghost peppers.
There are few flavored whiskeys more suited for fall sipping than Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon. This 90 proof whiskey is a blend of bourbon and natural smoked maple flavors. The result is a slightly smoky, sweet whiskey with hints of caramel, vanilla, and subtle oak.
This unique bottle starts with Canadian whisky blended with pecan flavor to create a nutty, smooth flavor. It’s well suited for sipping on a cool fall evening or mixing into a cocktail for a caramel-vanilla-candied-pecan flavor you won’t soon forget.
One of the best pairings is chocolate and whiskey. Cut out the middleman by sipping this chocolate-based beauty. It starts with the distillery’s moonshine, which gets infused with ground cacao bean husks from Raaka chocolate. The result is a slightly bitter, sweet, dark chocolate-flavored whiskey.
This rye whiskey is infused with spicy, aromatic ginger. The result is a bold, warming whiskey well-suited for sipping on a cold night or mixing into an old fashioned.
If you’re a fan of pumpkin beers, you’ve likely tried Southern Tier Pumking at some point. This iconic beer tastes like fall in a pint glass. It’s so popular the company’s distilling offshoot decided to make a whiskey version. This 70 proof whiskey is ripe with flavors like sweet pumpkin, pie crust, and seasonal spices.
Bird Dog prides itself on its flavored whiskeys. This one begins with Kentucky bourbon that’s blended with clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg to create a sublimely seasonal experience.
In the last few years, many peanut butter whiskeys have joined the market. One of the best in terms of price and value is Ram’s Point. It’s simple, sweet, and loaded with nutty flavor to appeal to the most ardent peanut butter and whiskey fans.
If you’re looking for a mellow fall whisky, you can’t go wrong with Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. But if you want to punch the flavor up, grab a bottle of its Salted Caramel. This blend of Canadian whisky and salted caramel flavor is filled with hints of vanilla, oak, and a pleasing hint of salinity at the finish.
There are loads of apple-flavored whiskeys on the market, but Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple just might be the best. The whiskey is blended with real green apple flavor to create a rich, mellow tasting experience with hints of caramel apples, vanilla, and toffee.
