The 12 Unique and Best
Flavored Whiskeys

‘Whisky won’t solve your problems. Then again, neither will milk…”

There are some delicious, and strange, flavored whiskeys that have hit the market in the past few years- which is great news for whiskey fans! Even better, these spirits appeal to even those who dislike whiskey, and they’re a lot of fun to sample.

Flavored whiskey extends far beyond a cinnamon infusion (nothing wrong with Fireball), but now you can find maple, honey, and even fish flavors once you’ve fallen down this rabbit hole!

Related: Best Whiskey Cocktails

If you’re interested in trying some unique and best flavored whiskey, there’s a growing list of interesting products to try and to save you sometime and effort I’ve put together this list of the 12 Best Flavored Whiskeys to get you started.

There are endless possibilities of what you can do with your whiskey. You can drink it neat on or off the rocks at the end of a hard day. You can also throw a cocktail party with a twist. A whiskey cocktail party with lots of different varieties and garnishes. Take a look at Dramson to get all the very best equipment for your cocktail needs.

The 12 Best Flavored Whiskeys to Try 

“Non-traditional whiskey” is rapidly gaining traction and it may not be with the people you’d think. While a true whiskey lover loves all whiskey, these unique flavored options have allowed non whiskey die hards a chance to ‘dip their toes in’ so to speak. And the beauty of it all, isn’t ‘what if I pick wrong?” it’s ‘which do I pick first?”

Below you will find an outline of the 12 best flavored whiskeys to try out, vetted by yours truly, so that you can make the right decision the next time you’re surfing the shelves and want to try something new .

Below are the 12 Best Flavored Whiskey

  • Bird Dog Maple Whiskey
  • Ole Smoky Salty Caramel Whiskey
  • Jameson Cold Brew
  • Jeremiah Weed Sarsaparilla Whiskey
  • Old Forester Mint Julep
  • Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve
  • Fishky
  • Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
  • Crown Royal Apple
  • Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey
  • Kings County Distillery Chocolate
  • Rogue Chipotle Whiskey

Bird Dog Maple Whiskey

The Flavor: Maple
The Distillery: ABV: 40%
Tasting Notes: Rich, Smooth

Bird Dog produces a wide range of flavored Kentucky bourbon, but one of the best to try is their maple whiskey.  It is flavored with real maple syrup which blends surprisingly well with the sweet bourbon producing butterscotch and brown sugar notes.  The brand recommends pouring the 80 proof whiskey directly over pancakes for a boozy weekend brunch.

Ole Smoky Salty Caramel Whiskey

The Flavor: Caramel
The Distillery: ABV: 30%
Tasting Notes: Rich, Sweet

If you generally like your whiskey to be balanced with sugary simple syrup or pop, the Ole Smoky Salty Caramel is definitely one of the best flavored whiskey to try.

It’s rich and sweet, with a salty finish evocative of a salted caramel candy.  Add it to a pecan slope, salted caramel apple martini, or even an iced tea.

Jameson Cold Brew

The Flavor: Coffee
The Distillery: ABV: 30%
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Coffee, Oak

Even the Irish have gotten in on the flavored whiskey craze, and coffee is a natural pairing for Jameson.  It’s made with 100% Arabica beans, and has an intense richness like chocolate or a good cigar.

The caffeine in this whiskey will give you just a bit of an extra kick.  Try it over ice, added to coffee, or over ice cream.  It also makes for a very nice hot chocolate!

Jeremiah Weed Sarsaparilla Whiskey

The Flavor: Vanilla & Sarsaparilla
The Distillery: ABV: 35.2%

Sarsaparilla was a precursor to root beer, used in medicinal tonics to cure everything from hangovers to morphine addiction.  This flavored whiskey has notes of wintergreen and licorice, close to root beer, but spicier.

Add it to a glass of Coca-Cola, or enjoy it neat.  It’s definitely a unique flavored whiskey for those adventurous enough to give it a try.

Old Forester Mint Julep

The Flavor: Mint
The Distillery: ABV: 30%

Do you know how Louisville locals can spot a tourist?  They order a mint julep when it isn’t Derby day!  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t sneak this mint infused bourbon any day of the year.  The flavors of Old Forester that you love are definitely present, along with sweetener and mint oil.

It’s an easy way to enjoy this iconic cocktail, and makes for a very unique flavored whiskey.  Just add it to crushed ice, and maybe give it a squeeze of fresh lime.  You can also go off script and add this whiskey to lemonade.

Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve

The Flavor: Tropical
The Distillery: ABV: 40%
Tasting Notes: Apple, Banana, Caramel, Pear

The Scots take their Scotch very seriously, and don’t usually mess with a good thing.  But this classic single malt Scotch whiskey aged in casks that once held Caribbean rum shouldn’t be overlooked.

Glenlivet gives tasting notes of pear, apple, and banana, and suggest adding a splash.

Fishky

The Flavor: Maple
The Distillery: ABV: 40%
Tasting Notes: Rich, Smooth

We can’t talk about the best flavored whiskeys without mentioning Fishky, the salted herring flavored whiskey.  Let’s start off by saying, this spirits isn’t for everyone.

But if you’re feeling audacious, this German whiskey infused for three months in barrels that previously held salted herring will be an experience.

Try it in a dirty martini, if you dare.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

The Flavor: Honey
The Distillery: ABV: 35%

Jack Daniel’s is an incredibly smooth whiskey, thanks to its charcoal mellowing process, and the Tennessee Honey version sweetens the experience.  The whiskey is praised because it avoids being cloyingly sweet, and instead produces an authentic honey flavor.

Enjoy this whiskey over ice, in a cocktail, or even in coffee.  It also makes a very nice addition to lemonade on a hot summer day.

Crown Royal Apple

The Flavor: Applie
The Distillery: ABV: 35%

What happens when you infuse Canada’s Crown Royal with sweet gala apples?  You get a spirit reminiscent of apple pie, sweet and tart with lots of caramel and spice.

This Manitoba favorite can be added to an apple cider, or add it to cranberry juice and garnish with a fresh apple.  This is definitely a unique flavored whiskey worth adding to your bar cart.

Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey

The Flavor: Nuts
The Distillery: ABV: 35%
Tasting Notes: Caramel, Honey, Roasted, Vanilla, Velvety

Have you ever had a peanut butter cup cocktail?  It is one hell of a way to incorporate whiskey into a dessert drink, and the screwball peanut butter whiskey was made for this cocktail.  What started as a strange shot concocted by a foodie and bartender has grown into a flavored whiskey franchise with quite the following.

They aren’t the only distillery to use peanut butter (Bird Dog, Ram’s Point, and Sheep Dog are also in on the craze), but Screwball is the original.  Try this whiskey over ice, or as the signature cocktail with chocolate liqueur, milk, and salt.

Kings County Distillery Chocolate

The Flavor: Chocolate
The Distillery: ABV: 40

Just like coffee, chocolate is a natural pairing for whiskey.  If you don’t believe me, check out the number of rye and chocolate tastings available at your local distillery.  This offering from Kings County Distillery uses ground cacao bean husks to infuse into moonshine.

It’s not overly sweet, coming across as less sugary with more dark chocolate and cherry tones.  It’s a unique flavored whiskey to try, especially with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.

Rogue Chipotle Whiskey

The Flavor: Smoked Apple
The Distillery: ABV: 40%

Rogue takes crafting their small batch whiskey very seriously, and the ingredients in this flavored spirit are truly farm to glass.  The jalapeños are grown on the farm in Oregon, harvested by hand, and dried and smoked over cherry and alder at the Rogue Brewery.

They’re then brewed into a whiskey wash, the whiskey is distilled with even more chipotles, and finally it is aged in Oregon Oak barrels.  This is a delicious unique flavored whiskey, lovingly fashioned.  This smoky whiskey will require a specific cocktail to handle the robust flavor.

Try it in a peach bourbon smash, in lieu of bourbon.  Trust me.

Why try unique flavored whiskeys?

Some whiskey drinkers may not see the value in a flavored whiskey – why ruin a perfectly good aged spirit?

But in truth, it’s a lot of fun to try unique flavored whiskey, and you may just discover that you enjoy them more in a cocktail or over ice than a traditional whiskey.

I hope you enjoyed my opinionated list of the 12 best flavored whiskeys out there, I can’t wait to hear all about it and if you haven’t tried all of them yet, well, what are you waiting for?

Stay Gold! 

About Todd Smidt

Todd is a man of simple tastes: traveling, words, whiskey, & dad jokes. He enjoys first-rate banter, long walks along the coast, High West, and Vonnegut. He spends his free time traveling the world, drinking whiskey, and writing about it.

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