When it comes to drinking whiskey, there are a lot of choices. You can go the simple route and enjoy a glass of bourbon, scotch, or rye neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite cocktail. Or you can ramp up your autumn drinking by sipping on a flavored whiskey that attempts to capture the season.
Wait! Wait! Don’t leave yet!
We get it, flavored whiskey is a bit of a sore subject. There are countless low-quality, cloyingly sweet whiskeys that taste more like ethanol mixed with corn syrup than actual whiskey. In fact, we have a proud history of flavored whiskey skepticism. But while there is a lot of trash out there, we’re starting to see some well-crafted choices emerge as well.
Below, you’ll find eight of our favorite fall-themed flavored whiskeys. From pumpkin to caramel to apples to smoked maple — we’ve got all your seasonal flavors represented. Check the list, click on the prices to try them yourself, and then tell us in the comments whether we’re wrong and these are swill.
Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey
ABV: 35%
Average Price: $28
The Whiskey:
If you’re a pumpkin ales drinker, you likely know all about Southern Tier Pumking. It has all the pumpkin, fall spices, and richness of the beer in a 70 proof whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with notes of pumpkin pie, buttercream, fall spices, and vanilla. The flavor is all fall with hints of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, caramel, vanilla, and Graham crackers. With all that flavor, it manages to still be fairly drinkable and not overpowering.
Bottom Line:
If you want to drink a pumpkin pie in whiskey form, it’s hard to beat Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey. This 70 proof flavored whiskey delivers exactly what it promises.
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
One of the highest regarded flavored whiskeys on the market, Knob Creek Smoked Maple also might be the best sipper on this list. Unlike many of the flavored whiskeys on the market, this one is surprisingly potent and complex. It’s simply a straight bourbon blended with smoked maple flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of wood smoke, maple candy, and sweet vanilla are prevalent on the nose. The palate swirls with more smoke and maple syrup as well as buttery caramel, rich oak, and a nice vanilla backbone. The finish is mellow, slightly sweet, and nicely smoky.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to flavored whiskeys suitable for fall sipping, there is none more balanced than Knob Creek Smoked Maple.
Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey
ABV: 41%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
This flavored whiskey starts with a base of the brand’s award-winning straight bourbon. It’s infused with roots, herbs, and various spices. This results in a sweet, rich, caramel backbone that’s only complemented by the addition of spice.
Tasting Notes:
You’ll first be met with aromas of cracked black pepper, cloves, caramel corn, and various other wintry spice. The palate is spicy with notes of pepper, clover honey, buttery toffee, and vanilla beans. It all ends with a nice sweet to spice ratio.
Bottom Line:
This is an indulgent fall sipper that’s spicy and robust enough to enjoy well into the colder winter months.
Crown Royal Regal Apple
ABV: 35%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
If you’re a fan of Canadian whisky, you’ve probably enjoyed a glass or three of Crown Royal over the years. If you really want to add a little tang to your fall, you’ll grab a bott of the brand’s Regal Apple. This flavored whisky is made using Crown Royal’s blended whisky base that’s then infused with crisp Regal Gala apple flavors.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll be treated to scents of cinnamon, spices, caramel apples, and slight vanilla. The palate is a great combination of crisp, tart apple, sweet caramel, slight spices, and rich, oaky whisky. The finish is filled with more apple and caramel sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is definitely a whisky for fans of strong apple flavor. But it’s not just sugary apple flavor. It’s complex, sweet, and highly mixable or sippable.
Jim Beam Kentucky Fire
ABV: 35%
Average Price: $18
The Whiskey:
By now, we’re sure you’ve tried a cinnamon-flavored whiskey like Fireball. We also know there are better options available. This includes Jim Beam Kentucky Fire. This blend of cinnamon liqueur and straight bourbon whiskey is a perfect sipper for cool fall weather.
Tasting Notes:
The aroma is all Red Hots candy. There’s cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, and a nice, rich charred oak scent. Sipping it brings forth notes of caramel apples, spicy cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, toasted vanilla beans, and more oak at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is the spicy, cinnamon whiskey you should be drinking this fall. It’s the perfect warmer for a tailgate or end-of-season backyard barbecue.
Ole Smoky Salty Caramel
ABV: 30%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Ole Smoky made its name with moonshine, but the Gatlinburg, Tennessee distillery is also cranking out great flavored whiskeys. This includes its Salty Caramel whiskey. This 60 proof corn-based whiskey is known for its salted caramel and boozy flavor.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is sweet cream, salted caramel, sweet corn, and subtle spices. The palate is filled with hints of brown sugar, sea salt, buttery caramel, vanilla beans, and more corn. It’s exactly what you expect from a salted caramel whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This salted caramel whiskey is so decadent it should be enjoyed as an after-dinner dessert drink. Or, better yet, pour it over vanilla ice cream for a boozy, fall treat.
Ballotin Peanut Butter Chocolate Whiskey
ABV: 30%
Average Price: $28
The Whiskey:
Ballotin is a brand that does one thing, but it does it really well. It produces chocolate-infused whiskey. It also comes in a variety of flavors including Peanut Butter Chocolate. This 60 proof whiskey has a peanut butter cup on the label because it’s a whiskey that’s blended with, you guessed it, chocolate and peanut butter.
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey smells like a peanut butter cup. There are notes of roasted peanuts, caramel, fudgy chocolate, and some vanilla beans thrown in there. The flavor is more peanut butter, and milk chocolate, and caramel candy, along with some cinnamon and toasted marshmallow.
Bottom Line:
If you could melt down a peanut butter cup and add a nice whiskey flavor, this is exactly what it would taste like. Since that seems like a lot of work, we suggest drinking this whiskey instead.
Wild Turkey American Honey Sting
ABV: 35.5%
Average Price: $21
The Whiskey:
Wild Turkey makes honey-infused and it’s definitely well-suited for fall sipping. It’s pretty tasty. But if you want to add a little spice to the fall, try the spicier American Honey Sting. It’s a blend of Wild Turkey Straight Bourbon, real honey, and spicy heat from the addition of ghost peppers.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is highlighted by sweet clover honey, slight pepper, and corn sweetness. Sipping it reveals more honey, buttery caramel, toffee, cinnamon sugar, and just a hint of peppery heat at the very end. The honey and hot peppers work in unison to temper each other.
Bottom Line:
Some fall days are downright chilly, and they require an extra kick to warm you up. This spicy, peppery, sweet whiskey is perfect for those days.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
