Why the World Doesn’t Need Any More Flavored Whiskeys
Drinks giant Pernod Ricard recently announced that it was acquiring a majority stake in Skrewball, a peanut butter-flavored whiskey founded in 2018. Despite the side eye many whiskey drinkers give to a spirit like this, it appears that flavored whiskey continues to show great strength as a category. But with new brands continuing to release some really questionable flavors that push the limits of what is palatable, how much is enough?
Of course, taste is subjective, and you should be able to drink whatever you want. But still, the recent influx of flavored whiskeys relies on saccharine, candy-like characteristics that seem to have been created by an AI Willy Wonka rather than someone who is trying to actually produce a quality product. Also, calling many of these bottles “whiskey” is stretching the truth, as they often don’t meet the requirements of the spirit defined by the TTB, and some don’t contain any whiskey at all—consumers are suing Sazerac over its Fireball Cinnamon product for this very reason.
More from Robb Report
This Brand Is Trying to Age Whiskey in Days Instead of Years, and Derek Jeter Is a Believer
Taste Test: This Upstart Blended Bourbon Can Compete With Whiskeys Triple the Price
A Rare Bourbon From Pappy Van Winkle's Original Distillery Is Heading to Auction
According to data from Nielsen IQ, from 2021 to 2022 flavored whiskey reached over $1.5 billion in sales. Cinnamon expressions led the way, like the incredibly popular Fireball brand owned by Sazerac (the Whisky, not the aforementioned Cinnamon), followed by apple and honey. Money talks, so based on the success of legacy brands like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jim Beam Apple, and Crown Royal Peach, newer startups will continue to try to find a place at the butterscotch and pecan-flavored table.
Some of these new additions seem like they are trying to up the ante on what’s tolerable. Take the new Peanut Butter S’mores whiskey from Stillhouse, where the name does make sense when you take a sip, as the brand has managed to convey peanut butter, marshmallow, and cookie notes. But, unsurprisingly, the sweetness overpowers the palate and leaves you befuddled by the confection you just consumed. It’s nothing new for Stillhouse as this whiskey joins a lineup already featuring Apple Crisp, Peach Tea, and Spiced Cherry flavors.
The abrasive star of the television show Bar Rescue, John Taffer, just launched Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon in Las Vegas, which the brand says was crafted with a culinary mindset and, in what kind of feels like trolling, can be substituted for tequila in a Margarita. But wait, there’s more—the cookie dough-flavored Dough Ball rolled out last summer, spice company The Watkins Co. is launching Cinnamon Apple and Spiced Orange bourbons, and Howler Head Banana Bourbon is the official whiskey of the UFC.
The point of all of these brands is ostensibly to bring new whiskey drinkers into the fold—start them off with chocolate or sour apple flavored spirits, and eventually they’ll be converted to straight bourbon. That seems unlikely, however, especially given that each new bottle to hit the market seems to out-do the last one in terms of sweetness, basically training your palates to expect hot pink candy flavors instead of more subtle notes of oak and brown sugar. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem to matter because the flavored category has become a juggernaut of its own accord and doesn’t need to be looked at as a gateway to “real whiskey” anymore. Go ahead and enjoy that cotton candy-maple whiskey if you want to, but don’t forget that bourbon actually gets natural vanilla and caramel flavors just by spending a few years inside a barrel—no artificial flavoring necessary.
Best of Robb Report
Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One
The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
