16 Popular Flavored Whiskeys, Ranked

Southern Tier's Pumking whiskey will undoubtedly have fans out there — and they might even be very angry to see this coming in at the bottom of our ranking. But here's the thing: It's also incredibly polarizing. This isn't a whiskey that's doing flavored whiskeys any favors, and here's why: For every person who loves it, there's someone who can't even take a whiff without their stomach churning. If that's your first introduction to flavored whiskey, it's no wonder it has such a bad reputation.

Even if you love this one, it's hard to deny that it's perhaps a little too pumpkin-flavored. By that, we mean that the fact that it's pumpkin whiskey sort of gets lost among the overload of pumpkin pie spices and notes of graham crackers. It might as well be a pumpkin-spiced, whatever, and here's the thing: What we want to see from a good flavored whiskey is clear flavors that don't overpower the fact that you're drinking whiskey ... and sorry, Pumking fans, this one's a bit too much.

Whiskey heavy-hitter Jameson threw its hat in the flavored whiskey ring with a weird one: Jameson Cold Brew. It's a so-so 60-proof bottle that's sure to trigger a roller coaster of emotions. "Coffee and whiskey?" "No." "But ... Irish coffee is a thing, so maybe this is delicious?" In short? Irish coffee: yes. Jameson Cold Brew: no.

Mix an Irish coffee right, and you'll get the warmth of the whiskey under the creaminess and coffee deliciousness, but that's not what's going on with Jameson's Cold Brew. There's so much coffee here that drinking it comes with a sneaking suspicion that you're about to get some grounds, and there's not much in the way of sweetness here at all. It's just ... well, weird, and it leaves behind an odd aftertaste that's a bit like you might imagine chocolate ashes to taste like. It's acceptable enough once it gets a little bit of help, in the form of a cocktail or with the addition of some Irish cream. On the rocks? Not so much.

We get it: Fireball is popular for a reason, and not just because it has a cool logo. But we still have thoughts.

First, Fireball is just 66 proof — well below the average whiskey and well below many other flavored whiskeys. Second, as it tastes more like a cinnamon Red Hot candy than the actual spice cinnamon, it comes with a back-of-the-throat burn that can be a little too much. And here's the thing: We're here to talk about flavored whiskeys, not pontificate about things like mouthfeel. But it's something that stands out with Fireball because it doesn't feel like you're drinking whiskey at all. It's got the smooth, silky texture of a liqueur, and while that's fine, that's not what we're going for here.

This also gets downgraded because of potential confusion. In addition to Fireball's Cinnamon Whisky, the company also produces Fireball Cinnamon. What's the difference? The latter is an even lower-proof malt beverage, but given that they're packaged in almost exactly the same way, it's easy to grab a bottle thinking it's whiskey ... when it's not. It's even been the subject of a class-action lawsuit. Not cool!

The explanation for this one really just needs to be a meme of someone throwing their hands up in the air with a caption that says, "So, this is where we are as a society now. I don't know what's going on anymore, but it's delicious."

That's because Skrewball's Peanut Butter Whiskey is both a thing, and not nearly as weird a thing as it might seem at a glance. It's here that we actually get into the section of the rankings that are sort of defined as being the flavored whiskeys that we'd keep on hand should the mood suit, and it's also the segment that we'd comfortably and confidently buy.

But here's what holds Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey back from being higher up. Not only do you have to be in the mood for this one, but while the first few sips are delicious, it quickly becomes heavy feeling. The sweetness comes more and more to the forefront, and if you've poured the tumbler over ice, you'll be ready for it to end. It's a great dessert drink, but only in moderation.

Simply put, anyone who loves apples will love Jack Daniel's Tennessee Apple. While many flavored whiskeys come in way too heavy on sweetness, this one doesn't — and in fact, it even has a bit of a sourness to provide balance. It is, after all, a green apple flavor, and once the vanilla and toffee apple get added in there, it all comes together to be a completely respectable beverage that's not going to stop you in your tracks with a distracting sweetness.

While it's perfectly fine alone, pouring this over rocks definitely takes it up a notch. This gets extra points, too, because while many apple drinks are considered only during the autumn, the sour bite of the green apple here makes this a great summertime drink, too. Use lemonade, a lemon-lime soda, or a tonic for something light and refreshing.

Now, the elephant in the room: How does it stack up against Jim Beam's Apple? It's definitely not as sweet, and the biggest difference is perhaps this: You don't need to be a fan of the standard Jack Daniel's to appreciate this, but you should probably like Jim Beam before you try Jim Beam's Apple. An important difference, right?

Dewar's Highlander Honey is, as the name suggests, a flavored Scotch whisky, and it's got a few things going for it. Not only is it affordable, but it's a respectable 80 proof — and that means you're getting more bang for your buck.

Honey can be a tough flavor to get right, but this one does. It's also not as sweet as you might expect, and while the honey is definitely at the forefront, it's not the sweet, artificial sort of honey flavor that makes you feel as though you've managed to get sticky just by being in the same zip code as the bottle. We like this, too, because it's versatile: It's not too sweet to serve on the rocks, but it's also flavorful enough to serve in a modern cocktail or — because a drink doesn't have to be fancy to be good — it's also delicious in a simple cola drink.

Jim Beam Vanilla might be a surprise to come in near the top of the pile, but it really shouldn't be. Even though it comes at a slightly low 70-proof, it's got affordability, accessibility, and taste all going for it. Vanilla is a great option for literally any time when you're not sure what someone is going to like — they'll like vanilla. And here's the thing: It's a phenomenal mixer.

Anyone who makes sure to check the shelves for Vanilla Coke or Vanilla Pepsi needs to keep a bottle of this on hand ... add it to cherry cola, and it might just be the perfect way to treat yourself to a little TLC after a bad day. This is also amazing in both root beer and cream soda, so much so that drinking it straight or on the rocks isn't coming anywhere near unlocking the full potential of this seemingly kind of plain bottle. Vanilla, after all, generally isn't on anyone's list of super-fun flavors, but in this case? It should be.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple comes in at a whopping 90 proof, making it something of a heavy hitter among flavored whiskeys. That's not why we love it, though, but it does help to justify the price tag. And if you're thinking you might shy away from it because of the alcohol level, you really don't have to worry about it being reflected in the taste. Just like the standard offerings from Knob Creek, this is definitely worth space on your liquor shelf or at your bar.

Anyone who loves maple syrup should give this a try, and don't worry — it's not like pouring a bottle on your pancakes. The maple notes are prominent but not tooth-achingly sweet, with the edge taken off by a wonderfully smoky caramel-and-cinnamon flavor. While this might end up being a special occasion or particularly bad day sort of bottle, there's no denying that it's sure to become a favorite, with no mixers required.

Ranking flavored whiskey is no easy job, but someone has to do it. Our methodology behind this article used a relatively straightforward approach. We started by doing research into which popular distillers on the market had flavored versions of signature whiskey. Upon collecting various contenders from these larger producers, the author then scoured the whiskey market for smaller, independent brands that have prominent offerings of flavored whiskeys. The author of this article had personal experience tasting many of the brands on this list, but for those that they hadn't tasted, online consumer reviews from both company websites and retailers were taken into consideration. 

To determine where a particular bottle fit on this list, several factors were evaluated: First, we considered the taste of the whiskey. Does it match the intended flavor as listed on the label, or did the taste require mixers to mask it? Next, we considered cost and availability. Was the whiskey worth the spend, could we see it having a place on a home bar as a bottle that deserved to fit in a regular rotation, and is it easy to find? Finally, we looked at the composition of the bottle. Was the whiskey high or low-proof, and is it technically a whiskey at all? With these things in mind, we developed a list that we're confident ranks the best-flavored whiskeys on the market.