8 Honey Whiskeys, Ranked Worst To Best

The more I get into whiskey, the more I discover how all-encompassing the spirit is. There's practically no limit to whiskey's expressions, which has led me to believe that there's a whiskey out there for every type of drinker, from smooth blackberry whiskeys, like Jack Daniel's Tennessee Blackberry, to hard-hitting high-rye mashes. If you're new to whiskey or often find it too "strong" for your palate, I may have found just the sipper for you: honey whiskey. 

Adding honey to the spirit mellows out some of its sharper edges, and, if done well, the spirit will still retain its full character. Honey whiskeys tend to be sweeter than your average whiskey, and they're often very bright and sometimes even a bit saccharine. 

I decided to try several honey whiskeys and ranked them primarily according to how well-balanced the honey and whiskey components are. I looked for expressions where neither element overshadowed the other, leading to a nuanced, satisfying sip. That said, consumers who want to find a whiskey on the more cloying side may want to shop my bottom picks. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

While I'd recommend Evan Williams' Honey Whiskey to those trying to get accustomed to some of whiskey's bolder flavors, it wasn't my preferred honey whiskey. I found the honey to be very overpowering, and the whole sip was pretty saccharine. I found myself searching for the whiskey's character throughout the sip. 

On the plus side, this bottle tasted like a really rich, sweet dessert, and I'd pour some over ice cream or use it to make whiskey caramel in an instant. As a solo sipper, though, it didn't fully satisfy this whiskey lover's thirst for the spirit. Drinkers will still find slight hints of smoke and spice at the end, but I found the following expressions to be more balanced. It doesn't boast the nuance you'd find in some of the distiller's more underrated whiskies either.

I could tell from its smell alone that Jim Beam's Honey would be at least a little less cloying than Evan Williams', and that was indeed the case. Though it's only getting second-to-last place here, I did like Jim Beam's Honey Whiskey, but I didn't find it to have as much nuance as some of the following selections. 

The whiskey and honey flavors were present in mostly equal balance here, but I didn't taste much in the sip beyond that. On the plus side, the bottle stayed true to its "smooth and mellow" claim plastered on the label. But for someone looking for more depth in their whiskeys, it didn't wholly satisfy me. If you want a relatively low-key, balanced, easy-to-drink honey whiskey, you wouldn't be wrong to pick up a bottle of Jim Beam's Honey. 

All of the "Big Three" whiskey companies found spots at the bottom of my list, and I wasn't wholly surprised by that. Craft distilleries are constantly perfecting their spirits, and many of the following boasted character clearly unique to their brands. However, of the "Big Three" honey whiskey entries, I was most impressed by Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey. 

Now before you call me out for including a bottle that's not technically a whiskey, hear me out. This was still a very viable contender because its whiskey characteristics were present in the sip. This bottle offered the smokiest sip of my lowest-ranked contenders (which I wholly appreciated). It wasn't at all too sweet, though its honey flavor came through loud and clear. The bottle is mellow, fruity, and a little more nuanced than the previous; I even got some cherry notes in the middle of the sip. On the whole, I quite enjoyed this one. 

Bird Dog's Honey Flavored Whiskey had what I wanted from Evan Williams' bottle. If you try Evan Williams' and find it a bit too sweet, this would be a good next bottle to grab. Honeycomb was very present on the nose, so I expected some kind of honeyed intensity here. Indeed, that showed up fully, but this bottle was more nuanced than the other cloying bottle on this list. 

I found a lot of balance here. Even though the bottle was sweeter than I'd prefer, there was enough spiced intensity to balance it out. In fact, just one sip left my tongue tingling for a long time after I swallowed. I'm a fan of this bottle, and I like how the honey makes itself apparent without completely overtaking the sip. However, it was a bit strong for my taste, and I found some more nuance in the following bottles. 

The makers of Wild Turkey have graced us with American Honey: the whiskey taking the fourth-place spot on my list. I'd call this one of the most universally palatable bottles I tried. It's sweet without being cloying, and it still retains some of the spiced, smoky nuance you'd expect from a whiskey.

The only reason I didn't rank this one higher is because I wished the whiskey had a little more complexity. Still, I loved the notes that were present. The sip was rich and almost had some brown butter notes running throughout, which gave the bottle depth that the others didn't possess. I was impressed that the brand was able to craft a bottle that was honey-forward without being cloying. The whiskey balances out the honey pretty well, but there's still no doubt that honey is a core component. 

Breckenridge's Honey Flavored Whiskey is an absolute standout, and I was incredibly torn on where to place it. I ended up putting it in third place because I don't think it will be as universally appealing as the following two. If my ranking were purely based on uniqueness, this would have easily gotten first place. I wasn't expecting everything I got here, but those who like this whiskey will soon call it a favorite. 

I immediately knew I was in for a wild ride when I smelled this whiskey. When I tasted it, I got a medley of spiced notes like anise and pine; it tasted very fresh and green, if that makes sense. Unfortunately, honey mostly came through at the end of the sip, but it does mellow out what would otherwise be a very strong whiskey. I loved that the addition of honey made this easily drinkable, and it'll be a good buy for anyone who's bored of standard honey whiskeys. That said, it's not for everyone. 

Similar to Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, The Whistler's Irish Honey merited a spot on this list because its whiskey character still comes through in the sip, though it's less strong than many of the other expressions on this list. I loved this sip because it was balanced and gentle. Sometimes less truly is more, and The Whistler showcases that beautifully.

This bottle is incredibly bright, sweet, and smooth, and though I could clearly taste the honey, I wouldn't call the spirit's overall character cloying in the slightest. It was a very warming sip that even had some notes I didn't find in other bottles here — namely, floral honeysuckle notes, which just brought a certain delicate character to the bottle that I really loved. It will be a good choice for someone wanting to sip on something fairly sophisticated. Unfortunately, it couldn't quite steal the spotlight from my top choice. 

In my opinion, Tullamore D.E.W. had the most well-rounded honey whiskey on this list. This will appease novices and aficionados alike, and the company also managed to strike quite an impressive balance between honey and whiskey. This tastes like a whiskey that had honey added to it, which is exactly what I was looking for. It doesn't lose anything by incorporating honey. 

On the nose, this smelled like whiskey with faint, sweet undertones. That's pretty much what I got on the palate, too. Honey mellowed out what could otherwise be a strong, sharp sip, and it added a little bit of sweet character without being cloying. In other words, the honey still makes itself known, but it acts as a sort of backup dancer to the whiskey itself. This is a great bottle that I'll be keeping in my collection for the foreseeable future. 

As everyone has their own preferences when it comes to whiskey, I tried to strike a balance when ranking these by looking for whiskeys that had honey, spiced, and smoky characteristics in equal amounts. I figured those would be the most universally enjoyable, while some other less-balanced entries may find more niche audiences. 

I also wanted to taste some depth and nuance in my top-rated bottles rather than just getting whiskey mixed with honey. The best whiskey bottles showcased the brand while bringing honey into the equation, leading to a fun, interesting sip that felt worthy of attention.