The Best Cinnamon Whiskey Brand Is Fiery And Sweet

Long gone are the days of singular flavor profiles in a bottle of whiskey. Distillers are much more nuanced now in techniques, ingredients, and pushing boundaries. That's arguably most evident in the rise of flavored whiskeys such as cinnamon, peach, apple, jalapeño, and loads more. Despite the industry's historical penchant for whiskey purity and traditionalism, Tasting Table dove into the world of flavored spirits with a taste test of a single chosen flavor. It's the fiery, sweet, and spicy cinnamon whiskeys created by both longtime whiskey stalwarts and newbies on the whiskey block. 

Ranking 13 cinnamon whiskeys from worst to best, our blind taste test involved hours of research and a focus on things like flavor, value, price points, and even product distribution. When all was said and done, it wasn't the well-known Fireball Cinnamon Whisky that took the top spot, nor was it the big-name players Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's, which both produce presentable versions of this whiskey flavor. We instead crowned Bird Dog as the reigning fire king of cinnamon whiskey royalty. 

Bird Dog Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey sits well above its competitors in our ranking, even though the distillery has only been in business since 2010. Based in Kentucky, Bird Dog specializes strictly in flavored whiskeys, giving it particularly strong insight into what works and what doesn't. In our taste test, this flavor definitely worked — on several levels. While it's tempting to add these cinnamon whiskeys to tropical or other exotic cocktails, they stand perfectly well in their own shoes, no mixers required or desired. 

First, Bird Dog Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey lives up to its name in a big way. "Red hot" isn't just a figure of speech with this company. The spice fires up the tongue, then doesn't let go as it zips down the throat with tingly warmth — a sensation nicely tempered by the whiskey's oaky bourbon undertones. But somewhere along the way, our taste tester also started to notice subtle but defining notes of brown sugar, vanilla, baking spices, and a tinge of apple. The company also points out how the cinnamon finally fades to soothing, mellowed caramel flavors. It's no dessert spirit, but you might forget that for moments here and there. 

As a bonus, diving into this nuanced bottle of cinnamon whiskey doesn't break the bank — it's presently in the 20-dollar range, give or take. It's widely available online and in physical stores across the country. Bird Dog was top dog in our ranking, but that doesn't mean that the 12 other cinnamon whiskeys are anything to sneeze at. That's particularly true for the number two ranking, Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Whiskey. Some like it sweet, and this one's for them. But don't let that fool you; Cinerator, too, lives up to its name. It's hot, hot, hot — but with lovable, risk-taker appeal. It also happens to be one of the most affordable options, with some stores offering a sales point of just $16 per 750-milliliter bottle.