Yes, you read that right….Cinnamon Whiskey.
Alby was up in Michigan and picked up a bottle of Fireball for me (see, everyone knows I will try anything), so we cracked it open a few nights ago.
First, you gotta love a drink that’s website plays “Fire related” rock music in the background . Kinda caught me off guard and was fun to jam to some music while checking it out.
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Anyway, the Bottle Presentation is really good. I particularly like the eye catching Logo, the nice blend of yellows and red on the labeling and honey color of whiskey.
Opening and pouring reveals no whiskey hint to the nose what-so-ever, there is nothing by cinnamon.
The whiskey itself was tried three different ways -
Neat- Sipping wise, I thought initially the cinnamon was overwhelming, but really enjoyed the flavor. After a few minutes though, you did get the whiskey finish…a very nice aftertaste and smooth burn.
Watered- Did nothing for the drink. It diluted the flavor of the cinnamon (and that’s the gimmick right?) and totally eliminated the whisky aftertaste.
On Ice- Probably my favorite. The pairing of the ice and cinnamon created a complex contradiction in your front palette and emphasized the whiskey at the end. I wouldn’t overdo the ice, because eventually this will melt and you are stuck with the watered version that was a complete waste.
Overall, I would rate this one a B+ as a novelty drink (keep it around for one of those “Check this out” drinks with guests) but only a solid C for general consumption. If it is a “Whiskey Tasting” night, I think Women would enjoy this more than men, especially with it’s lesser 66% alcohol content….but that is just my opinion. I know Alby really liked it….so he can post his own comments below.
To be fair, we didn’t try any mixed drinks or cocktails with this one….so maybe next time.
Fireball could however fill the niche for those wanting a little more palatable flavors in their whiskey, a gateway whiskey so to speak, so I do not totally write this one off.
I'll be honest... when we passed the bottle (Olson's on Ceder Run and Long Lake in Traverse City) my first thought was to get it for Ed. My second thought was how crappy this was going to taste but we could laugh about it later and break open something better. I was shocked at the rich cinnamon flavor and how well the after taste blended with it. Think cinnamon schnapps but with a warmer flavor (not necessarily sweeter) and a nice subtle whiskey finish.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking it was a novelty drink at best but I really like it. You can be certain that I will be picking up more of this when I'm up north and if I am lucky I'll find someone here in Columbia who carries it.
It is not an everyday drink but certainly a fun drink to have around for a group of friends looking to have a bit of fun off the beat'n path. I give it a four out of a five shot round.
Ok Columbia folks... HyVee has it (new one on Conley). Enjoy, I'm enjoying some now.
ReplyDeletebtw i was at a wisky festival and there they said that fire ball wisky is ment to be taken as a shoot. But genrely just drining it as wisky is fine to
ReplyDeletePicked some up today, goes great with apple cider (Cold, warm, or hot), perfect cinnamon kick to it.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend it with sprite or 7 up
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