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When it comes to fruity whiskey, most people think of artificially flavored varieties, like Jameson Orange or Jack Daniel’s Apple Flavoured Whiskey.
However, there are plenty of whiskeys out there that offer sweet, fruity tasting notes all on their own.
These whiskeys are typically made with fruit-forward mash bills, meaning they contain a high percentage of malted barley and a low percentage of rye.
This gives the whiskey a natural sweetness that is further enhanced by the fruit notes from the oak barrels in which it is aged.
In addition to being delicious, fruity whiskeys can also be versatile mixers. Their sweetness helps offset other spirits’ bites, making them perfect for cocktails.
So next time you’re looking for a fruit-flavored whiskey, check out one of the ten options below.
The Top Fruity Whiskeys
- The Glenlivet 14-Year-Old
- Brenne Estate Cask French Whisky
- Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky
- Penderyn Ruby Port Single Cask
- SIA Scotch Whisky
- Rabbit Hole Dareringer
- Angel’s Envy
- American Highway Whiskey
- Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
- Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake
The Glenlivet 14-Year-Old
The Glenlivet 14-Year-Old is a single malt scotch whisky that lives up to the fruity reputation of the Glenlivet brand.
This particular whisky has been aged 14 years in American oak casks, resulting in a smooth and mellow spirit with notes of peaches, apricots, and other fruits.
The scotch also has hints of honey and vanilla, making it a well-rounded and complex whisky. While the flavor profile may not be to everyone’s liking, those who enjoy fruitier scotches will find the Glenlivet 14-Year-Old to be a unique and all-around enjoyable whisky.
This is a single malt Scotch whisky that has been aged for 14 years, produced by the Glenlivet Distillery in Scotland, and has an ABV of 40%.
The whisky is a Speyside single malt and has a delicate flavor with citrus and floral notes. The Glenlivet 14-year-old is priced at $49.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Brenne Estate Cask French Whisky
The Brenne French whisky leans heavily on the fruity side, with notes of banana and tropical fruits, according to the Brenne Whisky website. This variant was released in 2016 and can be purchased for around $60.
This spirit features perfumed fruit and French patisserie aromas. These nuanced aromas complement the creamy and complex sugar notes, giving the whiskey a rich flavor profile.
On the palate, Brenne Estate Cask offers notes of banana, tropical fruits, and warm spices like cinnamon and clove.
Brenne Estate Cask is a relatively new entrant in the world of premium whisky, but it has already made quite a splash. This elegant spirit is distilled in France and aged in a combination of new oak and ex-bourbon barrels.
The result is a well-rounded whisky with intense vanilla and citrus notes.
Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky
Balcones is the first distillery to pop up in Texas since prohibition and has earned multiple awards since opening its doors in Waco, Texas in 2008.
One of which is the coveted Icons of Whiskey awards in 2018, as well as a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 4.5 stars from Drink Spirits.
Their Baby Blue Corn Whiskey boasts tropical fruit flavors, slight apricot, brown sugar, cotton candy, sweet tea with lemon, and smoked chilis. It has a round nuttiness, roasted overtones, and refined complexity. It is made to be intentionally youthful to capture the essence of the corn.
This blue corn whiskey from Balcones can be found for under $50 from most online retailers, including Caskers.
Penderyn Ruby Port Single Cask
The Penderyn Ruby Port Single Cask is a whisky that was matured in an ex-Bourbon cask for 5 years, before finishing in an ex-Ruby Port Barrique for 9 years.
The cask contained 260 bottles that were bottled at 61.8% abv. The nose features ripe summer fruits – cranberries and raspberries, with a hint of cacao and spices.
The finish features cranberries with cacao powder lingering on. The taste is a smooth sweetness: red berries, milk chocolate, tannins, light oak, and black pepper spice.
The port is produced in Wales using traditional methods, but it is a bit of an investment, selling for around $300 MSRP.
However, this cask-aged port is well worth the price, offering a complex and nuanced flavor that is perfect for enjoying after a meal.
SIA Scotch Whisky
SIA Scotch is a newer, female-founded, and owned whisky brand. SIA was created with the scotch-curious consumer in mind. Resulting in an easy-to-drink scotch
SIA Scotch Whisky is a blend of selected whiskies from Scotland’s Speyside, Highland, Lowlands, and Islay regions. One of the lead malts used in the blend is Teaninich.
Teaninich is a historic Highland region distillery dating back over 200 years. The distillery produces malt whisky of a light highland style, with citrus fruit notes and a fresh, accessible flavor.
SIA has an ABV of 43%, typically retails for $41, and can be found at any major online liquor retailer.
Rabbit Hole Dareringer
The Rabbit Hole describes its Dareringer expression as a potpourri of herbs, dried flowers, licorice, candied lemon peel, and baklava.
This is a pleasant herbal whiskey with plenty of character. The palate has prominent blueberry, grape, and boysenberry flavors, along with licorice, coriander seed, mint, and oak spice.
It finishes with dark fruit, menthol, licorice, roasted nuts, and plenty of oak.
Angel’s Envy
Angel’s Envy is a popular, premium whiskey known for its distinct appearance and rich flavor.
Flavier describes the whiskey as gold in color with amber hues and has a nose of maple syrup, vanilla, toasted nuts, and spices. On the palate, the whiskey is smokey with undertones of ripe fruit, chocolate, and creamy vanilla.
The bourbon is a unique spirit that is aged for four to six years and then finished in port casks. The finishing process imparts its signature complex flavor to the bourbon.
It has earned high praise from both Wine Enthusiast and F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal, with the latter awarding it five stars.
American Highway Whiskey
Brad Paisley fans and whiskey lovers alike are in for a treat with the singer’s bourbon brand, American Highway Whiskey. The bourbon boasts bright bursts of apricot, followed by a smooth and slightly sweet finish.
Whisky Advocate stated that, According to Paisley, the inspiration for the bourbon came from his love of both sweet whiskey and his time spent on his tour bus going from one show to the next. In fact, Paisley first proposed that they attach a barrel to the bottom of his tour bus.
“That’s how naive I was,” Whiskey Advocate also says that the semi-truck had to be bonded in Kentucky and sealed for the entire time it traveled.
“They padlock it and seal it with tape and everything,” Paisley says. “Then, we’re not transporting it illegally to another state to be sold or anything. It’s basically just going on this journey and then comes back.”
American Highway Reserve (Batch 1) takes 4-year-old well-traveled whiskey and combines it with bourbons aged for 4, 13, and 15 years. It is bottled at 48% ABV and costs $100, with 30,000 bottles available.
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is the brand’s flagship whiskey. It is known for its banana-forward flavor, which has been described as tasting like bananas foster, red apple, sweet cornbread, toasted pecan, and charred oak.
The flavor profile is achieved through carefully selected grains and a proprietary yeast strain. The whiskey is then filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal before being aged in new, charred oak barrels.
This unique process gives Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 its distinctive flavor.
Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey that is among the most well-known and widely available brands of whiskey in the United States. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and has been sold since 1866.
Jack Daniel’s is distinct from other whiskeys because it is charcoal filtered, which gives it a unique flavor. It is also among the most affordable whiskeys, making it a popular choice for many drinkers.
The Brown-Forman Corporation currently owns the Jack Daniel’s brand.
While some purists may turn their nose up at Jack Daniel’s, there is no denying that it is an easy-to-drink dram that has earned its place as a top choice for many whiskey drinkers.
Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake
Glenmorangie- pronounced Glen more-an-gee (like orange-ee) A Tale of Cake came by way of inspiration from the distillery’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill.
According to the Glenmorangie website, Bill found himself musing over how some of his most joyful memories came from cake. More specifically, the pineapple upside-down cake his daughter made for his birthday to baking with his Granny in her kitchen.
Now, A Tale of Cake is a highly regarded scotch brand in its own right, and this expression has only bolstered its reputation.
The tasting notes include sweet, cake-like – honey notes with white chocolate, apricot, almond, vanilla, and pear. It is balanced with hints of tangy orange and menthol. Both are considered classic Glenmorangie flavors.
Fruity Whiskeys – Final Thoughts
In the end, whiskey is a very versatile drink that can be enjoyed in many different ways. With such a wide range of flavors available, there’s sure to be one that suits your taste.
Whether you like your whiskey neat, on the rocks, or mixed with something else, there’s a fruity variety out there for you to try.
