Jim Beam Kentucky Fire Cinnamon Whiskey

Jim Beam Kentucky Fire

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Infused with Cinnamon Liqueur

Kentucky, USA

70 Proof (35% Alcohol).

We've seen a huge increase in the number of flavored whiskeys the past two years!  Things that in the past would have been considered blasphemy in the whiskey world (like Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey) are now commonplace and still on the rise.  Well, here's another newcomer, Jim Beam Kentucky Fire!!!

Hush Moonshine Spiced Apple

Hush Moonshine.

Spiced Apple

Grain Neutral Spirits with Natural Flavors

TerrePURE Spirits/Good Life Brands

South Carolina, USA

80 Proof (40% Alcohol)

If where you're at is anything like where I'm at, then the weather has just started to cool down for Fall.  And thank goodness!  I love this time of year!  Cooler weather is perfect and, as usual, we get a whole onslaught of new beverages perfect for the season.  Case in point this new moonshine, Hush Spiced Apple Moonshine!

Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps

Fire Water

Hot Cinnamon Schnapps
White Rock Distilleries

50% Alcohol (100 Proof)

Ahh memories...

There was a time when I was younger where I was known for bringing Firewater to parties.  
Pretty much every party.  
All the time.  
It was my cheap booze of choice (before I knew any better).  Nothing seems to liven up a party like people daring one another to take shots of Firewater.  This stuff is known for burning, not just from the 100 Proof alcohol content, but also from the intense hot cinnamon flavor.  It really does warm you from the inside which seems perfect on a snowy, freezing night when you're outside for whatever reason.  Which remind me of a story...

There was this girl I was dating that I took to the drive-in movies with a few of my friends.  The usual drive-in antics ensued.  The thing is, it was seriously cold that night and the girl kept saying she was "freeeeezzzzing!"  So, of course, being the gentleman I am, I offered her a swig of my Firewater straight from the bottle, explaining that it would warm her up.  And I was serious, I wasn't just trying to get her drunk...  She declined initially, but then changed her mind when she realized it may actually work.  She tries it and almost coughs on the intense cinnamon and alcohol, then reports that it actually worked and she is feeling warmer.  This continues throughout the course of the two movies, with her drinking the bulk of the bottle straight, which was probably not the best idea, but at least she did feel warmer.  On the way taking her back home, I had to pull over so she could puke, which sucked for both of us, but was better than her puking in my car.  But to make a long story short, Firewater kept her feeling toasty warm... and we eventually got married and had kids...  The moral of the story is that drinking Firewater may lead to marriage and/or having kids, in no particular order.  
True story.


Firewater, itself, pours a thick, viscous, red color and smells of strong cinnamon and raw alcohol.  You take a sip (most likely a shot, actually) and get bombarded with corn-syrupy sweetness, spicy cinnamon across your tongue, cinnamon smells clearing your sinuses, and harsh, astringent alcohol flavors, but a pleasant warming sensation that you can feel slowly oozing down your throat and into your gut.  This warming feeling lasts for quite some time in the pit of your stomach, different from any other booze I've tried, which is really quite interesting, all things considered.  I'm sure it could be used in a cocktail somehow, but the only thing I've ever mixed it with is hot apple cider. 

This liquor is harsh, hot, overly sweet, yet pleasantly warming.  I rarely drink it anymore, but it certainly still has potential to liven up a party or make you feel warm on a cold evening! 

Drink This: if you want an over-the-top, hot cinnamon schnapps to liven things up.
Don't Drink This: if you're looking for something classy.   This ain't that.

Cheers!         

Hiram Walker Original Cinn

 

Hiram Walker Original Cinn

Cinnamon Schnapps

45% Alcohol (90 Proof)

With all the great drinks I've had over the years, I've always had a special place in my heart for cinnamon schnapps.  Perhaps it was all the cinnamon gum I had growing up, or the massive amounts of cinnamon gummy bears I stuffed my face with as a child.  Regardless, I love the stuff with an odd fascination, despite the fact that they tend to be over-the-top sugary, burn like crazy, and are artificially flavored (ie. Firewater, Goldshlager, Dekuyper's Hot Damn, Aftershock, etc.).  During my late high school/early college days (shhh, don't tell anyone!), high proof cinnamon schnapps were my drink of choice, something I was known for and always brought to parties.  

As I got older, I started drinking more craft brews, bourbon, and scotch, but without fail, there was always a bottle of cinnamon schnapps in my liquor cabinet.  On an icy cold winter day, nothing warms the soul like high proof cinnamon schnapps.  It's the perfect drink before or after shoveling snow, building a snow cave, snow skiing, or heck, just walking from your car to the house in the winter.  Ha, okay, maybe that last one is pushing it.

So, when I got a chance to try Hiram Walker's Original Cinn (clever name), a 90 Proof cinnamon schnapps, I got excited.  This bad boy is made with All Natural Flavors, which immediately sets it apart.  It pours an amber brown, unlike the thick cherry red so commonly found among other cinnamon schnapps.  It smells of cinnamon, obviously, but a more well-rounded, natural cinnamon.  You sip and get a deep, rich cinnamon followed by toasty, warm vanilla (Mexican vanilla?) and hints of caramelization in the finish.  It is full of cinnamon for sure, but not near the fiery burn and sugar overload I was expecting.  This is a much more grown-up sophisticated cinnamon schnapps than the usual, which is a very good thing.  Definitely a great buy, especially fitting for the Fall and Winter.

Drink This: if you want a well-above-average cinnamon schnapps at a great price.

Don't Drink This: if you don't like cinnamon... obviously.  But, if YOU DO like cinnamon, try mixing this with hot cider, or vodka, or Hiram Walker's new Caramel Apple liqueur (click the link to see the review), or heck just take it as shots.  I don't care, it's good any way you have it! 

AND, last but not least, go enter Hiram Walker's Fall Cocktail contest on their website or their Facebook page.  Recipes made with Original Cinn count!  Tell 'em Bob sent you!

Cheers!