Bachelor on the Cheap

By Mike Thayer

I'm an Ole Smoky fan, they make a fantastic peanut butter flavored whiskey that's better than Skrewball!  I've also sampled their Ole Smoky Butter Pecan Moonshine which was quite tasty.    Also good, their Apple Pie Moonshine as well as their Sour Apple Moonshine.  So in liking all those and kind of staying on a Moonshine trend, I decided to give their Chocolate Cherries Moonshine a try.

If you didn't already know, White Whiskey is "new" whiskey, as in a raw, unfinished product, "unaged." White Whiskey skips the aged in oak barrels step so what you get is naked grain alcohol - Moonshine!

I was looking for something a little different to try on a recent trip to the liquor store, I'm a sucker for chocolate covered cherries and what?  I see chocolate, cherries and moonshine in a jar?  What's not to like? 

Here's the product description: Leave it to Ole Smoky to improve upon cherry perfection. We took Maraschino cherries and soaked 'em in a batch of Ole Smoky Moonshine, then we added a note of milk chocolate. The result? The chocolate covered cherry- flavored moonshine was born.

Back in the day and I'm talking bootlegging now, the only way to enjoy 'White Lightening' was straight from the jug.  There were no mixers, no ice, no enhanced flavors, you drank it straight.  The beauty of moonshine these day's is there's no single way to enjoy it and Ole Smoky demonstrates that with the Chocolate Cherries variety.  It's chocolate covered cherries with a kick!

Here's another Ole Smoky creation that at 100 proof, you don't notice how much of a punch the stuff has.  You get the whiff of chocolate in the nose, you get the taste of cherry up front followed by the milk chocolate - a nice blend - and the finish is moonshine warm. 

Costing me a bit over $20 for a 750ml jar, I'm giving Ole Smoky Chocolate Cherries Moonshine 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's a good change of pace kind of thing and puts a nice chocolate spin on an old fashioned.

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Revel Stoke launched a new marketing campaign last fall, calling it "Stoke Your Wild" which included new labeling.

By Mike Thayer

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits remains on the rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks. 

Peanut Butter is one of my favorite whiskey flavors, it makes for a GREAT chilled shot and combined with DeKuyper Razzmatazz or Chambord - a fantastic PB&J shot!  I've tried a number of Peanut Butter flavored whiskeys and so far Ole Smoky's version in my book is the best one out there, better than the most popular, Skrewball, which is what most bars carry.

Today I'm trying Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Flavored Whiskey.

Revel Stoke is bottled in Minnesota, but their recipe for whiskey is Canadian inspired.  Here's the marketing blurb from the company:  This 2020 World of Whiskies award winner proves that peanut butter is not just for sandwiches any more! This drink has buttery notes and the mild spice of Canadian Whisky. The combination is exactly what you never knew you needed.

Revel Stoke hits all the peanut butter notes, it's got the sweet without being syrupy.  It's smooth with a hint of vanilla and spice in the finish but the warm whiskey feel is a bit lacking.  As always, I tried this whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot. It's good any way served.  It would also lend itself well to mixology, especially the aforementioned PB&J.  Combining it with a chocolate liqueur is quite "Reeces" nice and pairing it with a banana liqueur is fun for an "Elvis."

Costing me $19.99 for a 750ml bottle, I'm giving Revel Stoke Nutcrusher Peanut Butter Flavored Whiskey 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's a good peanut butter whiskey, but not the best out there.  It's a bargain compared to Skrewball, if you're into the budget buy.  But if you're going down that road, you may want to consider Bird Dog as well.  Of the Peanut Butter Whiskeys, my favorite continues to be Ol Smokey, reasonably priced with the best overall peanut butter flavor.

Related: Peanut Butter Flavored Whiskey Challenge: Bird Dog vs. Skrewball

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If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or a monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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By Mike Thayer

It's been awhile since I've done a flavored whiskey review, not since July in fact!

But with my favorite season of the year here - football season - and oh yeah, the fall equinox on September 22, well they're both something to celebrate!  To do that, I picked up a flavored whiskey offering I haven't tried yet, Ole Smoky Amaretto. 

Here's the description from the Ole Smoky website:  We blended the flavors of toasted almond with notes of sweet cherry, to create our Amaretto Whiskey. This smooth nutty liquid was made to savor with friends or in front of a cozy fire.

As I always do when sampling, I tried the whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot. When opening the bottle you do get a nice subtle whiff of "Amaretto" the combination of almond and cherry.  It's a pleasant nose and not overly fragrant which is a good thing. An overly fragrant flavoring usually indicates too much flavoring or perhaps a whiskey that is too sweet. You want the flavoring to compliment the whiskey, not overpower it. With its golden-amber color, the whiskey has a nice swirl to it.  In the neat sample and despite the pleasant nose however, I did find this whiskey to be a bit Amaretto forward in taste and at only 56 proof, it lacks that warm whiskey finish.  It's a decent sipping whiskey over ice, like an after dinner sipper, but it's best as a chilled shot.  With mixology in mind, an Amaretto Sour wouldn't be bad.

Amaretto Sour

• 1.5 oz. Ole Smoky® Amaretto Whiskey
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• .75 oz. Lemon Juice
• Fresh Orange Slice for Garnish
• Ole Smoky® Moonshine Cherries for Garnish (once you've had these cherries, you won't want to switch back to regular maraschino cherries)

Costing me about $23 for a 750ml bottle, I'm giving Ole Smoky Amaretto 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's a good chilled shot, but if I'm going for a flavored whiskey that's got nutty and fruity notes, I would prefer to reach for Bird Dog Praline which has a warmer whiskey finish and costs less.  Bird Dog Praline is a better whiskey to savor with friends or in front of a cozy fire.

Blackberry is a great flavor

By Mike Thayer

I'm an Ole Smoky fan, they make a fantastic peanut butter flavored whiskey that's better than Skrewball!  I've also sampled their Ole Smoky Butter Pecan Moonshine which was quite tasty.    Also good, their Apple Pie Moonshine as well as their Sour Apple Moonshine.  So in liking both those and kind of staying on a Moonshine trend, I decided to give their Blackberry Moonshine a try.

If you didn't already know, White Whiskey is "new" whiskey, as in a raw, unfinished product, "unaged." White Whiskey skips the aged in oak barrels step so what you get is naked grain alcohol - Moonshine!

Here's the description of the Blackberry Moonshine from the Ole Smoky website:  Taste the sweeter side of life in the nectar of the Appalachian Gods that is captured in Ole Smoky^®Blackberry Moonshine. Mix it in with some lemonade, throw it in a copper cup and enjoy a long afternoon of Corn Hole with friends. There’s no need to muddle tiny pieces of fruit when our blackberries create a smooth yet spirited flavor with a kick that’ll keep things interesting.

This stuff is almost too smooth.  Fruity, it drinks like Kool-Aid and at 40 proof, it doesn't have a harsh finish.  Moderation is key, it will sneak up on you if you're not careful.  I had it in a chilled shot, on the rocks and neat.  A warm whiskey finish is missing in this Moonshine.  On it's own it was best over ice, better yet in a mixed drink.

Here's a suggested drink recipe from Ole Smoky which is quite tasty:

Blackberry Lemonade

• 2.5 oz. Ole Smoky® Blackberry Moonshine
• 2.5 oz. Lemonade
• Fresh lemon wedge
• Fresh blackberries (optional)

Mix well in a glass over ice, garnish with lemon wedge and/or optional blackberries.  Shine responsibly.

Costing me about $17 for 750ml mason jar, I'm giving Ole Smokey Blackberry Moonshine 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's smooth, refreshing, but best in a mixed drink.  I really like the blackberry flavor, but in comparing it to Bird Dog Blackberry whiskey (80 proof), I'd rather drink the Bird Dog, it's a better blackberry flavor with a better kick and warmer finish.

Related: Drink Review: Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey

By Mike Thayer

The latest flavored whiskey offering from Bird Dog

I recently did a review of Bird Dog's latest flavored whiskey offering, their honey flavored whiskey.  A popular flavored whiskey choice, I've sampled a few honey versions, five to be exact.  So in the name of "Whiskey Science" I've sampled honey flavored whiskey so you don't have to 'suffer' from drinking any not-so-great ones.  Below is my list from worst to first of the five I've tried. 

Number 5 - Bird Dog Honey:  With a very visually appealing golden-amber color, the whiskey has a nice swirl to it, but in the neat sample, I did find the honey to be a bit medicinal in flavor, the balance doesn't seem quite right.  It is an 80 proof, most flavored whiskeys are 70 proof, but in comparing this honey flavored whiskey to others I've had, this one comes up a bit short.  The saving grace however is it has a really nice finish with the light spice note combined with the classic, Bird Dog Whiskey warmth gently pleasuring your throat.  I'm a Bird Dog fan, so this was kind of disappointing and it's NOT worthy of a repeat buy.

Number 4 - Jim Beam Honey:  I sampled this whiskey in a straight shot and on the rocks.  Both were pleasurable enough, nothing harsh.  The honey flavor is definitely there and you notice the vanilla note finish.  But I will say this flavored whiskey comes up more honey than whiskey.  As I've mentioned in other flavored whiskey reviews before, I want the flavor to compliment the whiskey, not overpower it.  Jim Beam's balance here is honey forward.  After sampling the shot and on the rocks, I did a mixed drink using my very own creation, the Hillbilly High as a base recipe.  The Jim Beam is pretty darn good in a mixed drink.  Perhaps that was what Jim Beam was going for here because that's how I'll sum this up, it's better in a mixed drink, than as a shot, served neat or on-the-rocks.  Costing me about $16 for a 750ml bottle, the price is reasonable but I'm not sure if I would buy it again.  I'm going to have to try other honey flavored whiskeys before making that determination.  Jim Bean Honey Whiskey gets 3 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.

Number 3 - Jesse James Honey: Not bad.  As usual, I served this up in a straight shot and on the rocks.  I wouldn't call this an incredibly smooth bourbon as the company website claims, but with that honey flavor in the nose and in the swallow, it's a pretty good shot.  Not sweet at all, it's almost a bit harsh, but in a good way.  The honey flavor is slight, just enough to compliment and take the edge off, providing for a nice, warm, bourbon finish.  I'm thinking this is a better shot than just the straight Jesse James bourbon.  I'll have to do a taste comparison to be sure, lol.  Jesse James Honey Whiskey gets 3 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  Good but not great, this whiskey was priced a bit high at $18 for a 750ml bottle.  I've had better flavored whiskeys for $16.  Part of that price is the name.  Nonetheless, when in the mood for a honey flavored whiskey, it's an OK repeat buy, but I'll be on the lookout for a better honey flavored whiskey. 

Number 2 - Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey:  This is a deceptively GOOD whiskey!   Honey is SUCH a nice pairing with whiskey and Jack Daniel's has done things right by NOT making this overly sweet like other makers tend to do when it comes to flavored whiskeys. The honey is subtle in the nose, there's nothing harsh about this at all and you get the nice Jack Daniel's whiskey finish. This whiskey is almost, note I wrote 'almost' too smooth. What a nice combo.  As always, I tried this whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot. It's very good any way served. It would also lend itself well to mixology, adding a splash of ginger ale comes to mind right away.... Costing me about $21 for a 750ml bottle, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey is definitely a repeat buy and gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars!

And the Number 1 Honey Flavored Whiskey in this Challenge - Wild Turkey American Honey: With a proof of 71 and aged 4 years, this blend of bourbon and honey has a great, fragrant nose, you get that sweet whiff of honey right away in taking the cap off the bottle. The mouthfeel is rich and flavorful, delivering the honey in front followed by notes of vanilla from the Wild Turkey finish. Costing me about $14 for a 350ml bottle, I'm giving Wild Turkey American Honey 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. It's a bit pricey but it's quite delicious especially over ice. A repeat buy, I also look forward to cooking with this, the blend of bourbon and honey will lend itself well to a number of dishes!

I think what puts the Wild Turkey at the top of this list is that note of vanilla in the finish, it's the best honey flavored recipe, with the whiskey being flat out smooth in every aspect, from nose to finish.

By Mike Thayer

The latest flavored whiskey offering from Bird Dog

It's been awhile since I've done a flavored whiskey review, not since April in fact!

But with the celebration of America's Birthday this weekend, I picked up a bottle of the latest offering from Bird Dog, their new honey flavored whiskey.

Here's the description from their website:  Introducing the latest addition to our family of Most Awarded Flavored Whiskies: Bird Dog Honey Flavored Whiskey. Crafted by infusing sweet, golden honey with our Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, it’s bottled at 80 proof. Bird Dog Honey Whiskey features delicious honey notes complemented with hints of wood char and light spice for a flawless finish. Whether you drink it neat or mix it up in one of our custom cocktails, Bird Dog Honey is a sweet way to sip.

I'm a Bird Dog fan, they've got a nice variety of flavored whiskeys and having tried honey whiskeys from other makers and enjoying them, I was looking forward to Bird Dog's version.

As I always do when sampling, I tried the whiskey neat, on the rocks and in a chilled shot.  When opening the bottle you do get a nice subtle whiff of honey, it's a pleasant nose and not overly fragrant which is a good thing.  An overly fragrant flavoring usually indicates too much flavoring or perhaps a whiskey that is too sweet.  You want the flavoring to compliment the whiskey, not overpower it.  With a nice golden-amber color, the whiskey has a nice swirl to it, but in the neat sample, I did find the honey to be a bit medicinal in flavor, the balance doesn't seem quite right.  It is an 80 proof, most flavored whiskeys are 70 proof, but in comparing this honey flavored whiskey to others I've had, this one comes up a bit short.  The saving grace however is it has a really nice finish with the light spice note combined with the classic, Bird Dog Whiskey warmth gently pleasuring your throat.

This is not one of Bird Dog's finer flavored whiskeys.  It's good, but not great.  Best served on the rocks and costing me $16.99, I'm giving Bird Dog Honey Flavored Whiskey 3 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  While reasonably priced, it's not a repeat honey flavored buy, I'd rather enjoy Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey or better yet Wild Turkey American Honey.  And if I'm going to stick with the Bird Dog lineup, Praline, Chocolate and Blackberry are my favorites.

Related:  Drink Review: Jim Beam Honey Whiskey (3 stars)

Related:  Drink Review: Jesse James Honey Whiskey

Related:  Whiskey Review: Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey (4 stars)

Related: Drink Review: Wild Turkey American Honey (5 stars)

By Mike Thayer

A vanilla syrup to have with my morning coffee

Regular readers know that I'm into flavored whiskeys, such as Revel Stoke Vanilla flavored whiskey .  I'm also into flavored coffee (hazelnut is my fave) and flavored tea (peach is SO good, but so is an Arnold Palmer). Heck, I like to flavor a simple glass of water, usually with a squeeze of fresh lime, sometimes I'll use one of those RealLime squeezer things and lately, it's been On The House Sweetened Lime Juice.

But I got to thinking, why pay extra for a flavored whiskey?  Why pay almost $4 for a bottle of sweetened lime juice?

Make your own sweetened syrup to add to your adult beverage, coffee, tea or water.  It's a great add to a smoothie too!

Today I'm making my own syrups, so far I've made a lime syrup and a vanilla syrup and they taste delicious.  They will keep in the refrigerator for better than two weeks and I'll have an assortment of syrups to choose from, spending pennies on the dollar compared to buying some kind of beverage that's already flavored or a store bought syrup.  I've got lime syrup for cocktails and to simply flavor a glass of water.  I've got vanilla syrup to flavor coffee, tea and yes, cocktails.  Seriously, why buy a vanilla flavored whiskey or vodka at $20 for a 750ml bottle when you can buy a Texas fifth (1.75L) for $14 and add a simple syrup to it?  Making your own syrup and adding it to a drink, be it a cocktail, coffee, tea, smoothie or water, saves you money without a sacrifice in flavor, and it doesn't take much time at all to make it!

Formula:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon flavoring

It's an easy formula, if you want more just double the 1-1-1 configuration.

Directions:

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Continue to cook at a rapid simmer (that means you have to stir constantly for those of you who live in Haysville) for about 8 minutes.  You want the syrup to thicken up a bit.  Remove from heat, stir in the flavoring and let cool.  Once cool, transfer to a squeeze bottle (available at Dollar Tree for $1.25) and refrigerate. 

Adding one Tablespoon of syrup to any kind of drink changes the flavor profile in a very good way.  But it does add about 50 calories to whatever you're inhaling so if you're counting calories, you may want to either cut back on the sugar, or use a sugar substitute.  Flavor results will vary, but play with it, it'll still be good and cost saving.  That's next on my experimenting, cutting the sugar with some Monk Fruit sugar substitute which I hear is pretty good.

The flavor options are pretty much endless too...  The flavors of orange, lemon, cherry, mint and yes even chocolate would work well with so many drink options.  Don't limit yourself!  Have fun with it.  I haven't quite worked out the Hazelnut flavor for my morning coffee yet, but I will be making an attempt with Nutella here in a bit, and I won't have to add any sugar.

Spruce up your drinks with home made syrups, you'll thank yourself for saving some money AND delivering some great flavor that you did yourself.

Great with cocktails, but don't stop there!

By Mike Thayer

I enjoy the occasional beer or glass of wine, but if I'm going to participate in cocktail hour, it's usually with a whiskey drink and my go-to is whiskey and water with a squeeze or splash of lime juice.

If I don't have fresh limes on hand, then I usually have some form of lime juice at the ready, be it RealLime in the little squeeze bottle or something similar.

Today I'm trying On The House brand sweetened lime juice.

With only 3 grams of sugar per serving, this mixer provides a nice lime juice flavor with a touch of sweet.  I would compare this to Master of Mixes Lime Juice and would put it on par with that competitor.  It tastes every bit as good as Master of Mixes and while you do lose the squeeze bottle feature - yes, you have to pour with On The House - you get more lime juice bang for the buck with the On The House stuff.

And it's not just for cocktails either! Use is to create Mocktails like mojitos, margaritas, and limeades. I like to use it often when drinking ice water, because yes water can get boring. And don't stop there! It's a nice finishing touch on grilled fare, it's particularly good on BBQ, hitting the meat with a few squirts when letting the meat rest before serving. Also excellent on street tacos, hit 'em up before applying your favorite taco sauce.

Costing me $3.49 for a 25 ounce bottle, I'm giving On The House Sweetened Lime Juice 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars, it's a repeat buy and deserves some space in your mixer arsenal.

Related: Mixer Review: Master of Mixes Lime Juice

Pie filling with a kick in a bottle

By Mike Thayer

So I recently ventured away from enjoying the more traditional flavored whiskeys such as Jim Beam Orange (Great for making an Old Fashioned) or Ole Smoky Peanut Butter which in my humble opinion is better than Skrewball!

Lately I've been into trying Moonshine, a.k.a., "White Whiskey."

White Whiskey is "new" whiskey, as in a raw, unfinished product, "unaged." White Whiskey skips the aged in oak barrels step so what you get is naked grain alcohol - Moonshine!

Looking for a different flavored Moonshine to try and liking the flavors Ole Smoky puts out, I picked up a Mason Jar of Apple Pie at my neighborhood liquor store. 

Here's the description from the Ole Smoky website: Moonshine is as American as apple pie. So it only made sense to blend pure apple juice, ground cinnamon, and other spices with our whiskey to create Ole Smoky^® Apple Pie Moonshine. This delicious combination of flavors can conjure up memories of warm apple pie on a cool summer evening and goes down just as easy.

A taste of apple pie without the crust, Ole Smoky has successfully put pie filling with a kick in a bottle.  Delivering apple and cinnamon flavors from nose to finish I did find it to be a bit on the sweet side but the white whiskey base keeps things balanced.  When I opened the jar and sniffed, I thought this might have a bit of a syrup consistency to it, but it's doesn't.  At 70 proof it's not sugar water with a kick, it's clean, it's warm and pretty smooth for a moonshine.  Best as a chilled shot or served on the rocks.

Costing me about $19 for the reusable Mason Jar, I'm giving Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  I'm having fun sampling the Ole Smoky line up of flavored moonshines and this is worthy of a repeat buy.

Related: Best Apple Flavored Whiskeys from worst to best

By Mike Thayer

So I recently ventured away from enjoying the more traditional flavored whiskeys such as Jim Beam Orange (Great for making an Old Fashioned) or Ole Smoky Peanut Butter which in my humble opinion is better than Skrewball!

Lately I've been into trying Moonshine, a.k.a., "White Whiskey."

White Whiskey is "new" whiskey, as in a raw, unfinished product, "unaged." White Whiskey skips the aged in oak barrels step so what you get is naked grain alcohol - Moonshine!

Looking for a different flavored Moonshine to try, I picked up a Mason Jar of Georgia Moon Peach at my neighborhood liquor store, Everton Liquor at the corner of Harry and Rock.

Here's the description:  Kentucky- Moonshine Georgia Moon Peach is another reason why the state of Georgia has its nickname. World famous Georgia peaches give the classic corn whiskey blend a new, fresh picked flavor in every sip. The smell of sweet corn accompanied by peaches in a mouth watering invitation.

Some folks might describe Moonshine as harsh and that would be a reasonable description if we were talking home made, unregulated or otherwise made without a license Moonshine.  That backyard stuff is commonly 'bottled' at 150 proof.  Yes, harsh.  But Georgia Moon Peach is a commercially made White Whiskey and at 70 proof, makes for a smooth chilled shot or better yet enjoyed on the rocks.  You get the pleasant peach notes in the nose, it delivers Georgia Peach in the sip, no harshness at all and you get the warm white whiskey finish going down.  Peach is a great pairing with Moonshine.

Costing me $13.99 for a reusable Mason Jar, I'm giving Georgia Moon Peach Moonshine 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's reasonably priced and a super change-of-pace flavored whiskey, it's a definite repeat buy.

Related: Drink Review: Ole Smoky Sour Apple Moonshine