The 8 Best Apple Whiskeys, According To A Pro

I don't know about you, but personally, if I'm going to choose a nightcap from a list of spirits, I'll always choose a whiskey. The warm, oaky sipper immediately transports me to a luxe leather armchair in front of a fireplace, though I have neither of those things. I'm a budding whiskey enthusiast (most recently, I hosted a tasting of every Trader Joe's whiskey on offer), constantly trying to expand my horizons, and though I haven't yet splurged on a luxury whiskey glass to sip from, I do have a few sets on my wishlist. To that end, it was only fitting that I do a deep dive on whiskeys that feature a flavor I constantly crave: Apple. 

Apple whiskey is a staple in my favorite seasonal crockpot cocktail — alongside apple cider, cinnamon sticks, Kentucky bourbon, and a hefty pour of brandy — but historically, I've just grabbed the cheapest bottle of apple whiskey from my local liquor store. As it turns out, not all apple whiskeys are created equal (shocking, I know), and this lineup of the best whiskies and bourbons will all find favor with different consumers. To make this list, a bottle had to hold its apple and whiskey components in good balance, with neither overpowering the other, and the apple had to come through clearly on the nose and during the sip. Read through my descriptions of each before deciding which you'll indulge in — some are sweet, some are more spiced, and some are impeccably clean, but all are lovely. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Crown Royal's Regal Apple Whiskey features a blend of apple-infused Canadian whiskies, and the company promises spiced and caramel notes alongside juicy apple. It sits at 35% ABV, and the apples used in this particular blend are all Gala apples, a red variety known for having a relatively mild sweetness and often some bright notes. Indeed, I got all of that on the nose, including the floral notes one often finds in a Gala apple — in fact, those light, almost perfumed floral notes are the biggest thing that sets this whisky apart from the rest. 

When sipping, a slightly spiced whisky takes the forefront before leading into an apple-forward finish. This is a bottle for anyone who wants their whisky with a side of apple (rather than the other way around). The sip is smooth but complex, with bright, sweet, fruity notes bringing some contrast to the spiced Canadian whisky. It doesn't brag about its fruit infusion as loudly as some of the other bottles do, but I found that to be a strength of this selection, which is familiar enough to please any Crown Royal devotees who just want to switch up their routine a little bit.

You'll find Evan Williams bourbon on shelves at pretty much any liquor store, and the brand is prolific enough that I obviously had to give it a try. The making of this bottle is relatively straightforward: Take Evan Williams' Kentucky Straight Bourbon, mix it with apple flavoring, and voila! The result is a wonderfully amber-hued bottle of spiced apple spirit that I was quite enamored with.

Bright green apples come through first on the nose — as a side note, this tasting really showed the difference between how red and green apples smell — quickly followed by a pretty subtle scent of oaky bourbon. I loved how fruity this smelled, but it was also one of the subtler-smelling bottles. Interestingly enough, though apples came through strong on the nose, I got spiced bourbon at the front of the sip while apple lingered at the end. This was one of the most spiced bottles I tried, and it took me on quite the journey from the beginning to the end of the sip. Candied apple lingered on my lips after swallowing. Overall, this made for a punchy, bourbon-forward apple spirit, and it will make a great bottle for anyone who doesn't want to sacrifice the warmth they're used to in a sipper. 

If you want an apple whiskey that sits squarely on the sweet end of the spectrum, look no further than Ole Smoky's Caramel Apple Whiskey. I had my doubts about its "caramel" appeal before opening the bottle — could the company fully incorporate the flavor without making a cloying spirit? — but my apprehensions dispersed once I took a whiff. Sweet, buttery, rich caramel is absolutely beautiful on the nose, and the apple blends into it so seamlessly that it's hard to separate the two aromas. Add in the whiskey that comes through behind, and just the smell of this had me ordering a tart pan before I even sipped it. I need to make an apple tart with whiskey caramel stat (using this bottle for the caramel, of course). 

When sipping, my instincts proved correct. With a thicker mouthfeel, you could convince me this was a whiskey caramel all on its own (with some cream in the equation, of course). Apple is present, but it comes through on the back end, and acts as an accent rather than the main feature, but I didn't mind that here — again, the apple and caramel notes blended so seamlessly that it was hard to tell where one ended and the next began. As such, it's surprisingly sweet, but doesn't veer into cloying territory thanks to some balance from the whiskey's spiced notes. Want a sweet whiskey to sip solo or infuse into an indulgent bev? Grab this one. 

Ask me to whip out a bottle of sophisticated apple whiskey, and I'll reach for this selection from King's Family Distillery without a second thought. And I'm not just talking about visual appeal, though the whiskey certainly sets itself apart from others by being almost clear as glass. Rather, I'm suggesting that this bottle houses a nuanced spirit. It's not much on the nose, which is very clean with a subtle fruity appeal, almost akin to apple juice, with hardly any spice. But sip on it, and the illusion that you're about to drink something nondescript will get whisked away. 

Sipping this whiskey felt almost like tasting a delicate dance of flavors. As an impeccably clean spirit, the bright, fruity flavor of the apples was able to really shine alongside the warm, spiced whiskey. Hints of vanilla brought some depth to the sip, while apples lifted it out of "heavy" territory. Moreover, I got an umami appeal in this bottle that I didn't taste in any of the others. It was almost buttery in its richness. I feel this could be a very versatile spirit. It would be easy to enjoy neat, but it won't get lost when paired with a citrusy mixer. Personally, I'll be using it to make an intriguing whiskey sour as soon as possible. 

If you asked me to pick the most unique offering on this list, I'd have to name Rattlesnake Rosie's Apple Pie whiskey. I still don't entirely know how to classify this bad boy, except to say that it certainly fits the near-sinful nature of the bottle's branding. On the nose, it had an almost malted, winey darkness to it, perhaps from the brown sugar and vanilla that go into making this concoction. In any case, just the aroma promised an indulgent tasting experience, and I certainly wasn't disappointed upon sipping it. 

I got a lot of sweet, strong fruity notes at the front of the sip, with an almost cherry-like flavor that I wasn't wholly expecting. It's spiced without having any sharp edges, but it does have a slight burn from cinnamon. The overall feel of the sip was like drinking a hot apple syrup, if you can picture that. Apple is definitely present, and I was wholly surprised by this singular whiskey, and it's one that should be tried by anyone who likes to be adventurous when stocking their bar cart.

I don't understand why some people call Proper No. Twelve an overrated Irish whiskey. That said, I've only tried the brand's apple whiskey, so I can't speak from a well-rounded experience. What I can say is that this was one of my personal favorite apple whiskeys on this list, both on the nose and on the palate. Irish whiskey is known for offering a particularly clean drinking experience, and that was certainly the case with this bottle, which was impeccably smooth from start to finish. 

On the nose, this whiskey smelled very strongly of candied apple, almost like a lollipop. Rather than being turned off by the hints of sweetness, I found myself intrigued by them, and rightfully so — I found a strong, sweet apple flavor when sipping it that absolutely adhered to the "crisp and fresh" characteristics promised on the label. Though it's sweet, I still got plenty of smoke from the whiskey itself, and its finish was as clean as you'd expect from an Irish whiskey. This would be another versatile bottle to add to your collection. I'd enjoy sipping on it solo, and while you shouldn't overwhelm it with a myriad of accoutrements, it'll hold its own in a simple mixed drink. 

As one of the best-selling whiskey brands in the U.S., you're probably not surprised to see Jack Daniel's make this apple whiskey roundup. Its bottle of Tennessee Apple is a simple concoction made from apple liqueur and Jack Daniel's signature Tennessee Whiskey, and though it's relatively straightforward to describe, the result is far from ordinary. I really loved this whiskey, which boasted some of the strongest apple flavors of the bunch.

I was impressed with this from the moment I opened the bottle. Bright green apple hit on the nose like a freight train. Had my eyes been closed, you could've convinced me I was in decent proximity to an orchard. Whiskey takes a backseat on the nose, but it definitely doesn't disappear entirely. When sipping, I found this to burn a little more than other whiskeys listed here, and that's because the whiskey and the apple liqueur hit different areas in my mouth. Apple liqueur sat squarely on my soft palate, mellowing out the end of the sip while allowing that spice to warm the front of my tongue. The result was a very well-rounded and complex sip that I'd have indulged in more during this tasting, were I not trying several whiskeys back-to-back. 

Is any seasonal flavor pairing more classic than apples and cinnamon? Not for me. Put me in front of any cinnamon-apple combo, and it'll vanish in a nanosecond. Not only does this bottle boast loudly of a rich, fruity apple flavor, but it pairs that quality with Fireball's tried and true cinnamon whisky. Truly, what more could I ask for? On the nose, it was heaven in a bottle, which is to say, it smelled like all my favorite apple bakes, proudly proclaiming its cinnamon-and-apple interior. And yes, the sip delivered tenfold. 

Fireball is notoriously delicious, which I'll stand by even though I'm well out of my college years, but this took the spirit to new heights that I was entirely unprepared for. It tasted like dessert — I couldn't tell where the cinnamon ended and the apple began, and my immediate instinct was to pour a shot (or two ... or more) over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. It wholly tasted like apple pie in a bottle, and I think the company struck a perfect balance here. 

To find fitting apple whiskeys for this list, I got my hands on nine different bottles to try, and didn't differentiate between whiskey and bourbon when picking my selection. The one bottle I didn't like (Jim Beam) didn't make the list — among the rest, each will appeal to a different type of consumer. The criteria were simple. To earn a spot in this lineup, the apple flavor had to come through on both the nose and the palate, and it had to be in good balance with the whiskey. In the bottle of Jim Beam, I felt the two were fighting against each other, as though I was sipping on two separate drinks instead of one. Beyond that, each whiskey had a smooth finish, and I gave no preference to how long the finish was. 

Now all I need to figure out is how to combine the best characteristics of all these spirits into my dream bake. Apple-cinnamon-whiskey tart? Dense, cloying, syrupy, boozy apple bread? Perhaps a sponge cake, soaked tres leches style with a generous helping of apple whiskey? One thing's for sure: I'll be busy concocting apple whiskey confections for the foreseeable future.