BLAZE Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

 

There are several cinnamon-flavored whiskeys out there. They’re all pretty much the same, right? Well, no. Some flavored whiskeys are really liqueurs made from grain-neutral spirits (GNS) – think vodka versus actual whiskey.

 

The legal definition of whiskey in the United States is straightforward:

 

Spirits distilled from a fermented mash of grain at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to whiskey and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).

 

So, what’s legally a flavored whiskey? Well, that’s a somewhat looser definition. According to the TTB, something is a flavored whiskey when it is:

 

Whisky flavored with natural flavoring materials, with or without the addition of sugar, bottled at not less than 30% alcohol by volume (60 proof).

The name of the predominant flavor shall appear as part of the class and type designation, e.g., “Cherry Flavored Whisky.”

Wine may be added, but if the addition exceeds 2½% by volume of the finished product, the classes and/or types and percentages (by volume) of wine must be stated as part of the class and type designation.

 

Today, I’m exploring an authentic cinnamon-flavored whiskey called BLAZE Cinnamon Whiskey. It is produced by SoNo 1420 of Norwalk, Connecticut. I’ve reviewed a unique whiskey made with hemp called SoNo 1420/BBN Special Reserve Finished at Sea Whiskey if you want to learn more about the distillery.

 

According to SoNo 1420, BLAZE is “Handcrafted in small batches using a blend of real, straight bourbons infused with only the best cinnamons hand-selected from around the world.” What does that mean?

 

It utilizes Burmese cassia bark, Saigon Vietnamese cinnamon, and pure cane sugar blended into a Bourbon made from 90% corn and 10% malted barley. It carries no age statement and is packaged at 33% ABV (66°). Pricing is $29.99 for a 750ml and $9.99 for a 200ml.

 

I must thank SoNo 1420, who provided me with a sample of BLAZE in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and see how it fares.

 

Appearance: I poured BLAZE into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. The liquid inside was the color of rust. It generated a husky rim, which formed thick, syrupy tears.

 

Nose: It should be no surprise that BLAZE’s aroma is a cinnamon bomb. Frankly, I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t. There was nothing artificial or chemical-like about it. It was rich, bold, and even smelled fresh. I couldn’t pluck anything else from it, yet when I drew the air into my mouth, the cinnamon completely disappeared as it was replaced by vanilla cream.

 

Palate: I’m not sure why I expected a thick texture. BLAZE wasn’t quite there. The first sip was thin, but subsequent tries allowed it to gain weight. I tasted caramel and cinnamon on the front. The middle had a cherry vanilla flavor, while the back had a kiss of oak.

 

Finish: Medium-to-long in duration, the finish featured cinnamon and caramel.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: As a rule, I’m not really into cinnamon-flavored whiskeys. I enjoy cinnamon as a whiskey’s component on the palate. With that being said, I had fun drinking BLAZE. At 66°, it is an easy sipper, despite its name. Nothing resembled Red Hots candy, just a nice dose of cinnamon. I’d assume BLAZE would make a lovely cocktail base. When sipped neat, there’s absolutely nothing not to like about BLAZE. There’s genuine quality here, and this flavored whiskey deserves its Bottle rating. Cheers!    

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.