There’s nothing like a Christmas spirit to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Bluegrass Distillers has welcomed a little cinnamon flavored elf into their seasonal workshop called Santa’s Helper. As a fairly new distillery, Bluegrass Distillers has already made news with their innovation and creativity. Their Blue Corn Bourbon, available as a single barrel, 90 proof, or bottled-in-bond variety, was the first to make headlines with its bold use of blue corn as the main grain in the mash bill. The distillery’s other standard offerings include a high rye bourbon, several wheated bourbons, and the Toasted Oak Bourbon.
However outside of this lineup, Bluegrass Distillers boasts an interesting line of seasonal products. This list includes a maple finished bourbon, a blue dog whiskey similar to Buffalo Trace’s White Dog, and a Pickleback Bourbon Whiskey that’s finished in pickle brine barrels. With all of that on the market, a cinnamon whiskey isn’t a stretch at all.
As a cinnamon flavored whiskey, Santa’s Helper does hold a resemblance to the ever-popular Fireball, but this is more like Fireball’s sweeter, calmer cousin. Santa’s Helper has a slightly lower proof than Fireball, which makes it a bit less punchy than you might expect (or even hope). While it does have a sweet, cinnamon flavor, the syrupy viscosity almost makes it a bit too sweet to drink neat. But hey – who said we have to drink it neat? For us, Santa’s Helper has been a great mixer for seasonal cocktails and punches like a boozy Apple Cider or Eggnog.
We’re excited to see a new distillery like Bluegrass Distillers take some chances, experiment, and provide a little competition to some bigger brands. And we certainly wouldn’t mind waking up to a bottle of Santa’s Helper in our Christmas stockings.
STATS: Santa’s Helper Cinnamon Whiskey
- Price for us: $35 for 750 mL
- Proof: 57.35
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Bluegrass Distillers
- Recommendation: Mixer for Apple Cider or Eggnog
