13 of the Strangest Whiskeys on Earth

By Food & Wine
Updated August 14, 2017
Getty Images/EyeEm
There’s more to whiskey than sipping it neat at your local bar, and these offbeat varieties from all over the world prove it. From a bourbon aged at sea to one with an actual snake resting in the bottle, these whiskeys run the gamut from brilliant and creative to just wonderfully weird. —Nneka M. Okona
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Chipotle Whiskey by Rogue Ales & Spirits

Courtesy of Rogue Ales & Spirits

Drying and smoking jalapeño peppers over cherry and alder wood lends this whiskey its peppery flavor. The process transforms jalapeños into chipotle peppers, offering a sweet smokiness with a spicy kick. Tacos are the perfect pairing. rogue.com

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Aged At Sea Bourbon by Jefferson’s Ocean

Courtesy of Jefferson's Bourbon

Think water, then think whiskey. Located in the heart of bourbon country in Louisville, Jefferson’s Ocean capitalized on the idea of aging bourbon faster while on water. Frequent movement (from the waves) gives the bourbon more contact with their barrels. So, Aged At Sea is aged at sea, just as you may have suspected. jeffersonsbourbon.com

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Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon by Corsair Distillery

Courtesy of Corsair Distillery

Can’t muster up the motivation to eat quinoa salads? There’s a whiskey for that. Corsair’s Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon turns the typical whiskey composition on its head with the addition of quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, oats and triticale. corsairdistillery.com

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Four Grain Bourbon by Hudson Whiskey

Courtesy of Tuthilltown

The oddest thing about this New York distiller is how they let their whiskeys reach full maturation—with a little help from hip hop. The soundwaves of rap agitate the whiskey when it’s in oak barrels, thus causing speedy maturation. While they recently stopped sonic-maturating their whiskeys, we're sure you can track down a lucky friend who grabbed a hip hop-inspired bottle and ask for a glass. hudsonwhiskey.com

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Pecan Pie by Piehole Whiskey

Courtesy of Piehole Whiskey

There are pecan, apple and cherry pie varieties of this whiskey, all evoking summer days of stuffing your piehole with a freshly-baked slice. pieholewhiskey.com

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Solist Amontillado Cask Whisky by Kavalan

Courtesy of Kavalan Whisky

This Taiwanese sherry-aged whiskey with smooth hazelnut and almond notes stands out because of its high sticker price—upwards of $300. It also stands out for its literary namesake. The whiskey, finished in casks that used to hold dry sherry, gets its name from The Cask of Amontillado, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. kavalanwhisky.com

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Cookies & Cream Whiskey by Ole Smoky Tennessee

Courtesy of Ole Smoky Moonshine

There’s something rumbling down in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and it follows the rhythm of… cookies and cream? This peculiar, vaguely sweet spirit is a limited edition, so you’ll have to get it straight from the barrelhouse—it’s not available elsewhere. olesmokey.com

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Old Punk Pumpkin Spice Whiskey by Ace Spirits

Pete Rodman

Surely the most controversial spirit on the list, this playful, on-trend whiskey tastes like pumpkin pie. A generous glug of Old Punk in your pumpkin spice latte might just make those cloying fall beverages palatable. acespirits.com

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Sarsaparilla Whiskey by Jeremiah Weed

Courtesy of DIAGEO

If you’ve ever had a hankering for the very medicinal, not-so-pleasant-and-often-wonky taste of sarsaparilla in your whiskey, you’re in luck. Jeremiah Weed’s Sarsaparilla Whiskey offers notes of vanilla, wintergreen, caramel and licorice. jeremiahweed.com

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Chocolate Flavored Whiskey by Kings County Distillery

Bobby Doherty

Why eat a gourmet chocolate bar when you can sip its alcoholic equivalent? In this Brooklyn-made whiskey, moonshine is combined with cacao beans from Mast Brothers Chocolate, which is located near the distillery. Glancing at the bottle, you’ll notice deep amber hues. kingscountydistillery.com

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Ginger Infused Bourbon by Virgil Kaine

Chris Rodgers

There’s ginger beer, ginger tea, ginger ale and now, ginger bourbon. Virgil Kaine takes its cues from the flavors of South Carolina Lowcountry, infusing the tastes of sorghum, orange, oats, dried apricot and sherry. virgilkaine.com

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Honey Locust Wood Whiskey by Cleveland Whiskey

Amber Patrick

Although the flavors of Cleveland Whiskeys might not win a strangeness contest—apple, hickory, black cherry and maple wood—the whiskeys’ uniqueness lies in their crazy-fast aging process. Tom Lix ages the spirit in just twenty-four hours using vacuum pressure-pumping. This means the Honey Locust Wood Whiskey, which gets its floral aftertaste from the chips of honey locust wood, wasn’t aged for several years to get its rich flavor. clevelandwhiskey.com

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Snake whiskey

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You won’t find this wildcard whiskey at your local spirits store or bar. Snake whiskey is exactly what it sounds like: a dead snake, typically cobra, resting in whiskey to offer its funky taste. If you ever find yourself in Thailand or Laos, take the plunge and cross drinking snake-infused spirits off your bucket list.

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