Jim Beam takes on cinnamon-flavoured whiskey

Beam Suntory has grown its presence in the cinnamon whiskey category with Jim Beam Kentucky Fire, a name similar to Jack Daniels’ Tennessee Fire.

Jim Beam Kentucky Fire is named remarkably similarly to Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, although the product packagings are very different

The expression joins Jim Beam’s rapidly expanding flavoured whiskey portfolio, which already includes maple and honey bottlings, as well as a cinnamon-flavoured whiskey under its Red Stag label, Red Stag Spiced.

“We’ve led the category in flavour innovation in recent years with Red Stag by Jim Beam, Jim Beam Maple and Jim Beam Honey, but our latest flavour certainly turns up the heat,” said Chris Bauder, general manager of whiskies at Beam Suntory, which fully merged its portfolio last month following Suntory’s acquisition of Beam Inc earlier this year.

“We’re thrilled with the initial excitement we’ve seen for Jim Beam Kentucky Fire and are thrilled to continue to bring new and interesting flavour options to our fans and those who are new to whiskey.”

The launch of Jim Beam Kentucky Fire follows that of Brown-Forman owned Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, which has recently been rolled out across the US following successful trials.

Upon its soft launch in March 2014, Brown-Forman admitted trials of Tennessee Fire were necessary to avoid cannibalisation of its superstar honey expression, which this year became the first flavoured whiskey to sell over one million cases.

In April last year, Heaven Hill Distillers also released a hot cinnamon-flavoured whiskey, called Cinerator, while Early Times launched a cinnamon whiskey liqueur called Fire Eater in July 2012.