If you’ve spent any time in a craft beer aisle during the month of September, you know the orange label. You know the crown. You know the smell of nutmeg that somehow drifts through the glass bottle before you even pop the cap. Southern Tier Brewing Company basically owns the pumpkin season with their Pumking Imperial Ale. But then they went and did something sort of wild: they distilled it. Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey isn't just a flavored spirit thrown together by a marketing team looking to cash in on the "pumpkin spice everything" craze. It’s a weird, specific, and surprisingly technical crossover from their distillery arm, Southern Tier Spirits, that has people either hoarding bottles or looking at them with deep suspicion.
It’s divisive. Let’s just start there.
Most "pumpkin" spirits are basically vodka with a heavy dose of cinnamon syrup. This is different. Because Southern Tier actually operates a full-scale distillery in Lakewood, New York, they aren’t just sourcing generic grain neutral spirits and adding "pumpkin pie" flavoring. They are using the actual mash bill of the beer—the malts, the spices, the soul of the brew—as the foundation for the whiskey.
What is Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey, really?
It’s technically a flavored whiskey, bottled at 70 proof (35% ABV). That’s a bit lower than your standard bourbon, which usually sits at 80 proof minimum. But that lower alcohol content is intentional. It lets the aromatics breathe. If you’ve ever had the beer, you know it tastes like a literal liquified pie crust. The whiskey takes that specific profile and cranks the intensity.
You’ve got the base of a smooth, column-distilled spirit. Then they integrate the signature Pumking flavors: vanilla, clove, allspice, and that weirdly accurate buttery crust note. It’s sweet. Very sweet. Honestly, if you’re a purist who only drinks neat Peated Scotch, you’re probably going to hate this. But if you’re looking for something that actually tastes like the fall season without the syrupy chemical aftertaste of a cheap liqueur, this hits a very specific spot.
The production happens right on the same campus where the beer is made. That matters. There’s a synergy there. They use the same water source and the same quality control standards. Most people don't realize that Southern Tier Spirits launched back in 2015, so they've had over a decade to figure out how to translate hops and malt into copper stills.
The Flavor Breakdown: It’s Not Just Sugar
A lot of people think pumpkin flavor is just cinnamon. It isn't. Not here.
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When you first pour Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey, the nose is aggressive. It’s heavy on the vanilla. It smells like a kitchen during Thanksgiving. But once you take a sip, you notice the grain. There is a distinct "malty" backbone that reminds you it’s a whiskey.
- The Entry: Immediate sweetness. Think brown sugar and roasted pecans.
- The Mid-palate: This is where the spices kick in. It’s less "pumpkin meat" and more "baking spice." You get the ginger and the nutmeg.
- The Finish: This is the most impressive part. It leaves a buttery, biscuit-like flavor on the tongue. That's the "pie crust" element Southern Tier is famous for.
It doesn’t burn. At 70 proof, it’s dangerously smooth. That’s the catch. You can finish a glass before you realize you’ve basically just had a liquid dessert.
How to Drink It Without Being a Cliché
Look, you can do the basic thing and put it in a coffee. It works. It’s great. But there are better ways to use this bottle if you want to actually appreciate the craft behind it.
The "Pumking Old Fashioned"
Forget the simple syrup. The whiskey is sweet enough. Just use 2 ounces of Pumking Whiskey, a couple of dashes of black walnut bitters (the nuttiness complements the spice), and a wide orange peel. Stir it with a big ice cube. The dilution from the ice actually opens up the spice notes.
The "Two-Part Harmony"
The distillery actually recommends mixing this with their flagship Pumking beer. It’s called a "King Bomb" or a "Pumking Boilermaker." You drop a shot of the whiskey into the Imperial Ale. It’s intense. It’s heavy. It will probably put you to sleep by 9:00 PM, but it’s the purest expression of what the brand is trying to do.
The Cold Brew Shakeup
If you’re doing a brunch thing, mix this with cold brew coffee and a splash of heavy cream. It beats any latte you’ll get at a chain coffee shop because the whiskey adds a charred oak depth that coffee syrup lacks.
The Science of the "Pie Crust" Note
Why does it taste like bread? That’s the question everyone asks.
In brewing, they use specific malts (like Victory malt) to get that toasted biscuit flavor. When they distill the mash for the whiskey, some of those heavier esters and congeners carry over. Then, the addition of natural flavors during the finishing process reinforces that. It’s a psychological trick as much as a chemical one. Our brains associate vanilla and buttery fats with pastry. By hitting those two notes hard, Southern Tier tricks your palate into "feeling" the texture of a crust.
It’s clever. It’s also why this particular whiskey stands out in a market flooded with pumpkin spice vodka. It feels "baked," not just "flavored."
Common Misconceptions and Where People Get It Wrong
People often buy this expecting a 100-proof bourbon that happens to have a hint of pumpkin. That’s not what this is. If you go into it expecting Buffalo Trace with a cinnamon stick, you’ll be disappointed. This is a "spirit specialty."
Another thing: people worry it’s a "limited release" that you can never find. While it is seasonal, Southern Tier has scaled up production significantly. You can usually find it across the Northeast and Midwest starting in August. Yes, August. The "Christmas creep" of the alcohol world is real, and the pumpkin season starts earlier every year.
Is it "authentic" whiskey?
Purists will say no. Technically, because of the added flavors and lower ABV, it falls into the category of a flavored spirit. But who cares? If it tastes good and does what it says on the label, the technical classification is just semantics for people who want to argue on Reddit.
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Comparison: Pumking Whiskey vs. The Competition
There are other pumpkin whiskeys. Fulton’s Harvest is one. Jack Daniel’s doesn’t really play in this space (they stick to honey and apple). Most others feel thin. They feel like whiskey with syrup poured in. Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey feels like a cohesive unit. The flavors are integrated.
The Reality of the "Seasonal" Hype
There is a psychological phenomenon called "seasonal scarcity." We want things more because we know they’ll be gone by January. Southern Tier has mastered this. They’ve built a cult following where people don't just buy a bottle; they buy the experience of "Fall."
But let’s be real: after November 1st, nobody wants to look at this bottle. It’s the ultimate November 2nd hangover drink. It’s too specific for year-round consumption. And that’s okay. It’s meant to be a moment in time.
Putting It to Use: Practical Next Steps
If you’ve got a bottle or you’re looking at one on the shelf, here is how to actually get your money’s worth.
- Don’t keep it in the freezer. Unlike vodka, the spice oils in this whiskey can get weird and muted if they’re too cold. Room temperature or slightly chilled is the sweet spot.
- Pair it with food. This is a bold move, but try it with sharp cheddar cheese. The saltiness of the cheese cuts through the sugar of the whiskey. It’s a classic pairing for a reason.
- Check the date. While spirits don't "spoil" like beer, flavored whiskeys can lose some of their aromatic "pop" if they sit on a shelf for three years. If you find a dusty bottle from 2022 in a back-alley liquor store, maybe skip it and wait for the fresh batch.
- Experiment with baking. Use a splash of this in your actual pumpkin pie filling or a bread pudding. The alcohol cooks off, but the concentrated Pumking spice remains. It’s a pro move for holiday dinners.
Southern Tier Pumking Whiskey isn't trying to be a fine sipping bourbon for the fireplace. It’s a loud, unapologetic, liquid version of a pumpkin pie. It knows exactly what it is. Whether you love it or think it’s a sugary gimmick usually depends on how much you’re willing to let go of "whiskey rules" and just enjoy a drink that tastes like a New York autumn.
Next time you see the orange glow of that bottle, grab it for the novelty, but keep it for the Old Fashioneds. You might be surprised at how fast the bottle disappears when the leaves start hitting the ground.