Arby’s Now Has Its Own Bourbon And We Tried It To See If It’s Worth Seeking Out

REVEW: Arby's Smoked Bourbon Shouldn't Be As Good As It Is

Arby's


It’s been around a year since an unsuspecting world woke up to the news that Arby’s—the fast food chain best known for having the meats—had opted to expand its horizons a bit by getting into the booze game and releasing a limited run of vodka inspired by its french fries.

The end result was a perfectly acceptable (albeit slightly overpriced) potato-based adult beverage that sold out in a matter of minutes after going on sale. As a result, it’s not exactly surprising that the brand then opted to turn its attention to a similar project that was officially announced on Monday.

The new offering in question is Arby’s Smoked Bourbon, which is the end result of a collaboration with Brain Brew, an Ohio-based craft distillery that was tasked with capturing the essence of a Smokehouse Sandwich in a 45% ABV liquid infused with the hickory, mesquite, and pecan smoke responsible for imparting a good chunk of their flavor.

At first glance, “whiskey inspired by a BBQ sandwich” seems to have some serious potential to be a recipe for disaster. It’s easy to understand why you might be very skeptical, which sums up how I felt when I poured myself a tiny glass after the folks at Arby’s were kind enough to send a bottle my way ahead of the release.

Thankfully, I only had to take a single sip to have my mind put at ease.

Review: Arby’s Smoked Bourbon

Arby's Smoked Bourbon

Arby's


The concept of a smoked libation is certainly nothing new, but if I’ve learned anything while taking a chance on various rauchbier and the peatiest scotches Islay has to offer over the years, it’s that they can be incredibly hit or miss; the line between “Oh, that’s some nice smoke” and “I feel like I just took a gulp of melted bacon fat” is dangerously thin.

When you consider an Arby’s brisket sandwich served as the onus for this particular creation, I don’t think it was unfair to assume the bourbon had all the potential in the world to vault over that line and into the second category.

Those suspicions were only affirmed when I took my first whiff of a bourbon that’s brimming with the smell of a BBQ smoker, so I was understandably a bit surprised when I mustered up the courage to take my first taste with my loins set the “Maximum Gird” and discovered Arby’s Smoked Bourbon is….actually good?

It took me a few sips to officially reach that conclusion, as it takes a little bit of time to reconcile the difference between a nose that’s absolutely bursting with the aforementioned trio of wood and a whiskey where those flavors are front and center while still being relatively subdued; the smoke lurks beneath the surface of every sip, but never outstays it welcome or overpowers a sweet, oaky bourbon that finishes with a hint of spiciness.

Arby’s Smoked Bourbon will officially hit virtual shelves here at 12 PM EST on Wednesday, October 19th (a second—and as-of-yet announced—drop will likely follow based on the estimated demand). Some people may balk at the $60 price tag, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better combination of novelty and quality at a price point featuring a number of bottles I can honestly say this one could go toe to toe with.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.