Jack Daniel's Winter Jack Hard Cider

• A sudden boomlet in the hard cider and flavored whiskies product niches has come together in a new Brown-Forman seasonal release.

The aroma of a spirit can be a real fooler. Take the new Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack Tennessee Cider, for example.

Nosing a just-poured sample, I could have sworn it was simply a delicate apple cider that would quietly touch my palate and quickly dissipate.

Wrong.

While the liqueur’s fragrance was light and sweet, the taste was full-bodied, robust and spicy with nuances of apple, orange peel, cinnamon and clove along with the signature Tennessee whiskey.

It’s a delightful cold weather liqueur, made even better when briefly heated in a microwave as the distiller suggests to turn it into a version of a mulled hot apple cider, something long popular for the winter holidays.

The cider liqueur, bottled at 30 proof (15% abv), retails at a suggested retail price of $16.99 for the 750ml bottle.