For this special edition of Tasting Notes, we find ourselves pregaming the weekend by getting into a little Blazing HEEET Hot Cinnamon Vodka from MerryGo Spirits.

Released as the first high-quality, luxury spirit from MerryGo Spirits, Blazing HEEET is here to spice up your summer with an experience that combines the sweet heat of cinnamon with the crisp taste of vodka.  More than just another gimmicky flavored-vodka, Blazing HEEET is an “ultra-premium American-made Vodka” that is 6x distilled, carbon filtered and made with 100% all-natural ingredients.  Clocking in at 68 Proof (34% ABV), Blazing HEEET is an “intense, hot cinnamon” libation that you can shoot straight, enjoy on the rocks, or mix into your favorite cocktail.  Blazing HEEET Hot Cinnamon Vodka is available now at fine liquor stores for the suggested retail price of $24.99 per 750ml bottle.

Now that we are all a little more familiar with the information behind Blazing HEEET, let’s go ahead and jump headlong into the fire and burn through some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Blazing HEEET Hot Cinnamon Vodka from MerryGo Spirits

Appearance: Blazing HEEET is packaged in a uniquely shaped, squat and heavy glass bottle.  The label is an eye-grabbing reddish orange in color with retro-style fonts, and the design cleverly incorporates actual strike points for matches.  The liquid itself is perfectly clear, but it does take on a bit of a haze when chilled.  There are absolutely no off colors from the added ingredients, and it looks exactly as one would expect when presented with a glass of vodka.

Aroma: That said, those expectations see a little realignment just as soon as you unscrew the cap on this bottle.  At that moment you are hit with a big waft of pure cinnamon.  It has that signature, attention-getting heat that the spice is known for, but there is also a candied note pushing forward. It is almost as if you infused a beautiful vodka with some of those cinnamon candies we all sought after at one time or another as kids.  It is clean, nostalgic, and it certainly has our attention.

Taste:  Each sip of HEEET leads with a rush of sweet heat from the cinnamon.  It is not overly aggressive, but it definitely takes the alpha role in the flavor department.  The heat from the cinnamon then seamlessly threads itself into the booziness of the vodka.  The experience closes with a pure and clean vodka flavor that possesses just a touch of earthiness.

Mouthfeel: Slick in texture, HEEET coats the palate well, hangs around for a moment, and then evaporates slowly to leave behind a lingering heat. That heat comes from both the cinnamon and 34% ABV, but it is tempered beautifully with that subtle sweetness. Subtle is the word here because both the sweetness and the heat are dialed in just right to avoid any issues with cloying.  The aftertaste is straight vodka.

Final Thoughts:  Although cinnamon-flavored spirits are all the rage right now, Blazing HEEET proved to this tasting panel that it is something special.  Sure, the aggressively aromatic cinnamon had a few us more than a little wary, but that all changed with a sip.  This thing is crafted for balance and it is artful in its execution.  It leads with the expected pop of cinnamon, but it is just the right amount to get your attention without burning you down. That is impressive enough on its own, but the finish is what truly amazes us. The fact that this spirit can start with an assertive flavor like cinnamon and close out with an aftertaste that is nothing but clean premium vodka is remarkable.  It would be so easy for Blazing HEEET to be one note, but the folks who crafted it clearly wanted you to know it is a vodka at heart.  This gives Blazing HEEET character, and that is not something we often find in flavored spirits.

All in all, Blazing HEEET just comes together to be a damn tasty flavored-vodka experience that can be easily enjoyed on its own with ice, thrown back as a shot with friends (we might have done a few . . . for science), or used to spice up an old cocktail recipe.  It’s delicious. It’s different. It’s fun. And it does not have be much more than that.  Be sure to check it out the next time you are looking for something to spice up the liquor cabinet.  Prost!

Side Note: Speaking of cocktails, we dabbled with Blazing HEEET in a variety of mixed drinks this week and this one turned out to be the office favorite.

Shimmering HEEET

• 1.5 oz. Blazing HEEET Hot Cinnamon Vodka
• 3 oz. Pear Juice
• Champagne

Combine the Blazing HEEET and pear juice with ice in a cocktail shaker.  Shake and strain into a collins or highball glass filled with fresh ice.  Top with champagne and enjoy.

This cocktail basically plays on the idea of champagne poached pears.  The sweetness of the pear juice tempers the heat of Blazing HEEET but draws out its comforting cinnamon characteristics. The champagne adds dryness and effervescence to round out the experience. This all results in a ridiculously refreshing cocktail that you can pair with a cool summer evening on the porch or you could use it to break up the mimosa monotony at brunch.

If you do not want to mess around with the pear juice and champagne, you can simplify this into a two-ingredient cocktail by replacing those with a Pear Cider like Samuel Smith’s Organic Perry Sparkling Pear Cider or the more adventurous could use an apple-infused Lambic like Lindemans Pomme/Apple Lambic.