This Whiskey Named After Elvis Is Honestly One Of The Worst Of All Time

The world of whiskey is a wide one. There are the ultra-premium, aged-for-years whiskeys, the worst bottom-shelf bargain whiskeys, and a third category of just plain weird whiskeys. One that belongs in that last category is the Elvis Midnight Snack. Unfortunately, it's not "good weird," it's very much "bad weird" — to the point where a Chowhound reviewer declared it as one of the 15 worst whiskeys of all time.

Elvis Midnight Snack is meant to channel one of Elvis Presley's favorite foods, which is the peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich. One version of his favorite sandwich used a whole loaf of bread, but these extras don't feature in the whiskey, which can cause a significant shift in the overall flavor experience. The banana flavor is a particular problem in the Elvis Midnight Snack, with Chowhound's reviewer comparing it to Laffy Taffy — this isn't good, since artificial banana flavoring is notoriously hard for food scientists to get right. In this case, you're hit with a fake, cloying, and slightly chemical banana flavor. 

To make matters worse, the peanut butter flavor doesn't land either, reading more as caramel with an inexplicable hint of bubblegum. Meanwhile, the bacon flavor is rather absent (for better or worse). Without that savory note, the end product is more akin to a sweet liqueur than a whiskey — and it's not the kind that pairs well with banana flavor.

It's definitely possible to find some people willing to go in to bat for Elvis Midnight Snack, but positive reviews often come with a few caveats. Some people even appreciate its sweetness and smoothness. However, if you're not a fan of banana Laffy Taffy or similar candy notes in your booze, it can have an off-putting banana flavor and aroma. The bacon flavor is pretty nonexistent, meaning that it doesn't really do what it says on the label. If you were to buy Elvis Midnight Snack, the purchase would probably be more for its novelty factor than anything particularly good about the spirit.

The price also doesn't help Elvis Midnight Snack make a case for itself — it sells for around $26 for a 25-ounce bottle. That's on the higher end for flavored whiskey, at over double the price of a similarly-sized bottle of Fireball and a few dollars more than Crown Royal's flavored varieties. If you're looking for a true peanut butter-flavored whiskey, the Skrewball brand is notorious for hitting that nail on the head. Additionally, you can try pairing peanut butter whiskey with berry liqueur for the right balance of sweetness.