Cherry Bomb from Eastside Distilling in Portland is one of those unique liquors that when I first heard about it, I was immediately dying to try it. Now I’m really excited to have it in my liquor cabinet.

The bottle contains a rich, maroon, murky liquid – part of Eastside’s vow that real Oregon cherries are actually in there. When you open the bottle, you smell whiskey, and this surprised me as I imagined something more candy-like, I suppose. Here’s the important thing though: this isn’t cherry liqueur, it’s cherry whiskey, and it’s not sweetened by anything other than the cherries themselves.

When you take quality aged whiskey and seep fresh local cherries in it, this is what you get: a very flavorful, sweet, and smooth drink. I imagine this is probably a great opportunity to make some simple cocktails with a cherry twist, but Cherry Bomb tastes so good on its own, I just keep drinking it that straight. This is a great choice for an after dinner tipple as it’s an alternative to a sweeter after-dinner liqueur. Cherry Bomb has a really familiar and comforting flavor, like a glass of whiskey served with a hot slice of cherry pie, a little bit tart and a little bit sweet.

Cherry Bomb will run you $24 for a 375ml half-bottle and it’s available online, at many places in Oregon, or at the distillery in Portland’s Distillery Row.