Hot and spicy is the latest "in" taste

Bhut Jolokia, the fiery chilli pepper from the northeast of India, is the secret ingredient that has made Wild Turkey's honey-flavoured bourbon a surprise success. American Honey Sting was to be a limited edition release but the reaction it received has been so positiveit is being brought back in more of a semi-permanent basis.

Andrew Floor, senior marketing director of dark spirits for Wild Turkey owners Campari America told Quartz they shipped 17,000 cases in the first six weeks—new brands typically deliver between 10,000 and 20,000 cases in a full year.
In 2013, a report of the American consumer’s flavour preferences by Technomic, a market research firm for the food industry, found that for the first time in four years, a majority of consumers—54%—said they preferred hot or spicy foods. And when the spice is blended with sweet flavours, it’s almost a sure hit. “For a long time the American palate has skewed towards sweet, whether they admit it or not. (However) exploration of flavours is one of the key drivers in millennial consumption behaviour,” says Floor. He says they weren’t looking for a me-too product to compete with Fireball, the popular cinnamon-powered whiskey but a more sophisticated experience, experimenting with heat to give flavour. When you sip Sting, expect a mild, back-of-the-palate heat, not an inferno.