99 Mystery Booze Flavor Review: A Nostalgic Sip That Reminds Us Of A Childhood Treat

The 99 Brand is known for their fun vibe and wide-ranging 99-proof alcohol flavors, and what is more fun than a mystery? A mystery and a contest, that's what! This liquor brand is dropping a brand new mystery flavor this October and inviting tasters to call in with their guesses. One lucky caller will receive a very on-brand sum of money. The flavor is being kept top secret to preserve its mysterious nature. So everyone has a fair chance to go feel the full challenge of pinpointing what they're tasting in the new release. I was excited to be able to taste-test 99 Brand's newest unique flavor ahead of its release.

The 99 Brand sent over a few airplane bottles of their new mystery flavor for me to try, and I found the sweet flavor to be quite reminiscent of a favorite childhood treat. Follow along for my breakdown of the fresh autumnal release and my best guess on what this new, sweet flavor could really be.

Other than a fresh flavor, this new release isn't much different than what we have come to expect from 99 Brand. Like most other variations, the mystery flavor is 99-proof and classified as a liqueur. This mystery variation, with its holographic, sprinkle-laden label, seems to be playing up the party-loving personality of the brand itself.

The fun doesn't stop at 99 Brand's many vibey flavors and mystery drops. They've also played up this particular mystery flavor with a very on-brand contest. The liquor company is inviting drinkers to call an old school-style hotline to submit their guesses as to what the new mystery flavor could be. This is a throwback to the radio show contests, and the 99th caller who guesses correctly will win $9,999.

This 99 hotline will be open for one single day, so get those fingers ready to dial. Call in on October 9th starting at 9 a.m. to enter the contest via automated messaging system. The hotline will close on the 9th at –– you guessed it –– 9 p.m. Channel your inner '90s kid and dial 1-833-GUESS99 to be "lucky caller number 99."

The 99 Brand will be shipping out their new mystery flavor this October, and you'll start seeing shelves weighed down with the little bottles as early as the start of the month. By the second half of October, this mystery flavor should be spread nationwide. Exactly where you can buy them, though, will depend on which state you reside in. Some state laws allow for the sale of liquor right in the grocery stores, but others require a separate trip to an ABC or liquor store. 99 Brand's website has a tracker to find stores that carry their flavors, which should make it fairly simple to find their new release locally. I'd expect this mystery flavor to only be available for a limited time, but previous mystery flavors are still available to purchase.

As for price, all of 99 Brand's 50 mL bottles are just over a dollar and their new mystery flavor is no exception. These party poppin' airplane bottles will run around $1.19, making them a very affordable option for pregaming your upcoming Halloween parties.

From the first sniff, I knew I was in for a sugar rush with this mighty shooter. Though it is 99 proof and stronger than most rail liquors, the 99 Brand mystery flavor is undeniably sickly sweet. Both the smell and taste hit me as something distinctly familiar, though, and I couldn't quite pinpoint from where I recognized it. The sweetness is a nostalgic one, and not totally unpleasant thanks to the throwback quality it possesses.

Apart from the almost overwhelming sweetness, the mystery flavor had the expected bite of alcohol, though this came as an aftertaste. Compared to a lot of other alcohols, the bite was more subtle. The mysterious flavor would likely be a good one for someone who doesn't mind some extra sweetness to help hide this bitterness.

The 99 Brand describes itself as a "full flavor" liqueur with "explosive" tastes, so this level of sweetness and distinctiveness is expected. The nostalgia involved also makes a lot of sense, considering it is paired with the retro-style hotline contest. It would seem that 99 Brand knew exactly what tasters would experience with this mystery flavor, and are fully playing it up.

At first, I couldn't place the familiarity I was smelling and tasting with this flavor. The distinctive sweetness connected with something in the far reaches of my mind. It took a few sips to realize the mystery flavor was taking me back to '90s childhood birthday parties and summers full of ice cream shops. I believe the flavor to be cake. If I have to get specific, I would guess birthday cake, or possibly even cake batter. The label, which features some subtle rainbow sprinkles, seems to support this guess as well.

To be fair, I haven't just based this guess on taste and appearance. The 99 Brand offered up two hints with the samples they sent me. The first hint was that this flavor is inspired by a treat often enjoyed at celebrations. The other hint referenced an announcement the liquor brand revealed last fall, which I deduced meant their 2023 birthday revamp contest. Seeing as cake is internationally used to celebrate birthdays and this mystery flavor was as sweet as frosting, I felt cake was a solid guess.

Honestly, I'd almost prefer to leave this one as a shooter straight from its little airplane bottle –– it's the kind of party-on-the-sidewalk aesthetic that I crave. However, even a liqueur this sweet can be turned into a mixed drink pretty easily. Add a bit of RumChata and you've got a more complex dessert shooter. Put forth a bit more effort and you could create a sweeter version of a number of popular dessert cocktails. Mudslides, White Russians, and espresso martinis could all take on this mystery flavor and thrive — just get ready for one unhinged sugar rush.

Another creative choice is to up the cake factor, if I am indeed correct in my flavor guess that is. Mix this 99 Brand alcohol with vodka in a 1:1 ratio and top it off with a swirl of whipped cream to create a distinct birthday shot. Make it pretty with a rainbow sprinkle rim and it'll look as sweet as it tastes.

I'm a sucker for a mystery, so I would have absolutely bought one of these shooters to try and guess the flavor. Would I come back for more, though? It's a resounding no. As a general rule, I am not a fan of sweet alcohol and this shooter was more than just a little sweet. Except for an occasional mixed drink, I also don't typically touch liqueur or flavored liquors. So admittedly, 99 Brand as a whole is outside of my drinking comfort zone.

However, I would absolutely buy a handful of the 50 mL bottles before heading to a party for other people to get in on the fun. The price point is low enough and these tiny bottles pack enough fun that they'd make killer party favors or conversation starters. With their October release date, they're the perfect addition to any Mystery Incorporated themed Halloween costume or murder mystery party.

If you do pick up some of these 99 Brand mystery flavors, please drink responsibly. This goes double for this fun-loving alcohol, as it packs more of a punch than you'd expect. It is easier to drink these in excess thanks to how the flavor disguises the alcohol content, especially when you are drinking these in addition to your typical drink of choice.

The 99 brand provided a sample and this had no impact on the way I reported on the taste test. Admittedly, I do not drink much any more, so I started this process by mentally preparing myself to embody college-aged Carlie. As a former whiskey drinker, I also needed to throw away all expectations and biases. I came into the tasting with an open mind, and more than just a little excitement about the mystery aspect of 99 Brand's new flavor.

The first thing I did after breaking the seal was smell the alcohol. This initial sniff test was very telling, as I knew I was dealing with something absurdly sweet and oddly familiar. An actual taste followed this, first a tiny sip then a deeper one. I taste this straight from the bottle, as I would expect most people to drink the shooter.

After my initial tasting, I did play around with other ingredients to see which flavors complimented the mystery shooter. Not many typical bar mixers went well with this overly sweet flavor, which didn't really come as a surprise. I also tried the 99 Brand flavor chilled and over ice, noting the subtle differences.