My Honest Review of the New Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper from Burger King

Last week, I tried a Burger King Whopper for the first time. And you know what? It ruled. It tasted shockingly close to an In-N-Out burger (my favorite fast food burger—as a California native, it legally has to be). The toppings were fresh and crunchy. The burger actually tasted like flame-broiled meat. The bun was squidgey and soft. I was full after a day of tasting foods (it’s my job) and I still kept going back bite after bite. On that day I also tasted another Burger King sandwich for the first time: the new Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper.

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If the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper sounds familiar, it’s because it was initially released as part of the Million Dollar Whopper contest. It won that contest over two other fan creations: the Mexican Street Corn Whopper and the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper. And now it’s back on the menu. Did its creator, Calvin from California, deserve to win for his maximalist creation? Is this new Whopper anywhere near as good as the original Whopper? Let’s get into the full review.

New Burger King Burger!

Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper Review

Pros: The concept is sound. It’s a burger topped with maple bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy onions, and jalapenos. And it looks good. The toppings are plentiful, the burger itself is big. It will fill you up—but you have to want to eat the whole thing for that to actually happen…

Cons: It’s SO sweet. Not, like, BBQ sauce sweet. Like, sauce-that-belongs-on-ice-cream sweet. It’s overwhelmingly sweet. You can taste that surprisingly good flame-broiled patty. You can’t taste the crispy onions. You can’t taste the jalapenos. You can taste the candy part of the candied bacon—but not the pig part. Plus, it costs close to $10! That’s a lot of money for a fast food burger. If I’m paying that much I want it to be a delight—like a regular Whopper. Have I told you how much I love a Whopper now? It’s the main part of my new personality.

Verdict: This is a big skip, for me. Stick with the newly revamped Whopper and just add some BBQ sauce if you must.

Rating:

4/10

Sporks

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.