While wheated bourbon is incredibly popular, wheat whiskey is still much less common. Among the few wheat whiskeys with broad distribution is Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey. This 51% wheat mash bill based whiskey is aged seven years in new charred oak barrels.
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey
Sight: Somewhere near chestnut / oloroso sherry.
Smell: Honey and vanilla lead off with background notes campfire logs and baking spice. A hint of strawberry cream hides around the edges with a little cotton candy and nuttiness.
Sip: The mouthfeel is well rounded but not overtly full bodied, and there’s a subtle sweetness to it. Caramel and honey lead off with notes of oak, coconut, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. It opens up with hints of dried orange, green apple, dark red fruits, and a bit of lemon as it goes.
Savor: On the finish, the tannins carry through, and notes of cinnamon, oak, and honey all emerge. As it lingers, cloves come forward adding a fruitiness that feels more fresh and suggests a hint of red fruits and apples.
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is a rather unique as whiskeys go. The flavors that emerge are softer, fruitier, and less spice and oak driven than many bourbons. Meanwhile, without the rye to get in the way, these flavors result in a more delicate, yet distinctly American oak aged offering. The resulting sip gives it a uniqueness that makes it inviting and more interesting than the run of the mill offering.
Bernheim In Cocktails
Due to it’s unique flavor profile Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey doesn’t always fit the mould for classic bourbon forward drinks. While it can make a decent old fashioned or a rather delicate Manhattan, it can seem a little overwhelmed by it’s supporting cast at times. This means that it plays second fiddle when you want it to step up and take the lead. In our testing, we found an affinity with honey simple syrups and liqueurs that emphasize some of the fruitier and honeyed notes found on the palate. For good fun, try swapping out regular simple in your old fashioned for a rich honey simple, and switch the aromatic bitters for walnut bitters.
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey Overall
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is delicious, and in a straight tasting, offers something to compete with the likes of Weller Special Reserve and Maker’s Mark. When it comes to cocktails though, this is ancillary bottle that’s best added after you setup a core bar. That said, we love the dynamic profile of Bernheim and certainly recommend it to anyone tired of traditional bourbon. Plus, at $30 it won’t break the bank, and as of writing isn’t subject to rampant tatering.