Style: Straight wheat whiskey
Age: 7-9 years
Proof: 125.2 (62.6% ABV)
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky

We here at The Educated Barfly are big fans of Heaven Hill Distillery. Few distilleries can compete with their delicious, affordable, and accessible whiskeys. Most home bartenders are familiar with Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, and Rittenhouse Rye, but Heaven Hill also produces the sometimes overlooked line of Bernheim wheat whiskey.

Instead of having corn as the primary grain in its mash bill, this Bernheim has a mash bill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. Wheat tends to have a softer, sweeter presence in a whiskey than the more spicy and herbal rye, so in theory, this should be an easy sipper despite the high proof.

We’ve recently covered the latest Larceny Barrel Proof batch as well as last year’s stellar Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C923 — both of which were outstanding. Let’s see if Heaven Hill can continue its winning streak with this edition of Bernheim Barrel Proof.

Tasting notes

For a 125-proof whiskey, the nose on batch A224 is not as aggressive as one might expect. Scents of light butterscotch, stone fruit, and raisin bread combine with citrus zest to produce a dessert-like aroma. On the palate, the sweet is matched with maple syrup and a strong pop of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Overall, there’s a solid balance of sweetness and oak influence. There is a flavor note in the background that is reminiscent of pink bubblegum. The finish is persistent and leads with notes of freshly cracked black pepper, clove, and orange zest before fading into a gentle background of honey, maple, and butterscotch.

Final thoughts

Bernheim Barrel Proof A224 is a very satisfying whiskey. Most enthusiasts won’t be blown away by its complexity or uniqueness — what you smell is what you taste — but every flavor fits together in a way that simply works. This would be a great entry point for anyone curious to try a wheat whiskey. It’s full-flavored, approachable, and very satisfying.