Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey

Simple but smooth. More ethanol on the nose than I’d like. Thin mouthfeel with honey bread notes. Finish was lacking a bit. A good sipper if you like wheaters, but not a whole lot going on.

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is a Heaven Hill Distillery offering that launched in 2005.  It's claim to fame is being "the first new style of American Whiskey introduced since Prohibition".  I don't dabble in wheat whiskey too often, but I wanted something to compare to a recent travel pick up (Oregon Spirit Straight Wheat Whiskey; see my next review for this tasting).  It's named after the Bernheim Distillery, and by extension, Issac Wolfe Bernheim, an important player in the early Kentucky bourbon scene.  Contrary to almost everyone else in the industry, Heaven Hill first produced this wheat whiskey as an NAS offering and later added a 7-year age statement.  Cool beans.  Mash Bill: 51% Red Winter Wheat, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley Age: 7 years ABV: 45% Price: $29.99 Nose: Soft, light, and mellow.  Aromas of bread, light syrupy cherries, and vanilla combine to give the impression of something akin to cherry vanilla scones or cherry jam cookies alongside some faint buttery corn.  Sweet and very fruity, with a light cinnamon spice.  The ABV was so well hidden at first, you could stick your whole nose in the glass if you wanted to, but it slowly makes itself known as it opens up. Palate: Honey sweetness and very soft.  Lots of white bread, cherry syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon, with dashes of toasty oak and corn husks.  Those could sound like fairly typical bourbon notes (minus the bread) but the light mouthfeel, simplistic profile, and straightforward delivery tell you otherwise.  It's satiny, has little astringency, and doesn't pack much heat or spice.  Finish: Medium length.  Sweet and satiny, with a bit of cinnamon spice heat.  In a surprising turn, the barrel char and oak hangs on the longest, but it doesn't veer into unpleasant, over-oaked territory.  Overall Impressions: This dram doesn't scream character.  In fact, it's so softly spoken, it doesn't scream much of anything.  It's like the economical Macallan 12 of wheat whiskey.  But if you're in the mood for something light, mellow, and very easy to sip, it does offer good VFM for a 7-year age statement whiskey for under $30.  I'm fairly certain I would reach for this over the similarly-priced Woodford Reserve Bourbon (sorry for picking on you Woodford, I'm just finding you too musty lately).  With the exception of the soft mouthfeel (even then, I'd call Berheim's 'satiny' and Oregon Spirit's 'velvety'), this is different enough from the Oregon Spirit Straight Wheat Whiskey I'm trying it alongside, it almost feels a bit unfair to compare them. However, I did have an easier time scoring this dram, probably because it didn't stand apart so much. 3.25 ~ 78 ~ Average

Smooth, bit sweet

Part of the blind advent calendar. Revisiting and using a mix of my notes from blind and now that I know what it is. Nose is light baking spice, eucalyptus, some sweet oak, and light nostril burn. Taste is caramel forward with light baking spices and some floral notes. Medium finish with toasty oaky caramel and some light drying nutiness. Enjoyable.

Full and sweet. Smooth and delicious. Good everyday

Pour is brassy. Some legs and sheeting. I'm not impressed with the nose. A bit thin. Hot. A touch of acetone over a sweet note. Tastes like grass. Dry, brown, autumn grass. It's not unpleasant though. Notes of dry corn husks, and a dusty September field. Not my jam.

Not enough experience to really say. Sweet, not spicy. Easy sip neat. Rocks open a lot of flavors

Reasonably smooth, mild aroma, harsh on the back of the throat but round on the top of the tongue.