DjangoJohnson
Bernheim 7 Year Original Wheat Whiskey
Wheat Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
February 10, 2022 (edited June 14, 2022)
You could sip this neat I'm told. As Chris Rock also said, "You can drive a car with your feet, that don't make it a good idea." This is one of those whiskies I've wanted to try for a while. At $25 dollars a bottle on sale (it's $30 at regular price) experimenting with it isn't going to hurt the wallet too badly, but it took me a while to get around to it. I like wheated bourbon, so I assumed I liked what wheat brings to whiskey, thus, why wouldn't I like Bernheim Original 7 Year? And perhaps hype plays a large role in my disappointment. A 91 expert review that details it tasting like toast, honey, vanilla. Sounds good to me. A community score of 3.6, too. Let's roll the dice!
The problem is that this tastes like Old Forester 86 Proof bourbon. For someone just getting into whisky, this might be a great gateway. The nose is nice. It's exactly what the expert reviewer here says it would be: vanilla, honey, toast. The palate follows with much of the same plus a little alcohol bite on what's a mid-range finish. So, it's fine. Bernheim might have been my favorite thing in the world five years ago had I encountered it then, but much like I said in my review of Old Forester 86, palates change. You encounter better whiskey, and whiskies that might serve as perfectly acceptable to a novice become muted, bland. So...a 91? Really?
Usually I can write tomes about whisky, but here, I'm at a loss for anything interesting to say. I think you can get the jist of this if you know my previous reviews and you see how short this one is. I do like it a little better than the Old Forester 86. But a rating of 91 strikes me as overreach for what I'm sensing is going to end up being a mixer. But hey, my dad gifted me a jar of Luxardo cherries last night, so I'm thinking tomorrow is going to be Manhattan night at the Django household. I should probably look into upping my vermouth game. Any suggestions on that? Also, I'm still curious about Woodford's Wheat Whisky? Has anyone tried that?
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I would put Woodford wheat below this. I’ve yet to meet a wheat whisky, as opposed to wheated bourbons, that impresses me in any way. Relatively flavorless, maybe a tad heavier bodied than high corn bourbon but frustratingly forgettable.
Don’t buy the Woodford wheat whiskey. I tried it and labeled it a mixer for company.
Woodford Wheat is pretty forgettable. Soft, sweet, lots of red apple. More like Weller Reserve than Makers Mark. Good enough to finish the bottle.
You saved me from buying this. My thought process was the same as yours, but also had this on the list since it is Heaven Hill.