Bernheim 7 Year Original Wheat Whiskey

I evaluated this whisky in August of 2022, but I hadn't had any since I finished that bottle, and back then I didn't even have quite a year's experience, whereas now I have a bit more than three years. So I thought I'd review this again, with a palate that's better able to evaluate whisky. This is a Heaven Hill whisky. The mash bill is 51% wheat (so it's a barely legal wheat whisky), 37% corn, and 12% barley. This bottle cost me $34.99 at Kelly Liquors in the Mountain Run shopping center. It's 90 proof, 7 years old, and is a golden copper color in the glass. NOSE: On the nose I get first a mintiness (I'm finding that wheat and rye are sometimes similar in their effects, at least for me), then honey, spice, butterscotch, and vanilla. After I'd had a couple of sips I got a further note of cornsilk. MOUTHFEEL: Slightly creamy. TASTE: The first impression is a mild sweetness. Then I get the specific notes of honey and butterscotch. FINISH: Medium, with oak first and then a musty note that I could do without, but isn't really bad. SUMMARY: This is a nice, gentle, approachable whisky. It would be good for introducing someone to whisky. It's not very complex - indeed, it could qualify as a simple whisky - but it is pleasing. RATING: On my hick scale, which has eight steps counting from the bottom, this comes in at 5 - Good. That's 3.125 stars, 62.5/100, or 6.25/10.

I picked up this bottle on a whim a few years ago, and while I still have more than half left, I'm happy I made the purchase. Clear and a bright orange mahogany. The nose brings to mind honey-drizzled buttered yeast rolls, apple pie, and a hint of bananas Foster. Extremely easy to drink, and intellectually intriguing as the first wheat whiskey marketed in the U.S., though not exceptionally complex. No harsh notes. 3.75 stars out of 5 stars.

This was the first wheat whiskey I ever tried. I saw it for a pretty good price at $30, so I figured why not. I was pleasantly surprised. The nose is pretty light, with a touch of cinnamon and honey. The palate is sweeter than expected, with a touch of oak, nutmeg and vanilla. It's not that far off from what I would expect from a bourbon, but the finish is a bit longer than expected with some wheat toast and more sweetness. There is very little burn. For $30, I would say this is a pretty good value and a solid everyday dram. It's not very complex, but it's very smooth. I haven't tried too many other wheat whiskies, but this one was pretty good, so while it probably should be more of a 3/3.25, I'm going to bump it up to a 3.5 since it's a very good value.

As the scent transitions, the taste buds encounter lovely notes of honey, crisp green apples, and sweet apricot. These flavors arrive gently with a delicate body. A whisper of tartness is present behind the main flavors, paired with a fleeting trace of cinnamon that enhances the overall sweet profile. The ending brings a moderate kick of cinnamon spice, accompanied by a somewhat stronger tartness that is still agreeable. This initial spice mellows into sweeter tastes of honey, caramel, and apples, with an undertone of allspice. The medium-length finish concludes the tasting journey nicely, echoing the signature sweetness and fading the preceding flavors with elegance.

Overall: I may be a bit of a Heaven Hill fan boy at this point, I have been really impressed by everything of theirs I have tried. This is a bargain at 30 bucks! Imagine if Larceny and Heaven Hill BiB had a baby: The wheaty sweet smoothness from Larceny, and all the chocolate complexity from the age of HH BiB. For a few bucks more than Larceny, and about half the price of HH BiB? Deal. Nose: Nutty white chocolate. Hints of banana. Sweet, but not off-putting. Palate: Spice right up front that quickly flows into dark chocolate. As the glass dwindled down, banana bread became very present. Finish: Medium. Longer than anticipated with a warm molasses flavor

Nose: loaves of bread, clove and cinnamon, vanilla, caramel, and maple with a touch of cereal from the malted barley. A hidden note of apple and cherry lingers in the background, dominated by scents of dry hay and wood. Palate: sweet and sharp, with black pepper, barrel tannins, and cherry dominating. The finish is somewhat long and leaves behind memories of dried hay. Overall, not an incredibly complex whiskey. There are plenty of flavors to appeal to a broad audience. The wheat is not extremely dominating, leaving the wheated whiskey to come across more as a bourbon than anything else. At a reasonable price point, it's worth a try, but nothing jaw-dropping.