1792 Sweet Wheat

🌾 Barton 1792 Sweet Wheat @ 91.2 🎻🌾 Cue the Cannons, Pour the Wheat 🌾 🎻 Welcome back to Belmont Bjorn’s Bourbon Banter, where the pours are honest, the banter is friendly, and the music is… apparently from the 19th century. Tonight, I cracked open a bottle I’ve been eyeballing for a while—1792 Sweet Wheat from the folks at Barton 1792 Distillery—and to honor the name, I’m spinning a 1941 vinyl pressing of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Because, let’s be honest—nothing says “historical relevance” like cannons and classical chaos echoing through your bourbon den. It’s the closest thing to 1792 I own that doesn’t require powdered wigs or dueling pistols. 🔫 Now, if you know me—and you should by now—I’ve got a soft spot for wheated bourbons. I’m talking soft like a church potluck biscuit. Barton’s 1792 line already gets a nod from me with their Small Batch—a perfectly serviceable $30 bottle that holds its own next to Elijah Craig Small Batch or even Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond when you’re ballin’ on a budget…DO IT!!! 🎖️ But tonight, it’s Sweet Wheat’s 🌾time to shine… or at least flicker gently. Let’s set the stage:    •   Proof: 91.2—lightweight gloves on this one.    •   Mash bill: Corn, wheat, malted barley… exact ratios? Barton’s little secret.    •   Finish: You need to watch…so let’s dig in. 🥃 First Sip: “Well hello there, wheat.” It’s soft, sweet, and easy on the palate, like a lullaby in liquid form. But is it whispering too softly? There’s a sweetness, yes—but subtle. Almost like someone forgot to turn the volume up on the flavor knob. 🥃 Second Sip: Still mellow, still pleasant… but not a whole lot more to say. Think less “1812 Overture finale” and more “background music at a dentist’s office that uses aromatherapy.” It’s consistent, sure. Just not explosive. 🥃 Third Sip: Okay, it’s smooth. Too smooth. Like a charming guest who shows up to your party, compliments your dog, and then disappears before dessert. No off notes, no burn, no drama… just… gone. Final verdict? Sweet Wheat is like a bourbon introvert—good company, but don’t expect it to dominate the conversation. If you’re new to wheated bourbons or easing into the whiskey world, this might be your jam. If you’re a fan of bolder, deeper profiles? You might be left wanting more. But hey, it is a cool bottle to have on your shelf, especially if you’re building a Barton vertical. 🎧 So, put on a vinyl of your own—maybe something bombastic—and pour a glass. Or better yet, watch the review (you are watching, right?), hit that Like, slam that Subscribe, and pass that Share button like it’s a hot potato at a family reunion. And of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment: Have you tried Sweet Wheat? What’s your go-to from the 1792 line? And if you want a sample, well… you know where to find me. 🍻 Until next time, friends—stay neat, stay curious, and keep those vinyls spinning. Cheers! YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@belmontbjornsbourbonbanter?si=5vVa5FEwYuNRxYur Full Bottle Video Review: 🌾 Barton 1792 Sweet Wheat @ 91.2 https://youtu.be/ZJ8mr63UHHo — Bemont Bjorn 🥃🎶 - BBBB -

1792 Series (10 of 12**): Sweet Wheat **note: I may have just legally procured a 225th anniversary. Did you know: In the food world, rye products are known for being dense and sour. Wheat products are seen as bitter or plain-flavored. I think this holds true for bourbon as well. If I’m right (and real talk: I’m probably not) this would present a grain-specific barrier when comparing wheated bourbons to ryed bourbons, since “bitterness” is a mouthfeel. You can balance sourness with sweet flavors, but bitterness takes some getting used to, a phenomenon I’ve bumped into before with over-oaked or high proof whiskies. More on this later. Nose is caramel apples, dust, lemon. Mild strawberries. Body is maple syrup, brine, sweat cream, strawberries. Butterscotch. Very smooth. Finish is mocha, heavy whipping cream. Cherry. If you’re not careful, that brine and mocha combo can take you down a bitter route and bypass that sweetness altogether. If you’re getting an unpleasant bitter note on this, try swishing it around a bit. A Kentucky chew or two helped me get the sweeter notes by the end of my pour. I’ve heard that they call Weller or combinations of Weller products “poor man’s Pappy.” The winning recipe I’ve seen is 2 parts W12 with 3 parts OWA. This does a decent job from a flavor profile perspective, but it leaves out the semi-important fact that neither W12 nor OWA are “poor man” friendly. I’m not saying this Sweet Wheat is either, but it’s cheaper and more readily available if you know where to look. It honestly fits the PVW15 flavor profile pretty well. It’s not Pappy, but to me it’s as close as the Weller cocktail. If you like wheaters, you need to try this. It’s rough around the edges in comparison to the pricier wheat bourbons, and honestly, it tastes a bit harsh even next to my go-to wheater Weller SR. However, if you can get your palate there, they really dialed in a fantastic strawberry/cream combo that (prior to this) I’ve only enjoyed on PVW15, the whiskey leprechaun’s Chessman (long story), the Weller cocktail, and some random Old Forrester pick. Of this group, Sweet Wheat was the least refined instance of that flavor by a wide margin, but still: solid value if you see it in the wild. Seriously looking forward to the next on-deck: 1792 Port Finish

Rating: 15/23 N: Banana bread is the core here. I get sweet banana, baking spices, and oily, bitter walnut. It smells delicious. Little bits of vanilla and wood, but really it's like smelling banana bread. P: Soft, mellow, sweet. Baking spices with restrained banana. Medium viscosity. Hints of minerality, but not much. The spices have a really nice rich sweetness, with occasional hints of chocolate. It's shockingly like drinking banana bread. There isn't a tremendous amount of complexity, but the balance is terrific and it's super easy to drink. And it isn't like it's one-note at all. F: It retains a soft, cake-like sweetness, with a bit more grain showing through. Hints of banana. Not a lot happening here, but it's just what I'd expect from banana bread in whiskey form. - Conclusion - I've never ben much a fan of wheaters before. I mean, William Larue Weller is amazing, but that's a serious exception. I usually find that they just taste kind of boring. This changes that by delivering a specific profile with an enjoyably soft drinkability. This is solid competition for Elijah Craig Small Batch (15/23) and I think I prefer this a hair because of its greater nuance. Still, the Elijah Craig is more hedonistic. I then need to compare this with Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23). Now this is more hedonistic, less refined offering. The Russell's seems closer in quality to this than the Elijah Craig does. If I had to choose between this and the Russell's, it would be tough, but I'd favor the Russell's. Considering that, I think that this is a 15. Still, I like the banana bread flavor here a lot. It just ends up being kind of too soft. I can imagine going up to a 16 for this, but for now I'm going with a 15. For quite a while, I really thought that I was going to be giving this a 16. And it's almost there! I love that banana bread, but this just ins't quite good enough to earn that 16. As much as I like how this has nailed a single concept, it isn't as good as many drams that have combined disparate components in interesting ways. Thank you @Milliardo for sharing this one!

Bottle sort of fell into my lap for $50, so couldn't pass up the opportunity, even if this wasn't on my short list of things to seek out. Nose is pretty faint and requires a bit of agitation to pull much out. Yep, its sweet, and yep, its wheated. Hints of lighter fruits, some in-the-shell-peanut-like notes, and little else I can pull out...very soft. One sip, and I already can tell this might be the most sweet-forward whiskey I've tried in years. There really isn't a ton going on here...it is simple, but it is tasty to be fair, even if it isn't something that challenges the palate. A splash of tropical fruit, faint vanilla, and while I'm sure this was aged in wood, nothing to pick up on that front. A bit of heat up front softens quickly, and then it ends pretty abruptly as well. I'm perfectly fine with this bottle at MSRP, as I've been a bit bigger fan of the 1792 series than the average joe/jill, but anything above $50 would have left me disappointed, and I can also say I'm pretty happy I never shelled out the $15+ for a small pour at a bar. Will keep this one on the shelf for those who come over and want to try something new...

Finally getting around to this bottle, as I purchased this in early 2022... Also to note I was able to buy a 1792 Full Proof as well as 1792 Aged 12 Year. That was a good day.... Enough of that, let's get to the review. The nose is very soft and sweet, with small hints of fruit... It's very subtle. On the palate, it's light, sweet, and then there is a bit chocolate, fruits, and soft grain.... At around the proof point, I've certainly had warmer wheated bourbons, but this is good. It makes for a good sipping bourbon, I could see this at a cocktail party.... As one casually enjoyed the event mingling with friends. I'm being generous by rating this at 4 stars, the thrill of the hunt was a tad bit more enjoyable than the actual pour itself. Again, I've had other wheated bourbons that are just as tasty, if not better in my opinion.... Larceny, and Makers 46, to name a couple are easily accessible, and to me have a better flavor profile. That said... If you're a 1792 fan, buy it if you can.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light-medium amber. Nose: Vanilla and apricot. Some raisin. Palate: A sweet corn note that turns to somw clove and baking spice. Finish: Medium length with not much heat. Splash: A bit of oaky dryness appears. Overall: 6/10 - This expression had eluded me for a long time, so I was excited to try it. In a world of Sazerac produced wheated bourbon, this struggles to stand out in any way. For about the same (or less) money, Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare are better expressions and easier to find.