BERNHEIM BP(A223) 118.8 NOSE: Dark & Rich. Brown Sugar, Barrelwood, Cedar, Puffed Wheat or Honey Smacks Cereal, and Honeysuckle. NEAT: Rather easy drinking for the 118 proof. Like the Nose, Dark & Rich. Front Palate gets Sweet Oak, Caramel, Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Honey, and Berries. The Back Palate gets Barnyard, Wheat, and Cinnamon Discs. Decent Buttery Mouthfeel with a growing KYHug and a layering coating of Sweet & Slightly Musty Oak for the cheeks and gums. SPLASH: A little water adds some Leather to the Nose and Palate. Adds some Tingly Pepper Spice to the Finish. VERDICT: I was expecting sweet, but this is a Dark, Decadent Dessert in a Glass. In the HH BP Hierarchy, I’d put this solidly in second behind ECBP and well ahead of both Larceny BP’s I’ve had. Decent VFM at $65 as well. This will definitely be a repeat buy. Heaven Hill, good job outta’ you.
About this bottle
Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey A223 is the first national barrel proof release for the wheat whiskey brand. Like the Original expression it is made with a mash bill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley and the age will range from 7-9 years. Like other Heaven Hill Barrel Proof batches, the naming conventions for each batch will use "A" for the first batch, the next digit will indicate the month of release, and the final two digits will indicate the year of release. There are expected to be two barrel proof batches released each year going forward. National availability begins February 2023. (SRP $64.99)
How it tastes
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Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 15 parsed reviews.
Open 1 year Nose - Savory cinnamon bun, toasted marshmallow, white pepper, black cherry, barrel char, and strong ethanol. Palate - Gingerbread that someone forgot to sweeten, cinnamon stick, maple, medicinal cherry, peach, and clove. Finish is medium-long with hot, spicy oak and cinnamon, red cherry flavoring, fresh bread, and strong ethanol. This has just sat on my shelf for a year. There's nothing terrible about it, but it is not something I enjoy drinking. I love Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, but Larceny and now this are misses for my palate. I've never loved any of the wheated bourbons from Heaven Hill, including the stuff they sourced to Lux Row. I doubt I'll ever buy one of those products again, Maker's Mark and Buffalo Trace make much better wheated bourbons.
The nose is smooth with a touch of spice, with vanilla and cherry mixing together. Dry oak hold it all together as sweeter notes become more prevalent as it breathes. It definitely comes across as wheat, but it gives you the impression that it is a little more gentle than it's proof implies. The palate is sharp and spicy with oak and baking spices lighting up the mouth as notes of cherry follow. There was a bit of a harshness to it that really has this whiskey thrown off balance. Is dominated by heat and spice with only subtle notes of supporting flavors in the background that get drowned out. The finish is medium the lingering oak that is actually pretty pleasant however it does not leave you looking forward to the next sip.
A high, fine, tight nose with plenty of caramel, oak and a soft wheat aroma. Ultra smooth entry on the palate with a wonderful sweetness that holds a powerhouse of flavor courtesy of the near 60% ABV. The flavors are cohesive, and somewhat delicate, with notes of milk caramel, sourdough toast, apple compote, nut bread and a penetrating oakiness. With a splash of water, things open up to reveal a more welcoming greeting on the tongue, but retain their integration. The finish is quite long with woody notes leading the retreat. We recommend this new expression highly for lovers of wheat-based whiskies.
Color: Copper color, thin and watery Nose: Sweet, caramel, slight bubble gum. Just overall a lot of sweetness on the nose. Taste: Sweet, a lot of caramel, if I had this blind I would have thought it was bourbon. Finish: There isn’t much to say about the finish. The proof is present, but thats about it. Overall: I think its a great edition to the HH barrel proof releases. Wheat whiskey is not typically my thing, but this drinks much more like a nice wheated bourbon.
One of my favorite wheaters. So rich strong and sweet. Like a ecbp or jdbp mixed with wheat. COME ON HEAVEN HILL DISTRIBUTE THIS ONE MORE!!!
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Tastes like this
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