Bernheim 7 Year Original Wheat Whiskey

I reviewed 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.

This bottle was an impulse purchase for me a few years back, and while I still have over half remaining, I'm glad I bought it. Clear and bright orange mahogany. Nose evokes honey-drizzled buttered yeast rolls, apple pie, and a little bananas Foster. Eminently drinkable, and intellectually interesting as the first wheat whiskey marketed in the U.S., but not much complexity. No hard edges. 3.75 stars on the Distiller scale. Smooth drinking--possibly the smoothest-drinking 90-proof whiskey you've ever sipped--and enjoyable, if somewhat single-toned. But as something that can be found for around $30, it's an interesting alternative to generic bourbon. While all of this sounds like a raft of underhanded complements, I'd keep a bottle onhand at this price. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

This was the first wheat whiskey that 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.

Moving smoothly from the aroma, the palate is greeted with delightful flavors of honey, green apples, and apricot, presenting themselves with a soft touch and a light body. There's a subtle hint of astringency lurking in the background, complemented by a brief note of cinnamon, which adds to the depth and presence of the overall sweet character. The finish introduces a modest burst of cinnamon spice, bringing with it a slightly more pronounced astringency that is nevertheless not unpleasant. This initial spice gives way to sweeter notes of honey, toffee, and apples, underscored by a hint of allspice. With a medium length, the finish neatly rounds off the tasting experience, echoing the characteristic sweetness and gracefully diminishing the flavors that came before.

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 compelxity 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: wheat 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.