Heaven Hill is marking 20 years of Bernheim Wheat Whiskey with a release that might be the brand's defining moment: a 10-year-old, barrel proof expression bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV).
For context, Bernheim holds a quiet but important place in American whiskey history. When it launched in 2005, it was the first new style of American whiskey introduced since Prohibition — a straight wheat whiskey, not a wheated bourbon. The distinction matters: where wheated bourbons like Maker's Mark use wheat as a secondary grain alongside a corn-dominant mash bill, Bernheim flips the formula with wheat as the primary grain (51% wheat, 37% corn, 12% malted barley).
Previous Bernheim releases have been pleasant but understated. This one is different. Early reviews are calling it the best Bernheim ever produced. The extra age and barrel proof bottling give it a depth the brand has never had before — rich honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, baked apple and soft oak, with none of the dryness or tannin that can creep into older whiskeys.
US retail is US$84.99, making it a serious proposition at that price point, particularly for anyone who already rates Heaven Hill's barrel proof bourbon and rye offerings.
For Australian drinkers, Bernheim has never had a major presence here. But if this release signals the direction Heaven Hill is taking with the brand — bolder, older, barrel proof — it could start turning up on more radars. It's also a great entry point for anyone who's curious about what wheat whiskey actually tastes like as a category in its own right.
Source: Bourbon & Banter
