Sugar glazed bread | Nutmeg | Faint vanilla powder | Oak | Light corn nuts | Leather | Earthy & sweet scents

Cinnamon stick | Baking spices | Charred oak | Vanilla cake | Glazed doughnut | Sweet earthy balance

Oak | Leather | White peppercorn spice | Hint of frosting | Lingering light spice and oak | Short

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is named in honor of the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Bernheim Distillery was founded in 1992 by United Distillers (who became Diageo in 1997), and then sold to Heaven Hill and renamed Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery in 1999. It would later become Heaven Hill’s primary distillery after the 1996 distillery fire destroyed Heaven Hill’s Bardstown Distillery along with 90,000 barrels of whiskey. Bernheim Original Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey will only be released twice per year, with batches designated with “B” meaning the second batch of the year, “9” meaning during the month of September, and “24” meaning the year 2024.

Batch B924 opens with a mix of earthy and sweet scents that are gentle, considering the whiskey’s proof. Sugar glazed bread and faint vanilla powder give a nod to its majority of wheat underpinnings, while oak, leather, and corn nuts add a more grounded balance. Things start to pick up as the sip transitions to the midpoint and starts to really lean into its earthy and sweet notes. The highlight of the sip reveals a cinnamon stick, glazed doughnut, baking spices, and a noticeable charred oak. While the finish is nicely balanced, featuring large doses of oak, leather, and white peppercorn spice along with a hint of frosting, it’s unfortunately extremely short in nature.

Compared to Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Larceny Barrel Proof, Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey has been waiting to have a breakout release. Like past releases, including Batch A224 from earlier this year, this year's second batch produces a pleasing sip but doesn’t take things to the next level for the brand. Barrel proof wheat whiskey lovers will certainly be pleased by the easy-sipping pour it produces, but they’ll have to wait until next year to see if Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey has the ability to become one of those next-level products that its barrel proof bourbon counterparts have shown they are capable of delivering.