Review: Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey, All Batches (Updated 2025)

In 2023, Heaven Hill did once again what it always does to its popular whiskey lines by releasing a barrel proof version of the product. Bernheim Barrel Proof is released in batches — twice per year instead of three, the way Larceny and Elijah Craig are released — with proof and batch information denoted on the front of each label.

Otherwise, the song remains the same. Take the standard 7 year old Bernheim and just don’t water it down:

Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey is the first wheat whiskey to use winter wheat as its primary grain, creating a soft, sweet flavor. This extension to the Bernheim brand delivers the same familiar smoothness with even more depth of flavor from seven to nine full years of aging. Pulled straight from the barrel and bottled without chill filtration, Bernheim Barrel Proof wheat whiskey in its purest form. Like the Original, Barrel Proof is produced at the namesake Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky and aged in Heaven Hill’s rickhouses. Bernheim Barrel Proof will be a nationally allocated product which will be released in batches, twice a year. Each release will have its own unique batch number and proof which will vary from edition to edition.

Keeping with Heaven Hill’s commitment to tradition and quality, Bernheim Barrel Proof is made with Heaven Hill’s wheat whiskey mashbill which is comprised of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. The A223 batch of Barrel Proof is bottled at 118.8 proof or 59.4% by volume. With a distinct nose of oak staves and fresh bread, this wheat whiskey has initial tasting notes spanning from buttery hints of caramel and honey to the spiciness of cloves. The finish is soft, yet complex with lasting notes of honey and caramel.

“The launch of the Barrel Proof expression of Bernheim Wheat Whiskey is a very exciting one for Heaven Hill,” says Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “We know this is a product consumers want, and we think this batch has the smoothness they’ll recognize from Bernheim Original, but with an even greater depth of flavor.”

Bottles of this Bernheim Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey will feature the A223 batch number prominently on the front of each bottle next to the Barrel Proof designation. The letter “A” represents the first batch of the year. The first number represents the month of the release with “2” indicating February. Finally, the last two digits indicate the corresponding year with “23” designating 2023.

We’ve been covering these releases since the start. Ongoing reviews of each release will appeal here in chronological order.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch A223 (February 2023) Review

Spoiler alert: There are few surprises in the mix with this whiskey, and if you’re at all familiar with Bernheim’s standard expression, you’ll find plenty of the same elements swirling around here, too. Sweet and syrupy on the nose, this again drops a vanilla-dusted, Sunday morning pancake breakfast, falling right in your lap — and while they’re certainly powerful, the aromatics are not at all fiery or nostril-burning like you’d expect to find in the typical cask strength whiskey. Brown butter and traces of strawberry become evident with a little time in glass, but the classic softness of wheat whiskey is on full display here.

The palate is even sweeter than I was expecting. Again, a bold maple syrup quality is immediate, redolent with notes of bananas, candied walnuts, fresh figs, and plenty of gingerbread spice as the finish builds. Vanilla and milk chocolate play dueling banjos as the more fruit- and spice-driven notes fade a bit, and the finish hits like a boozy, maple-sweetened milkshake. All throughout the experience, it’s never overtly blazing with alcohol, though it definitely packs a punch. Add water if you’d like, but then you’re pretty much back to the 90 proof version.

Wheat whiskey in general is usually too sweet for my tastes, and that’s definitely the case here, but the added power of a barrel proof release helps to give this expression a bit more nuance and pizzazz while giving the sugar something to bounce off of. Yes, I wrote pizzazz. 118.8 proof. A- / $65 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch B923 (September 2023) Review

Bernheim always tends toward the sweet side, and B923 is no exception to the rule, evident on the nose as a syrupy, maple-infused treat that sweet tooths (sweet teeth?) will gravitate to right away. Ample baking spice gives the whiskey a Christmassy quality, popping with candied cherries but tempered with just a bit of char.

No surprises on the palate from my point of view: The sweetness endures, though the alcohol can make for a warming experience, with the full dessert cart in effect: Vanilla, marshmallow cream, flambeed banana, and plenty of maple syrup. Gingery with a spiced fruitcake quality emerging late in the game, the whiskey even makes room for a dusting of chocolate toward the finish. It’s not particularly hot, and is fully approachable without water, but a few drops of H2O can actually help to temper some of the sugar along with the booziness.

I don’t know that this whiskey diverges much from A223, nor that Bernheim’s Barrel Proof releases are going to show as much variance as, say, the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof lineup going forward. That’s a big plus if you’re looking for consistency — but those that aim to compare and contrast multiple vintages may find themselves twiddling their thumbs a bit. 120.6 proof. A- / $65 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch A224 (January 2024) Review

Maybe my nose is dialed down a bit today, but this expression seems less aggressively sweet than previous bottlings of the Barrel Proof — and the standard release of Bernheim. That classic maple character is part of the equation, but its sugariness is held in check, leaving ample room for more cinnamon, black cherry, and a black pepper note on the nose.

There’s ample heat on the palate — this is quite a bit hotter than last year’s B923 — but it’s manageable. A splash of water doesn’t hurt to temper some of the peppery notes and help coax out stronger notes of red fruit, Asian spices, and more subdued white pepper notes. Time in glass reveals a stronger vanilla character, with notes of coconut, almond nougat, crystalized ginger, and a lingering milk chocolate character. Probably my favorite of the three Bernheim Barrel Proof releases to date — but it’s tough to put too much water in this, so be liberal with your dosage. 125.2 proof. A- / $65 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch B924 (September 2024) Review

At a relatively low 61.3% abv, B924 offers a bright nose of almond butter, a touch of lemon, and maple candies — all unfettered by too much raw alcohol character. With time in glass, the aromas turn almost floral, though a bit indistinct.

On the palate, similar overtones dominate up front, though the whiskey moves quickly into a fruit-forward character, showcasing apples, raspberry, and cherry. Time in glass helps some more barrel-driven elements come into focus, though the woodsy notes quickly dissolve into sweet notes of vanilla and a reprise of maple. Never syrupy or cloying, the finish hits milk chocolate and hazelnut notes, toasted coconut, and a final reprise of almond.

One of the best — if not the best — Bernheim Barrel Proof released to date. 122.6 proof. A / $65 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch A225 (January 2025) Review

Bready on the nose, with significant overtones of orange flower honey, butterscotch, maple syrup, and a lighter note of almond. This is more straightforward than some of Bernheim’s previous expressions, not overly fruity or floral, its sweeter elements really dominating.

The palate doesn’t give up much else — big butterscotch cream, lemon, and a building banana character. Vanilla and maple linger, coming across like syrup generously applied to Sunday morning pancakes. There’s a spicy, clove-scented edge to the finish, but it’s slight, lost amid all the syrups and sugars that dominate this experience. Wheat whiskey can be this way sometimes — a bit cloying and mouth-coating — and while Bernheim Barrel Proof has had an amazing run so far, it was kind of inevitable that eventually the candy shop would come knocking. 125.4 proof. B / $65 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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