Review: Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition

Has it really been 20 years since Heaven Hill dropped the first wheat whiskey on us? How time flies. While it didn’t exactly set the whiskey world on fire at the time, Bernheim Original was still an early innovation that helped fuel a decades-long boom in American whiskey experimentation and craft. To honor that legacy, Heaven Hill bottled a special anniversary edition Bernheim. And we somehow missed the news when it dropped earlier this year.

Bernheim Original carries a 7-year age statement, and the barrel proof expressions are reportedly aged between seven and nine years. This special release is a bit older, drawn from barrels aged a minimum of 10 years. And while not technically barrel proof, it certainly could be. With its double digit age statement and generous alcohol strength, let’s see how this wheater stacks up.

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Review

This is a big whiskey, but not nearly as racy and energetic as the bi-annual barrel proof Bernheims. The nose is surprisingly mellow with warm notes of cinnamon stick, caramel apple, vanilla buttercream, and undertones of chewy fudge. It’s a bit austere initially compared to Heaven Hill’s other wheat whiskeys, but as it opens, the aroma concentrates and deepens, layering on dark brown sugar and black cherry compote.

The palate is every bit the effusive, high octane wheat whiskey we’ve come to expect from the brand, delivering big, well-spiced notes of grated nutmeg, toasted marshmallow, and Mexican chocolate that transition to dark berry jams and cocktail cherry on the midpalate. The heat is nicely integrated, simmering across the sip with a hugging, chili pepper warmth, but it’s not nearly as minty as other high proof Bernheims. The texture is round and oily with a bit more weight than those younger barrel proof expressions, and there’s also more oak in the mix that presents mostly on the back end, adding some welcome grip to an otherwise silky and lengthy conclusion of butterscotch, baking chocolate, and cherry pie. It ranks among the best that Bernheim has delivered to date.

115 proof.

A- / $85 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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