Introducing Bernheim Barrel Proof: Kentucky’s Newest Wheat Whiskey Sensation
We’d like to introduce you to Bernheim Barrel Proof, a Kentucky-made straight wheat whiskey aged in oak barrels. This whiskey has been aged for 7 years, and it retails for $65 despite having an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 59.4%. It was first made available to the public in February 2023, but only for a limited period.
Heaven Hill’s standard recipe for wheat whiskey calls for 37% corn, 12% malted barley, and 51% wheat to be combined in the mashbill of their wheat whiskey. This particular whiskey follows that recipe. The Bernheim Original, which is the product that came before it, is bottled at 90 proof, whereas the Bernheim Barrel Proof product has a proof level of 118.8. (although this may vary from one release to another).
In the past, tastings of Bernheim Barrel Proof were only offered at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, which is located near Bardstown. Nonetheless, this marks the first time the whiskey has been made available across the country. It also features a mashbill that has been altered somewhat, and it will only be sold twice a year due to its restricted allotment.
Bernheim Original is a wheat whiskey that was given its name after the Bernheim Distillery, which is located in Louisville and belongs to Heaven Hill. In 2006, the maker of this whiskey, Parker Beam, came up with the idea to make a new whiskey out of some unused red winter wheat and brew it using that wheat.
At the time, it was the first wheater to use that variety in its mashbill, and it was also Heaven Hill’s first new whiskey since Prohibition. Both of these distinctions were firsts at the time. Although the first edition did not have an age statement, one with a 7-year range was included in the second printing, which came out in 2014.
