Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 91
Style
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 62.7%
Availability Limited
Price $65.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2025-04-22

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey (Batch A225) Review

As wheat whiskey becomes more popular with American distillers looking to expand offerings beyond bourbon and rye, a litany of new releases are hitting shelves, from always-on to super premium. Heaven Hill’s Bernheim label is an accessible, 90 proof version made with a “Kentucky-style” mash bill. That is, it’s made using the legally mandated minimum of 51 percent wheat, along with a relatively high percentage of corn (37 percent) and malted barley (12 percent).

While Bernheim Wheat is almost always available at 90 proof, Heaven Hill releases a barrel proof version twice per year. Today, we’re looking at Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225. In this instance, “A” denotes the first release of the year, while “2” signifies the initial release month (February). The last two digits represent the year, so this is the first of two batches for 2025.

Batch A225 is bottled at 125.4 proof, about in line with some more recent versions. While it doesn’t feature an age statement, Heaven Hill says the whiskey in each of these batches is generally between 7 and 9 years old.

Let’s see how it tastes!

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey: Stats and Availability

Bernheim Barrel Proof is technically a limited release, in that any one batch won’t be distributed for all that long. However, Heaven Hill has done a solid job keeping this one pretty findable nationwide. It maintains the same MSRP as last year ($65), and most interested buyers should be able to find a bottle within $15 of that price point.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off at the intersection of butter and spiced gingersnaps; it quickly settles into a baked graham cracker crust. In my experience, those are new, complex, and welcome notes for Bernheim Wheat Whiskey.

But decadent and delicious smelling as those early aromas are, they don’t last long before more familiar tart cherries, expressed lemon peel, and wood take over. Those woody notes evolve beyond just oak to include pine, aspen, and birch, the scents of bark and barrel char swirling just above the ethanol heat these barrel proof expressions tend to carry with force. Batch A225 also carries more than a wisp of woodsmoke, a barely-there aspect of previous releases that rises to near prominence here.

Floral scents form the final backbone on the nose. Lavender, rose petals, and — surprisingly — aloe lead before a more nuanced potpourri wafts in, ensconced by more oak and some astringent wintergreen. Based solely off the nose, Batch A225 is roughly in line with last year’s releases, though with slightly less baking spice and significantly more smoke.

Taste

The first few sips taste well below the whiskey’s 125.4 proof. (Though proof hounds shouldn’t fear, as the heat eventually builds to something fitting of this cask strength ABV.) Perhaps I’m predisposed from the nose, but early flavors do fall in line with butter-laden pie crust, along with burnt butterscotch and cinnamon sugar toast. Cinnamon and ginger build even further toward the midpalate, far more pronounced and lasting than on the nose.

As with previous Bernheim batches, the high-corn mashbill lends itself to flavors one might expect on a similarly-aged bourbon. Dark caramel, vanilla sugar cookies, waffle cones, and lightly tanned leather all glide back and forth across the tongue in undulating intensities, all carried by a thick and inviting mouthfeel. Baked red apple lends an appropriate level of semi-sweet, semi-tart fruit, though frankly I wouldn’t mind even more. At between 7 and 9 years old, this Bernheim is past the point of true youth, though there are fleeting moments where one might taste a bit more grain than wood.

Mentally, it’s tough not to compare this to Heaven Hill’s recent (and immensely flavorful) 19 year wheat whiskey, an exemplar of how far the distillery’s wheat whiskey can differentiate itself from bourbon while staying in the upper echelons of quality. What’s missing — or probably more accurately, not yet developed — on Bernheim Barrel Proof A225 is the deep, cherry syrup quality older wheat distillate can carry like almost nothing else.

That’s not so much a knock against this particular release as a marker of where this whiskey falls on the spectrum of flavor development.

Finish

The finish brings a fascinating hit of sweet miso before settling into a decrescendo of pan caramel, oak staves, and corn flakes. It’s not the longest final act I’ve tasted from these releases, but it certainly lands the plane even with a quick curveball.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225 Rating

91/100

Recap

The latest Bernheim Barrel Proof builds just slightly on the flavor profile its fans have come to enjoy. A light smokiness on the nose and a touch of miso on the finish take the expression into gradually new territory, though some of those changes come with dialed-down fruit and spice at certain junctures. Still, I found it about as good as (if not just slightly better than) last year’s “A” batch. It’s a worthwhile pour that won’t break the bank, and a good bridge for bourbon drinkers looking to try something new.

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91
POINTS
Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey (Batch A225)
As wheat whiskey becomes more popular with American distillers looking to expand offerings beyond bourbon and rye, a litany of new releases are hitting shelves, from always-on to super premium. Heaven Hill’s Bernheim label is an accessible, 90 proof version made with a “Kentucky-style” mash bill. That is, it’s made using the legally mandated minimum of 51 percent wheat, along with a relatively high percentage of corn (37 percent) and malted barley (12 percent). While Bernheim Wheat is almost always available at 90 proof, Heaven Hill releases a barrel proof version twice per year. Today, we’re looking at Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225. In this instance, “A” denotes the first release of the year, while “2” signifies the initial release month (February). The last two digits represent the year, so this is the first of two batches for 2025. Batch A225 is bottled at 125.4 proof, about in line with some more recent versions. While it doesn’t feature an age statement, Heaven Hill says the whiskey in each of these batches is generally between 7 and 9 years old. Let’s see how it tastes!

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey: Stats and Availability

Bernheim Barrel Proof is technically a limited release, in that any one batch won’t be distributed for all that long. However, Heaven Hill has done a solid job keeping this one pretty findable nationwide. It maintains the same MSRP as last year ($65), and most interested buyers should be able to find a bottle within $15 of that price point.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off at the intersection of butter and spiced gingersnaps; it quickly settles into a baked graham cracker crust. In my experience, those are new, complex, and welcome notes for Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. But decadent and delicious smelling as those early aromas are, they don’t last long before more familiar tart cherries, expressed lemon peel, and wood take over. Those woody notes evolve beyond just oak to include pine, aspen, and birch, the scents of bark and barrel char swirling just above the ethanol heat these barrel proof expressions tend to carry with force. Batch A225 also carries more than a wisp of woodsmoke, a barely-there aspect of previous releases that rises to near prominence here. Floral scents form the final backbone on the nose. Lavender, rose petals, and — surprisingly — aloe lead before a more nuanced potpourri wafts in, ensconced by more oak and some astringent wintergreen. Based solely off the nose, Batch A225 is roughly in line with last year’s releases, though with slightly less baking spice and significantly more smoke.

Taste

The first few sips taste well below the whiskey’s 125.4 proof. (Though proof hounds shouldn’t fear, as the heat eventually builds to something fitting of this cask strength ABV.) Perhaps I’m predisposed from the nose, but early flavors do fall in line with butter-laden pie crust, along with burnt butterscotch and cinnamon sugar toast. Cinnamon and ginger build even further toward the midpalate, far more pronounced and lasting than on the nose. As with previous Bernheim batches, the high-corn mashbill lends itself to flavors one might expect on a similarly-aged bourbon. Dark caramel, vanilla sugar cookies, waffle cones, and lightly tanned leather all glide back and forth across the tongue in undulating intensities, all carried by a thick and inviting mouthfeel. Baked red apple lends an appropriate level of semi-sweet, semi-tart fruit, though frankly I wouldn’t mind even more. At between 7 and 9 years old, this Bernheim is past the point of true youth, though there are fleeting moments where one might taste a bit more grain than wood. Mentally, it’s tough not to compare this to Heaven Hill’s recent (and immensely flavorful) 19 year wheat whiskey, an exemplar of how far the distillery’s wheat whiskey can differentiate itself from bourbon while staying in the upper echelons of quality. What’s missing — or probably more accurately, not yet developed — on Bernheim Barrel Proof A225 is the deep, cherry syrup quality older wheat distillate can carry like almost nothing else. That’s not so much a knock against this particular release as a marker of where this whiskey falls on the spectrum of flavor development.

Finish

The finish brings a fascinating hit of sweet miso before settling into a decrescendo of pan caramel, oak staves, and corn flakes. It’s not the longest final act I’ve tasted from these releases, but it certainly lands the plane even with a quick curveball.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225 Rating

91/100

Recap

The latest Bernheim Barrel Proof builds just slightly on the flavor profile its fans have come to enjoy. A light smokiness on the nose and a touch of miso on the finish take the expression into gradually new territory, though some of those changes come with dialed-down fruit and spice at certain junctures. Still, I found it about as good as (if not just slightly better than) last year’s “A” batch. It’s a worthwhile pour that won’t break the bank, and a good bridge for bourbon drinkers looking to try something new.

Reviewed On: 04-22-2025
91
POINTS
Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey (Batch A225)
As wheat whiskey becomes more popular with American distillers looking to expand offerings beyond bourbon and rye, a litany of new releases are hitting shelves, from always-on to super premium. Heaven Hill’s Bernheim label is an accessible, 90 proof version made with a “Kentucky-style” mash bill. That is, it’s made using the legally mandated minimum of 51 percent wheat, along with a relatively high percentage of corn (37 percent) and malted barley (12 percent). While Bernheim Wheat is almost always available at 90 proof, Heaven Hill releases a barrel proof version twice per year. Today, we’re looking at Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225. In this instance, “A” denotes the first release of the year, while “2” signifies the initial release month (February). The last two digits represent the year, so this is the first of two batches for 2025. Batch A225 is bottled at 125.4 proof, about in line with some more recent versions. While it doesn’t feature an age statement, Heaven Hill says the whiskey in each of these batches is generally between 7 and 9 years old. Let’s see how it tastes!

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey: Stats and Availability

Bernheim Barrel Proof is technically a limited release, in that any one batch won’t be distributed for all that long. However, Heaven Hill has done a solid job keeping this one pretty findable nationwide. It maintains the same MSRP as last year ($65), and most interested buyers should be able to find a bottle within $15 of that price point.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

The nose starts off at the intersection of butter and spiced gingersnaps; it quickly settles into a baked graham cracker crust. In my experience, those are new, complex, and welcome notes for Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. But decadent and delicious smelling as those early aromas are, they don’t last long before more familiar tart cherries, expressed lemon peel, and wood take over. Those woody notes evolve beyond just oak to include pine, aspen, and birch, the scents of bark and barrel char swirling just above the ethanol heat these barrel proof expressions tend to carry with force. Batch A225 also carries more than a wisp of woodsmoke, a barely-there aspect of previous releases that rises to near prominence here. Floral scents form the final backbone on the nose. Lavender, rose petals, and — surprisingly — aloe lead before a more nuanced potpourri wafts in, ensconced by more oak and some astringent wintergreen. Based solely off the nose, Batch A225 is roughly in line with last year’s releases, though with slightly less baking spice and significantly more smoke.

Taste

The first few sips taste well below the whiskey’s 125.4 proof. (Though proof hounds shouldn’t fear, as the heat eventually builds to something fitting of this cask strength ABV.) Perhaps I’m predisposed from the nose, but early flavors do fall in line with butter-laden pie crust, along with burnt butterscotch and cinnamon sugar toast. Cinnamon and ginger build even further toward the midpalate, far more pronounced and lasting than on the nose. As with previous Bernheim batches, the high-corn mashbill lends itself to flavors one might expect on a similarly-aged bourbon. Dark caramel, vanilla sugar cookies, waffle cones, and lightly tanned leather all glide back and forth across the tongue in undulating intensities, all carried by a thick and inviting mouthfeel. Baked red apple lends an appropriate level of semi-sweet, semi-tart fruit, though frankly I wouldn’t mind even more. At between 7 and 9 years old, this Bernheim is past the point of true youth, though there are fleeting moments where one might taste a bit more grain than wood. Mentally, it’s tough not to compare this to Heaven Hill’s recent (and immensely flavorful) 19 year wheat whiskey, an exemplar of how far the distillery’s wheat whiskey can differentiate itself from bourbon while staying in the upper echelons of quality. What’s missing — or probably more accurately, not yet developed — on Bernheim Barrel Proof A225 is the deep, cherry syrup quality older wheat distillate can carry like almost nothing else. That’s not so much a knock against this particular release as a marker of where this whiskey falls on the spectrum of flavor development.

Finish

The finish brings a fascinating hit of sweet miso before settling into a decrescendo of pan caramel, oak staves, and corn flakes. It’s not the longest final act I’ve tasted from these releases, but it certainly lands the plane even with a quick curveball.

Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey Batch A225 Rating

91/100

Recap

The latest Bernheim Barrel Proof builds just slightly on the flavor profile its fans have come to enjoy. A light smokiness on the nose and a touch of miso on the finish take the expression into gradually new territory, though some of those changes come with dialed-down fruit and spice at certain junctures. Still, I found it about as good as (if not just slightly better than) last year’s “A” batch. It’s a worthwhile pour that won’t break the bank, and a good bridge for bourbon drinkers looking to try something new.

Reviewed On: 04-22-2025