Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
100 proof (50% ABV) | 750mL | Bottled in Bond | Sweet mash, wheated — Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon is Indiana craft whiskey at full pedigree: a 69% corn / 19% wheat / 12% malted barley mash bill, sweet-mashed, and bottled under the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act — one distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, bottled at exactly 100 proof.
Hard Truth Distilling Co. of Nashville, Brown County, Indiana (est. 2015) calls itself a pioneer of sweet mash whiskey in a sour-mash world — every batch begins with entirely fresh ingredients, no backset. Master Distiller Bryan Smith runs a custom Vendome continuous column still and custom Cooper Select barrels with 18–24-month-dried staves; corn and wheat are grown locally by Indiana farmer Doug Miller. The inaugural release was distilled Spring 2019 and bottled Spring 2024 (seasons printed on the bottle), in small batches of 30 barrels or fewer. Wheat replaces rye's spice with softer sweetness — a wheated bonded bourbon with genuine craft credentials. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting notes
Hard Truth has not published official tasting notes for the Wheated BIB. The specs point the way: the 69/19/12 wheated mash bill and all-fresh sweet mash promise a softer, sweeter bourbon — wheat-driven honey and vanilla over new-oak caramel, with the 100-proof bottling keeping it structured. Check the bottle's printed distilling/bottling seasons for your batch's exact age.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- Bottled in Bond — one distillery, one season, 100 proof, 4-yr minimum
- Sweet mash + wheat — fresh-ingredient mashes, 19% wheat for softness
- Grain-to-glass Indiana craft — local corn and wheat, custom barrels
- Small batches of 30 barrels or fewer
How to serve it
Neat to taste the sweet-mash difference — or in a high-proof Old Fashioned where the wheat softness shines.
Frequently asked questions
What is "sweet mash"?
Most bourbon uses "sour mash" — recycling a portion of a previous fermentation (backset) to start the next. Sweet mash starts every batch with entirely fresh ingredients, which Hard Truth says gives a cleaner, sweeter flavor.
What does "Bottled in Bond" guarantee?
A U.S. legal designation (since 1897): one distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse, bottled at exactly 100 proof.