Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight wheat whiskey bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) and aged 7 years — the first truly new style of American whiskey introduced since Prohibition, and the first straight whiskey built on soft winter wheat as its primary grain. Heaven Hill launched it in 2005 from the historic Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, and it remains the wheat-whiskey benchmark. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 7 years in traditional open rickhouses
- Mash bill: 51% soft winter wheat, 37% corn, 12% malted barley
- Origin: Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky (Heaven Hill)
- Award: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022
The First New American Whiskey Style Since Prohibition
American whiskey had run on corn, rye and malt for two centuries when Heaven Hill's master distillers asked what a whiskey led by wheat would taste like. The answer, launched in 2005 and named for Louisville's famed Bernheim Distillery, created a category: a straight whiskey whose primary grain is soft winter wheat — 51% of the mash, ahead of corn and malted barley — aged a full seven years in traditional open rickhouses. Wheat where rye would normally bite gives Bernheim its signature softness and gentle sweetness. Explore more from the distillery family in our whisky collection and the wider spirits collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Heaven Hill's official notes: bright amber in the glass; a mildly sweet aroma of vanilla and honey; a palate of toffee, berries and spice; and a finish of toasted oak — elegant and warm.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash of water, where the wheat softness leads — and it makes a notably mellow Manhattan or Whiskey Sour for drinkers who find rye too sharp. More Kentucky whiskey is in our bourbon whiskey collection and our whisky collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wheat whiskey different from bourbon?
Bourbon must be at least 51% corn; Bernheim Original flips the frame — 51% soft winter wheat, 37% corn, 12% malted barley — which makes it a straight wheat whiskey, softer and sweeter than either a bourbon or a rye.
How old is Bernheim Original?
Seven years, aged in Heaven Hill's traditional open rickhouses in Kentucky. It is bottled at 90 proof — not to be confused with the separate Bernheim Barrel Proof releases, which run 7–9 years at cask strength.
Has Bernheim Original won any awards?
Yes — Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022, per Heaven Hill.
The whiskey that invented its own category in 2005 — order Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.