Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

Are you a wheat whiskey drinker? I’m not talking about wheated bourbons like Pappy Van Winkle, Weller, or Maker’s Mark—I’m talking whiskey made with at least 51 percent wheat in the mashbill, which is legally and identifiably not bourbon. The odds are that you are not, in fact, a wheat whiskey drinker, considering how small the category is. But Heaven Hill’s new 20th anniversary release of its Bernheim expression might just convert you. Or, at the very least, it makes a good case for why this often overlooked category is worth paying attention.

The legal requirements for American wheat whiskey are similar to bourbon, but wheat replaces corn: it must be made from at least 51 percent wheat and aged in new charred oak “containers” (which are virtually always barrels). Some brands that are better known for their bourbon have been making wheat whiskey for a while, like Woodford Reserve which first introduced it in 2019. But the OG of wheat whiskey in the world of legacy distilleries is Heaven Hill, which first introduced its Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey in 2005. Other newer entries include whiskeys from Maker’s Mark, which launched Star Hill Farm last year, Frey Ranch, WhistlePig, and Middle West. Even Buffalo Trace released a wheat whiskey—Weller 18 Year Old, the oldest age statement for this brand that traditionally consists of wheated bourbon.

Heaven Hill’s wheat whiskey mashbill is 51 percent wheat, 37 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. And it’s not just used for Bernheim—the 2025 Heritage Collection release was a 19-year-old wheat whiskey that was, frankly, fantastic. Bernheim is the distillery’s core wheat whiskey, however, and while it launched as a non-age-statement release, it got a seven-year age statement in 2014. The 20th anniversary release adds three years to that, becoming a 10-year-old whiskey bottled at a higher 115 proof. And both of these augmentations have yielded a superb whiskey that is better than the original, which is not always the case. The palate presents an intriguing blend of sweetness and dark spice. Caramel, vanilla, and ripe berry notes bleed into chocolate-covered espresso beans, pecan, and roasted almonds. Underneath all that are a cabinet full of baking spice notes like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. And the higher proof binds it all together, providing an intensity of flavor and some really pleasant warmth as you sip.

I don’t think this whiskey is going to become the next Heaven Hill unicorn release, joining the ranks of some of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond decanters or certain Parker’s Heritage Collection releases. But it doesn’t need to do that, and at $85 it’s priced to sell. This bottle is a worthy celebration of 20 years of Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, an homage to Heaven Hill’s dedication to making different styles to support its bourbon backbone, and just a really good whiskey in its own right. Give it a try to see what you think for yourself.

Score: 89