When it comes to separating out bourbon styles, wheated bourbon can sound more complicated than it really is. Is wheated bourbon better than regular bourbon? What are the differences? How can you tell what you’re drinking? Let’s answer those questions as simply as we can.
Typically, wheated bourbon can be a softer, flavorful, and sometimes richer style of bourbon that opens the door to plenty of different flavor profiles.
What Is Wheated Bourbon?
Not to be confused with wheat whiskey, wheated bourbon is a bourbon, meaning it must contain at least 51% corn, where wheat takes the place of the secondary grain.
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A standard bottle of bourbon will normally contain corn, rye, and malted barley. In wheated bourbon, the rye is replaced with wheat.
Replacing rye can remove some of the sharper, earthier, and spicier notes from the bourbon’s profile. Adding wheat in its place, in whatever percentage works for the distiller, can offer a softer, sweeter, and more mellow profile.
You can also make the case that wheated bourbons are particularly well suited to longer aging. The heavy interaction with new American oak, combined with a powerful and spicy grain such as rye, can lead to very dominant flavor profiles over time. Wheat, in theory, provides a mellower and sweeter style.
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READ THE STORYPappy Van Winkle is the most famous example of this. When compared with older rye-influenced bourbons such as Elijah Craig, the latter can come across as much drier and woodier.
What Does Wheated Bourbon Taste Like?
As mentioned above, wheated bourbon can offer an overall softer experience for the drinker. Something to bear in mind, though, is that it is still matured in new American oak, while the ABV, or proof, will also provide some spice and warmth.
When it comes to the grain influence, wheated bourbons can be full of maple, pecans, milk chocolate, and sweet coffee. Sometimes they can even verge into flavors that feel almost like sherry cask maturation, with notes of dried fruit, tobacco, and leather.
It can be a very versatile profile, still giving you the sweetness of the corn through vanilla, caramel, and butter, alongside all of those additional flavors.
Famous Wheated Bourbon Examples
Some of my favorite American whiskeys of all time are wheated bourbons.
Anything from Maker’s Mark is a good place to start, but I think its Maker’s Mark 46 release in particular is excellent. Green River Wheated Bourbon is another fabulous and very affordable option.
Things can get a little more expensive if you want to chase some unicorn bottles. These are bottles that should cost anywhere between $40 and $150, but realistically can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
W.L. Weller 12 Year Old, Antique 107 and Full Proof are obvious examples. They should be affordable and available. Sadly, they just aren’t.
The other big name is Pappy Van Winkle. It’s nice whiskey, perfectly nice, but don’t overpay for it. Try it in a bar if you can find an affordable pour, but the secondary market prices simply aren’t worth the liquid.
I’m saying that as someone whose favorite bottle from the wider Van Winkle lineup is the 10 Year Old release. By far the best for me.
Is Wheated Bourbon Right For You?
In the end, if you enjoy all sorts of bourbon styles, awesome. Keep going!
However, if you find rye-influenced bourbons a little too sharp or even unpleasant, as some drinkers do, wheated bourbon could be the way to go.
It’s generally a softer style, but one that can still offer plenty of flavor, character and history to explore.
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