Heaven Hill Distillery has launched Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition to mark 20 years since the Bernheim brand debuted. The small-batch release is available in limited quantities across the US from February 23, 2026, priced at $84.99.
Heaven Hill said the bottling commemorates Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey’s 2005 launch, which it described as “the first truly new American Whiskey style introduced since Prohibition,” due to its use of soft winter wheat as the primary grain.
Max L. Shapira, executive chairman of Heaven Hill Brands, said: “This release is both a celebration and a thank you. When we launched Bernheim Wheat Whiskey 20 years ago, we took a chance on a new mashbill and a new idea.”
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYShapira added: “The support we received in those early days helped shape not only this brand, but the expansion in popularity of different styles of American Whiskey we continue to see today.”
The anniversary edition is distilled from Bernheim’s wheated recipe and carefully blended from specially selected 10-year-old barrels. It is bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV).
The official tasting notes from the brand describe a “bright copper hue,” with a nose of “cinnamon and baking spices layered with vanilla and oak.” On the palate, the brand cites “rich flavors of molasses and butterscotch,” followed by “a peppery finish that lingers with warmth and balance.”
Trending Content
Packaging has also been updated for the milestone, with a copper plate now adorning the front of the bottle, signalling its limited nature and special status as an anniversary release.
Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey launched in 2005 as a Kentucky straight wheat whiskey, a style defined by a mashbill containing at least 51% wheat. The category sits alongside other US whiskey styles such as bourbon and rye, which are defined by majority corn and majority rye mashbills, respectively.
