The Top 7 Best Wheated Bourbons to Try in 2021
Wheated bourbons are those made with a large proportion of the mashbill’s secondary grain being wheat, in addition to the mandated 51% minimum corn.
Wheat as the secondary grain provides subtlety and contrast, adding a creaminess and gradual sweetness to the spirit than that derived from the majority corn, malted barley or rye recipe.
Wheat is also useful during oak barrel aging, with a tendency to age much better than many traditional bourbons (up to around the 20 year mark).
One glance at feature stories and ratings will tell you Pappy Van Winkle is the tastemaker for wheat whisky. Yes, it’s on this list (almost by default) but it is becoming exceedingly rare as a retail option and more likely to be sourced through the secondary/collector’s market.
The other six expressions below are some of the best wheated bourbons to try regardless of price and availability.
They offer individuality, ingenuity, and genuine personality as bourbon whiskies for you to add to your collection for drinking or for safekeeping.
1. Pappy Van Winkle’s 15 Year Family Reserve
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Extremely hard to get (only 7,000 cases are released annually) with an eye watering price tag to match, the Pappy Van Winkle’s lead in bottle is the standard bearer for wheated bourbon expressions, since notching a near faultless 99/100 for it’s 20 year release from the Beverage Testing institute nearly 25 years ago.
Produced using the proprietary Van Winkle family wheated bourbon grain recipe, the distinctive wheat mash bill allows sweetness and oaken flavor to seep into every glass of this tremendous spirit.
Each deep charred oak barrel lays undisturbed for 15 years before being finished and bottled, creating a smooth and refined bourbon tasting of caramel, corn, and oak, which belies the ABV of 53.5%.
