01/10/24
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer
Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.
What constitutes a wheated bourbon? First, it must meet all the standards to be bourbon. Second, it is common that the second largest percentage of the mashbill is wheat. However, there is no percentage requirement for wheat. Thus, after the minimum of 51% corn is achieved, the remaining mashbill will likely be a mixture of wheat and barley. In essence, the wheat takes the place of the more common ingredient of rye.
For this tasting, we selected Castle & Key, Weller Special Reserve, and Maker’s Mark 101
Castle & Key Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Released in 2023; Batch 1; bottle 03788; 5 years old; 99 proof
Mashbill – 73% White Corn, 10% Wheat, 17% Malted Barley
Color – medium amber
Aroma – orange zest, caramel, vanilla, baking spice/nutmeg, golden delicious apple
Taste – oak, baking spice/allspice, cherry, cinnamon, honey, raisin, dates; Tasted with dried cranberry – pulled cinnamon forward, with the sweetness of wheat; Tasted with a pecan – nutty, light cinnamon, ginger/gingerbread
Finish – warm, lasting, creamy, vanilla, toasted oak
General Notes – A very good bourbon that is different, even for a wheated, and pleasant to drink.
Weller – The Original Wheated Bourbon – Special Reserve
Aged 7-8 years; 90 proof
Mashbill – 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley.
Color – medium amber
Aroma – honey, caramel, floral/honeysuckle
Taste – honey, vanilla, light baking spices, butterscotch, light oak; Tasted with dried cranberry – less sweet, more spicy, slight oakiness; Tasted with a pecan – smooth, creamy, caramel, baking spices
Finish – gentle hug, nice warmth, honeysuckle
General Notes – A very good bourbon that is smooth and very easy to drink.
Maker’s Mark 101
Approximately 6 years old, 101 proof
Mashbill – 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley.
Color – medium amber
Aroma – cherry, vanilla, caramel … caramel corn, apricot, spice
Taste – cherry, caramel, buttery, nutmeg; Tasted with dried cranberry – cherry is stronger, baking spice comes forward; Tasted with a pecan – fruit is gone, nutmeg appears, and a woodiness
Finish – creamy, gentle, lasting
General Notes – Surprised by it being so cherry forward and smoother than we anticipated.
Comparison and Ranking
Aroma
Wayne: WSW, C&K, MM
Rebecca: MM, WSW, C&K
Taste
Wayne: WSW, C&K, MM
Rebecca: MM, C&K, WSW
Discussion
We enjoyed all three of these wheated bourbons. It was interesting to see their differences and similarities. The most “different” of the three was the Castle & Key as its nose had the strong citrus. The Weller SR is incredibly easy to drink on every level. Maker’s Mark 101 was our biggest surprise as it tended to have a bit more complexity and we didn’t anticipate such a strong cherry component. Contributing to our “winning” selection was price and availability. All things considered, we selected Maker’s Mark 101 as our #1 pick.
You can’t go wrong with any of these options, and we certainly recommend each of them.
Cheers,
Rebecca
Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer
NOTE: The whiskey in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.
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