Wheat and Rye.

[White Dog]

I'm new to this so maybe I haven't developed my palate enough to pick out the same flavors as you guys. I thought of Bernheim as having flavors of light caramel, honey, subtle vanilla, and a sweet, round smoothness I get from most wheaters. I'm interested in what you guys think is specifically different in the flavor profile. I'll revisit the Bernheim and see if I can't pick it up.

Are there any bourbons that don't have any small grains, either rye or corn, only having enough barley for the diastatic power to convert in the mash? I read most bourbons are usually 70+% Corn, so the small grains don't contribute a lot to the overall grain bill.

I need to add that my bottle of Bernheim was purchased about 3 years ago, and some members have noticed a big improvement.

Taste is subjective, and also suggestive. I'm re-tasting Bernheim, while reading your tasting notes, so I can appreciate your descriptors. If I'm looking, I can see a bit of vanilla and honey, but there's also a hay-like sharpness on the finish, which I don't get from Wheaters. But rather than flavor descriptors, another major thing that sets this apart from Wheaters is the texture/mouthfeel. Bernheim is sharp and pointed, where Weller 12 or current(not anymore) Vintage 17 coats the palate in a more voluptuous manner. Just my two cents.

[jburlowski]

[QUOTE=SMOWK;294849]Questions like JR1968's are best answered by grabbing a few bottles of wheaters and a few bottles of ryers and drinking them promptly. [/lLQUOTE]

... and repeat until the conversation stops.

[SMOWK]

... and repeat until the conversation stops.

After a bottle or two of whiskey the conversation never stops.

[Flyfish]

JR1968 is interested in wheated and rye recipe bourbon and not the straight versions of each. Since the proper study of bourbon-kind is bourbon, the straights are not pertinent. I love wheaters but, to throw in another literary reference, wheaters are like happy families, all pretty similar, whereas every bourbon that contains rye reveals rye in its own way. Wheaters are easier to love, but rye recipe bourbons are more interesting.

This must be some sort of SB record--Pope and Tolstoy paraphrased in the same post. And here I thought SBers only read Faulkner or maybe Hemingway.

[Bourbon Boiler]

“Isn’t anythin’ Ah got whiskey won’t cure.”

[JR1968]

Thank You Guy's,
for your help, looks like I got some taste testing to do.


Cheers,
JR1968