Cinnamon stick | Dried apple | Nutmeg | Oak | Faint mixed berries | Pie dough | Touch of ethanol

Brown sugar | Dry cinnamon stick | Apple turnover | Baking spices | Charred oak | Faint tobacco leaf | Viscous mouthfeel

Dry oak | White peppercorn | Cinnamon spice | Leather | Lingering chewy dry oak

Heaven Hill has been taking an interesting approach with their Bernheim Barrel Proof releases lately. After last year's second batch was mistakenly labeled C925 instead of B925, Heaven Hill released not one, but two Bernheim bottles in February 2026. This consisted of the standard Batch A226 in review and their Bernheim Original 20th Anniversary release. While the latter didn’t share the Barrel Proof Packaging, nor was it labeled a Bernheim Barrel Proof product, its proof made it seem otherwise, giving consumers a choice between two different yet very similar products released at the same time.

Bernheim Batch A226 starts off with a pleasant aroma, thanks to scents of cinnamon stick, dried apple, and nutmeg. A touch of ethanol is present, and while slightly distracting, it comes across as a slight annoyance rather than a significant defect. The midpoint brings about a great mixture of flavors that ride in on a viscous mouthfeel. Delicious notes of brown sugar, dry cinnamon stick, apple turnover, and charred oak mingle together nicely. However, the celebration is short-lived, as the finish veers off into a completely different direction. Dry oak, white peppercorn, and cinnamon spice lead the charge before a lingering chewy dry oak note takes over and zaps most of the goodwill that the sip built up before it.

Barrel proof Bernheim releases have been pretty consistent for the most part. While Batch C925 was a miss for the brand, even from the start, Batch A223 and later releases have been decent but not necessarily spectacular in any way. Batch A226 continues the trend of the majority before it, but nothing more. While Bernheim Original 20th Anniversary showed the brand's potential, it’s becoming clear that if Heaven Hill continues the same course as past batches, Bernheim Original Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey will struggle to be anything more than simply a straightforward, satisfactory sip.