Butterscotch | Hay | Raspberry | Agave | Light seasoned oak

Cinnamon | Prune | Walnut | Light astringent oak | Sweet

Astringent oak | Burnt cinnamon | Butterscotch | Dry tannic oak | Bitter

You might be asking yourself, “Hey, I don’t remember a Batch B925 this year,” and you would be correct, as Heaven Hill didn’t release one and skipped right to Batch C925. Their explanation: “Batch B925 turned out so well, we got ahead of ourselves and accidentally labeled it Batch C925. Consider this a happy little mistake - it makes your bottle one of a kind.” It is a fun and cheeky response given some sort of production mix-up they experienced, but given how Batch C925 actually tastes, it seems like an overly embellished story.

Since its 2023 launch, Bernheim Original Barrel Proof has continued to struggle, and the company has yet to release a truly standout batch. Getting wheat whiskey right can be a hard nut to crack, as wheat can lead to plenty of astringent flavor notes. Unfortunately, that is what has happened again with Batch C925.

The aroma comes off like batches before, leaning heavily into butterscotch, hay, light raspberry, and agave. The palate begins well, with cinnamon mixed in with prune, and has a lightness to it, and leans sweet overall. But as the finish begins, this is where the astringent oak notes start to emerge. A bitter edge develops, overpowering the other flavors in the finish. These astringent oak notes, combined with burnt cinnamon and oak tannins, result in a flawed finish.

After multiple years of struggling releases and now Batch C925 being the worst yet, Heaven Hill needs to take a proactive look at what is going wrong with these releases. Wheat whiskey has so much to offer, and with this series featuring an impressive age range, it's a shame Heaven Hill hasn’t been able to dial it in.