Is Wheat Whiskey The Next Big Whiskey?

There has been a growth in the wheat whiskey market. It started when Heaven Hill purchased the Bernheim Distillery and had excess wheat in the grain bins. They decided to make a wheat whiskey and named the brand for the distillery, Bernheim. It was a big success and sales were good. Later, the Journeyman Distillery came out with Corsets, Whips & Whiskey, a wheat whiskey that was very good and they are still making it so it must be selling well. Other artisan distilleries started making wheat whiskey. Now Maker’s Mark has released Star Hill Farm Wheat Whiskey. The category is growing. Wheat whiskey has been around for over one hundred years, but in the 19th century, it was a very small category. Bourbon and Rye whiskeys dominated the market. After Prohibition, it disappeared from the market until Heaven Hill introduced Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. Now, there are several brands of wheat whiskey to choose from.

So the question is, will the category grow even more? Wheat Whiskey has a softer taste than Rye Whiskey and tastes more like a Bourbon than a Rye. This could be because the distilleries often follow Heaven Hill’s lead and use corn as a flavoring grain in the whiskey, but Star Hill Farm and Corsets, Whips & Whiskey do not use corn and they still have a Bourbon-like flavor. It also appeals to people who prefer a wheat recipe Bourbon.

There are still innovations that can be made to make wheat whiskey. They could introduce whiskeys that are made with 100% malted wheat or contain other flavoring grains such as rye or oats. They could finish the whiskey in wine or Cognac barrels. I think a wheat whiskey finished in a fruit brandy barrel such as apple or peach brandy would lend itself to the softer flavors of a Wheat Whiskey.  There is room to experiment and I suspect that distilleries will do so in the future as the category expands. Wheat whiskey is a growing category. Will it ever be as big as Rye whiskey? That remains to be seen, but I suspect that it will become the third most popular American whiskey, beating out Corn Whiskey. The future is bright for Wheat Whiskey.