Bernheim Original
Subtelty
0 289
Review by @Matthieu
- Nose23
- Taste22
- Finish20
- Balance24
- Overall89
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Oops, forgot to review that one. I've had it for quite a while now.
Drunk neat from a bottle that is down to a third of its volume and has first been opened well over a year ago.
Nose: It's remarkably light. It smells fresh and sweet, like a desert. Mainly cinnamon and vanilla, with some fresh-cut grass and wood in the mix.
Taste: It is lightly sweet (light caramel) with some citrus taste. Again, very light, so trying to analyse the taste profile is quite a challenge; it is so much easier to simply sit down and enjoy.
Finish: French toast. Gentle spices (cinnamon) and fresh bread are left behind after the whisky leaves the mouth. Slightly minty from the alcohol prickling the mouth.
Balance: Light and easy drinking is the name of the game here. It's a change of pace from in-your-face bourbons and very sweet (sometimes cloyingly so) canadian whiskies. They set out to make something different and I must say they really succeeded here.
Will I buy again?: It's quite different from what generally made in North America, so I probably will, though the price is making me think twice. It's a light whisky, in a style that is quite different from the mainstream, and that makes its long-term place in my bar quite secure. If anything, it shares a function similar to the Redbreast 12: a light and easy whisky to share with newcomers to spirits.
Find where to buy Bernheim whisky
@Matthieu, thanks for a very nice review. I think that you are one who very much enjoys the taste of wheat in whiskey, as e.g. with your affection for Maker's 46. One day you and I will drink a bunch of Van Winkle and William Larue Weller together.
When I have included Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey in large group tastings, almost everyone likes it. Yes, it is very light, but quite pleasant. Be careful with an old bottle, though. I saw mine go seriously off after about 2 years.
'Expensive' is relative to where you are buying it. Down here you can pick up a bottle of Bernheim Original for $ 31.88 total, and that is not even a sale price.