Middle West Spirits was a virtual unknown to me a year ago. Then, Taste Select Repeat (a single barrel club) did a pick of their Michelone Wheated Bourbon at cask strength - called Stagg Smasher - and I was hooked.

I kind of started in reverse, though. By starting with the cask strength bourbon, I skipped all the core products Middle West had. Before bringing co-founder and Head Distillery Ryan Lang on the Whiskey Ring Podcast (going live July 27th!), I had to go back to the roots. And Middle West’s roots are in wheat.

Wheat whiskey doesn’t get nearly the attention or respect it deserves. Other than Bernheim from Heaven Hill and a one-off from Woodford Reserve, straight wheat whiskies are relegated entirely to the craft distilling community. There are plenty out there, from Dry Fly to Kings County to Old Elk, but none have been able to break out in the same way rye has over the past decade.

It’s easy to forget that rye was nearly extinct - today it’s thriving and booming in a way few could have seen. Conversations around reviving rye varieties are the norm, from Rosen to Danko to any number of other local strains. Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin all have impressive (and growing!) rye production from multiple distilleries, and that’s not even counting MGP/Ross & Squibb. Every major heritage distillery except Four Roses produces a readily available rye.

So why not wheat?

Well, that’s a conversation Ryan Lang and Middle West Spirits want to have. Wheat whiskey has, for now, a lesser-than reputation. Wheat is a softening grain, something added to bourbon recipes instead of rye for a smoother, less spicy profile (think Weller/Pappy from Buffalo Trace or Larceny from Heaven Hill). Alone, it can be one-note, cereal- and honey-forward while taking most of its flavor from the barrel. Is that a problem inherent to the grain, though? Or is it because wheat is just as homogenized as any other grain out there?

As Ryan notes in our podcast episode, it’s a conversation that needs to be had. Middle West Spirits is as well-positioned to analyze and explore wheat as Mammoth Distillery is for Rosen rye and Black Button Distillery is for Danko rye. Ohio produces wheat, and lots of it.

Soft red winter wheat is the most commonly used wheat category in distilling. It has fewer proteins and a lower protein concentration than its harder cousins, meaning it’s easier for the yeast to extract and convert the sugars, leading to higher yield for distillers. Again, though, since most distillers using wheat utilize it as a rye replacement, not much variation is seen.

Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey is not 100% wheat like some of its competitors. Instead, according to Ryan, Middle West treated this more like a single malt whiskey, using a mashbill of 95% wheat and 5% malted barley for enzymatic conversion. The barley doesn’t add noticeable flavor at that level, but does mean that Middle West is using inherent enzymes and doesn’t have to use liquid or powdered enzymes to make their Wheat Whiskey.

Characterizing this as a single malt-style wheat whiskey makes a lot of sense, and it helped me reframe my tasting. Most of the time, reading about or hearing a production method doesn’t change anything for me, but in this case it was a totally different mindset. It’s a new frame of reference into what the producer is thinking as they create this product. And in my mind, treating this as a wheat-based single malt - as odd as that sounds - adds points to this rating simply because it accomplishes that goal.

Yes it’s unusual, and yes the process isn’t what other distillers would do. But it sets Middle West Spirits apart, and when you’re growing the brand and expanding, setting yourself apart can be everything. I can’t wait to taste this at cask strength.

Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Straight Wheat Whiskey

Origin: Middle West Spirits

Mashbill: 95% Wheat, 5% Barley

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 3+ Years Old

Location: Ohio

Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey Price: $46.99

Official Website

Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Dark brewed tea. Medium rims and syrupy droplet legs.

Nose: Smells exactly as it should, if that makes sense. Wheat chaffs, shredded wheat cereal without the powdered sugar, gentle nose with no proof. Red fruits, especially Bing cherries, open slowly but firmly.

Palate: More spice than expected, on the tip of my tongue. Red spice drops and chewy candies. A little strawberry peeks through. Blonde roast coffee, sweet anise. Mouthfeel is silky, coating, not too filling, oily and sweet. A dangerously easy sipper. Gets into the corners of my mouth. Hints of chocolate brownie float in the background.

Finish: Medium-length, subtle to the end. Strawberries outlast the cherries and insert themselves into brownie batter.

Overall: Subtle and fruity. The grain at times had some younger, more cereal notes, but largely they remained in the background. Crystal clear wheat flavor with, for me, classic chocolate profile. A solid wheat whiskey that differentiates itself from both wheated bourbons and other wheat whiskies in its own category.

Final Rating: 6.7

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation