Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Wheat Whiskey
Back in August, I had a weeklong trip in Kentucky and Tennessee touring as many distilleries, bars, and sites as I could. One that I couldn’t miss was the Heaven Hill Bottle Your Own Experience, which I did back in May, too.
When I did the experience in May, I ended up getting the Bernheim Wheat Whiskey at cask strength, only available through that experience. Aside the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Larceny Barrel Proof also available, the Bernheim was my favorite.
In August, Heaven Hill was experiencing shortages and only had the ECBP and Larceny available (Bernheim liquid was available, but they didn’t have the bottles). Oddly, they let us try the Bernheim despite us having no way to buy it. In some ways, I felt like the gentleman who was leading the experience was pushing the Bernheim most of the three - of course, we’d have to come back, pay again, and do the experience again when they had the bottles, no rain checks.
One of the more curious claims made was that Heaven Hill, with Bernheim, was one of only two true wheat whiskies available, the other being Woodford Reserve (what he meant by “true” I have no clue). Immediately, my ears perked up - that couldn’t be right. I admittedly zoned out for much of the rest of the experience trying to think of other wheat whiskies that weren’t one-offs or wheated bourbons which are bourbons with wheat instead of (or in larger proportion than) rye in the mashbill.
Two came to mind: Middle West Spirits’ Wheat Whiskey and Traverse City Whiskey Co.’s Wheat Whiskey. I was polite, waited until I had a moment to pull the guy aside, and said as professionally and quietly as possible that he was wrong and should really check out these whiskies. He took it in stride, though I don’t know if he actually remembered it after the fact.
I don’t usually do things like that, but if you make a blanket statement like that you better be right. In fairness, all three of those brands are growing and not necessarily household names (yet).
For Traverse City Whiskey Co., the Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey is a semi-limited release. When I visited in 2021, they had just run out of that year’s allocation, and at 6 years old they aren’t exactly able to pump more out right away. When this year’s crop came around, I had to have it, and thanks to some string pulling I got one.
Here’s the thing about wheat whiskies - they tend to be fairly one-note: caramel. Sometimes there’s a little variation, an extra bit of baking spice, but overall it’s a liquid Werther’s. TC Whiskey’s Barrel Proof has that Werther’s caramel, though it’s helped greatly by both proof and age. The proof is especially important here: of the five wheat whiskies mentioned here, only one is available at barrel proof regularly (TC Whiskey) and the other is available is only at the Heaven Hill Experience. Neither Middle West nor Woodford Reserve produce a barrel proof wheat whiskey that’s commercially available.
I’d say the TCWC Wheat Whiskey is closer to the Middle West-style of a wheat whiskey than to the Bernheim Cask Strength - it’s a few proof points lower at around 113º rather than 126.5º and is 95% wheat and 5% malted barley rather than 100% wheat. Arguably, it’s also the only one commercially available (in limited quantities). I hope they’ve got some good stocks set away - I’ll come calling next time, and I’m getting two bottles.
Thank you to Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing for providing this bottle free of charge and without editorial constraints.
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Wheat Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Michigan Straight Wheat Whiskey
Origin: Traverse City Whiskey Company
Mashbill: 95% Wheat, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 113.6 (56.8% ABV)
Age: 6 Years
Location: Michigan
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Wheat Whiskey Price: $99.99
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Wheat Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Amber maple syrup. Thin, running rims.
Nose: Cracker Jacks, sweet caramel, no peanuts. Proof is mild but present, adding fresh clove to the caramel notes. Simple nose, but a delicious one in line with expectations for a wheat whiskey.
Palate: Proof doesn’t show at first, with the whiskey washing over the front tongue for a slow burn. Mild numbing as the caramel builds on the back palate and corners of my mouth. Mouthfeel is thin side of medium, oily, not too coating. Proof continues to build. Caramel taffy and vanilla custard round out on the chew with fruity peppercorns.
Finish: Mild mint and a coating like you just finished a Werther’s candy. Short side of medium.
Overall: Like most wheat whiskies, it’s mostly one note, but a delicious caramel-y one.
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
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