If you fancy ultraaged whiskey, its worth a taste and if you like it, a bottle. Uri, bernheim s brotherinlaw, joined in 1875, and the name of the firm was changed to bernheim. Todays bernheim has little connection with isaacs original. Once that initial build up levels off im able to pour a glass and really dig in. The process is very similar to bourbonmaking, except the recipe is comprised mostly of winter wheat with some corn and barley mixed in. Despite his achievements within the whiskey industry, bernheim was always ambivalent about the liquor business, a. He argued that the art of blending spirits was at risk because of the act, and allowed distillers to. Extensively researched at the library of congress, where he works, whiskey is nicely illustrated with vintage photographs, advertisements, and cartoons, and packed with. Michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. Bernheim whisky buy bernheim whiskies online master of malt. This oneofakind whiskey is handcrafted according to the traditions that our masterdistillers have been practicing for seven generations. From 1920 to 1933 both the bernheim bros and warwick plants were partially dismantled and the property sold, but bernheim distilling co. Oct 16, 2017 heaven hill distillery is known to bourbon and whiskey lovers for its range of expressions, including elijah craig bourbon, larceny bourbon, evan williams bourbon, pikesville rye whiskey, rittenhouse rye whisky and parkers heritage collection. A book written in 1910 by isaac wolfe bernheim presenting a history of the bernheim family.
Bernheim forest giants shepherdsville, kentucky atlas obscura. Two years later the pair opened their own whiskey wholesale business in paducah, calling it bernheim bros. Isaac wolfe bernheim november 4, 1848 april 1, 1945 was an american businessman. Distilled by the heaven hill folks at its namesake bernheim distillery in louisville, ky, the makeup for bernheim is 51% winter wheat, 39% corn and 10% barley malt. Rhetoric is a oneofakind whiskey, with a rich historical pedigree that is a metaphor for the history of bourbon. Its full name is bernheim original kentucky straight wheat whiskey. Heaven hill makes bernheim distillery the biggest us bourbon. Buy bernheim original kentucky straight wheat whiskey.
Given its unique nature, a word about how bernheim original is made is in order. A journey of discovery into the worlds noblest spirit brucegardyne, tom on. Mar 05, 2016 michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. Bernheim original, owned by heaven hill distilleries, is made primarily from soft winter wheat, aged at least 7 years, and is bottled in batches containing no more than 100 barrels. Bernheim whiskey is a straight wheat whiskey meaning that where bourbon is made from at least 51% corn, bernheim is made from 51% wheat, with corn, rye, and a dash of barley rounding out the mash bill. Heaven hill makes bernheim distillery the biggest us. If you want to find out what the critics are raving about, or learn about the art of distillation, this is the place to come. He originally planned on taking a job in new york city, but when his employer filed for bankruptcy, bernheim was forced to find another line of work.
Eventually, the schenley distilling corp acquired the company in 1937. The success of his distillery and distribution business helped to consolidate the louisville area as a major center of kentucky bourbon distilling. Part of the masters collection, which is a 2x yearly limited release of experiments, this whiskey takes the traditional rye component of woodford reserve. This straight wheat whiskey is produced at the wellrespected. Discover the unique pleasure of bernheim original wheat whiskey.
May 10, 2011 bernheims more resembles an irish whiskey than a kentucky bourbon. Otherwise it is distilled and aged in charred oak barrels. Bernheim kentucky straight wheat whiskey 7 years aged. So its anyones guess if ill enjoy this bernheim whiskey, but ill tell you what, im sure gonna try. The first thing that attracted me to this bernheim whiskey was the bottle.
Bernheim original wheat whiskey uses soft winter wheat in its recipe to deliver a smooth, sweet taste. He worked hard, married the woman he loved, made a fortune in his kentuckybased whiskey business, and became an esteemed philanthropist. A southern independent booksellers alliance bestseller. Review of bernheim original 7 year small batch wheat whiskey. Thats just one of the tidbits a new book tracing the history of whiskey labels reveals. A wheat whiskey, bernheim was created by our master distillers. Said to be the first truly new variety of american straight whiskey introduced since prohibition, it is produced at the bernheim distillery in. Those prepro whiskey men the bernheim brothers and the. Mar 21, 2016 bernheim original, although it looks and tastes like bourbon, is not in fact bourbon. It is a straight wheat whiskey and thus shares with bourbon an aging of minimum 2 years in new charred oak barrels and cannot contain flavoring or coloring agents.
The brand is owned by heaven hill distilleries and has a has a mashbill of 51% wheat and 49% undisclosed amounts of corn and malted barley. The spirit is aged for a minimum of 2 years in new, charred white oak barrels and is currently the only true wheated american whiskey on the market. The definitive world guide, he explains that a family of physicians, the macveys a. Few products are so completely or intimately steeped in the american story as bourbon whiskey. Kentucky bourbon whiskeys jewish history the atlantic. All about bernheim winter wheat whiskey distillery information and history, includes tasting note and buy whisky online at. Soft and gentle, raspberry jam sweetness, oak vanilla and milk chocolate. His most enduring legacy is the 14,500acre arboretum and research forest in clermont, kentucky that bears his name. Their first brand of whiskey was named i w harper and they had great success. Fittingly, some exact dates were forgotten whiskey was involved, after all, but this timeline will help you grasp the basics and understand its origin.
Bernheim straight wheat whiskey heaven hill distillery. Canada is famous for blended whiskeys that are among the smoothest in the world. Its not uncommon for a canadian whiskey to use 20 or more ingredientsmostly whiskey, but also things like sherryin a blend. It is sold in glass in 16 oz pint bottles, glass 750ml bottles, glass 1liter bottles. The whiskey bernheim original wheat whiskey comes in a rectangular glass bottle, with a faux, ovoid copper platestyle label and a plastic and cork stopper. A global history, by kevin kosar, peels away the mythology to examine the real history of this legendary drink.
During prohibition, booze was banned, but medicinal spirits werent, a loophole whiskey makers exploited. The success of his distillery and distribution business helped to consolidate the louisville area as a major center of kentucky. Heaven hill came out with a bernheim wheat at least 2 years old version of this whiskey a few years ago and have now released this, their seven year old version. Bernheim wheat whiskey is a 7 year age stated offering that is distilled in louisville, kentucky and bottled in bardstown, kentucky by heaven hill. The mellow taste is refreshingly smooth when served straight or in cocktails. A winner of the gold editors choice award from whisky magazine with a score of 17. Despite his achievements within the whiskey industry, bernheim was always ambivalent about the liquor business, a trade he had fallen into in 1868 after. Bernheim forest giants shepherdsville, kentucky atlas. Its an attractive package which shows off the whiskeys middling bronze color. Whisky books discover the world of whisky with our selection of books. Oct 09, 2018 bernheim kentucky straight wheat whiskey 7 years aged small batch heaven hill brands.
Shop bernheim original wheat whiskey at the best prices. Over a century ago, isaac wolfe bernheim, a german immigrant, lived the american dream. Distilled at bernheim distillery, louisville, ky evan williamsheaven hill what it is. This 80th anniversary commemorative volume, coauthored by archivist sharon receveur and naturalist tavia cathcart, is the first to tell the remarkable story of isaac w. He eventually became a travelling salesman, selling housewares to families in pennsylvania. The whisky is named after the old distillery and the distillerys own namesake, the bernheim brothers who founded the i. In 1934 schenley purchased the brands, ultimately becoming the property of the presentday united distillers.
A rollicking biography of bourbon whiskey that doubles as a complex and entertaining wall street journal history of america itselffew products are so completely or intimately steeped in the american story as bourbon whiskey. Bernheim, the benefactor, and bernheim, the place presented alongside 500 breathtaking photographs of the gardens, awardwinning visitor center, events, programs, and all. A global history, where he shares not only his passion for the potent potable but also his knowledge about its political, economic, and cultural history. Like most wheat whiskeys, bernheim is softer, which means a bit more neutral on the palate with less spice. Whiskey history is a long, adventurous story, and many brave people fought to keep the drink flowing along the way. Kosar has now poured his expertise into a new book, whiskey. Mar 24, 2010 distilled by the heaven hill folks at its namesake bernheim distillery in louisville, ky, the makeup for bernheim is 51% winter wheat, 39% corn and 10% barley malt. Wheat whiskey was actually the original whiskey of the united states with hundreds of distilleries in new york state alone long before the whiskey rebellion and for a period of time afterwards. While bernheims contributions to the history of whisky may not be widely known, there is a,000acre nature preserve in kentucky that he endowed and where his is buried, which bears his. Bernheim kentucky straight wheat whiskey 7 years aged small.
Visitors to this arboretum are greeted by three smiling giants crafted from sustainable materials. No tale of prohibition would be complete without a few words on this colorful woman. This is a new whiskey for heaven hill but actually quite and old one as far as the united states is concerned. A straight wheat whiskey, it is made at the namesake bernheim distillery in louisville, kentucky and aged rickhouse y at heaven hills bardstown facility. A soft, mellow, fruity palate with gentle vanilla notes. This very short book is jampacked with information about all facets of bourbon production, from early farm distilling to nineteenth century commercial distilleries to the craft distillery movement, and everything inbetween. Bbc travel a guide to the lingo and history of whiskey. This straight wheat whiskey is produced at the wellrespected heaven hill distillery in honour of bernard bernheim. Bernheim whisky buy bernheim whiskies online master of. This particular whiskey is a wheated whiskey which means the dominate grain is wheat.
May 12, 2015 the jewish origins of kentucky bourbon. Harper brand of premium bourbon whiskey a historically important brand currently owned by diageo. Bernheim original is made by heaven hill and is the only straight wheat american whiskey available. A journey of discovery into the worlds noblest spirit. Isaac wolfe bernheim november 4, 1848 april 1, 1945 was an american businessman notable for starting the i. Bernheim arboretum and research forest book, 2010 worldcat. Bernheim also has an age statement of seven years, which means that seven year old whiskey is the youngest that can be put in the bottle. Dspky1 bernheim facility in louisville, bought in 1999, dspky31 bardstown distillery burnt down in 1996. Kosar shows that its history is at least as fascinating as the legend. Isaac wolfe bernheim the lands given as a gift to the people of kentucky lofty ideas, lofty plans 19291949 a place to gladden the soul and please the sight, 1950present. Jan 19, 2019 rhetoric is a oneofakind whiskey, with a rich historical pedigree that is a metaphor for the history of bourbon. Bernheim original is a wheat whiskey produced in bardstown, kentucky by heaven hill distilleries.
A few years ago heaven hill bucked the nas trend by adding an agestatement to the label of bernheim original during a redesign, thus turning an nas whiskey into a 7 yearold. Heaven hills bernheim distillery grows really, really big. Wheated bourbons like old fitzgerald, larceny and makers mark adhere to all of the laws of straight bourbon whiskey, but use a small amount of wheat in place of rye, whereas bernheims main grain is wheat. Rye is a favorite grain, though the whiskeys that go into the blends are made from a variety of grains. Bernheim original kentucky straight wheat whiskey 2014. Bernard bernheim was a german immigrant who together with his brother founded the bernheim distillery in the 19th century. Bernheim brothers bought the pleasure ridge park distillery in louisville and it began operating as. Bernheim kentucky straight wheat whiskey 7 years aged small batch heaven hill brands. I have an unopened bottle which was bottled in the fall of 1931, its label saying that it was made in. Harper and namesake of bernheim original wheat whiskey heaven hill, fought vehemently against the passage of this legislation.
And if you fancy becoming a critic yourself, start writing your own tasting notes in our tasting book. As soon as i open up this bernheim whiskey i get an initial rush of alcohol vapors, so i let it sit and air out a bit. An insiders guide to the unique pleasures of the worlds finest spir. There are some strong oaky notes up front followed with a hint of vanilla.
Shapira, is not sure if those investments will increase whiskey production enough to meet the demand of the future. In the case of bernheim, wheat is the grain of choice. Heaven hill distillery is known to bourbon and whiskey lovers for its range of expressions, including elijah craig bourbon, larceny bourbon, evan williams bourbon, pikesville rye whiskey, rittenhouse rye whisky and parkers heritage collection. Discover bernheim forest giants in shepherdsville, kentucky. Wheated bourbons like old fitzgerald, larceny and makers mark adhere to all of the laws of straight bourbon whiskey, but use a small amount of wheat in place of rye, whereas bernheim s main grain is wheat. Aged seven years in a new, charred oak barrel, distilled at less than 160 proof, and contains no coloring, flavoring or blending agents. Hand crafted at the bernheim distillery is louisville where it ages in rickhouse y developing the truly unique and smooth taste courtesy of using wheat as the. Whiskey books goodreads meet your next favorite book. This heaven hill distillery original is named for the famed bernheim distillery in louisville, ky. The famed carry nation almost six feet tall and around 175 pounds was a member of the womens christian temperance union, and her antics were recorded by oscar getz in his book, whiskeyan american pictorial history. Top 10 whisky education books the spirits business.
522 71 70 309 1287 216 239 694 1616 750 1164 1373 1345 358 1212 636 252 811 1072 550 722 468 497 1057 1233 30 1348 238 1111 150 645 313 956 770 1283 1014 348 820 1223 423 772 397 1316 240 1230 1049 494