Wheat whiskey is a style of

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...

defined by having a

grain bill Mash ingredients, mash bill, mashbill, or grain bill are the materials that brewers use to produce the wort that they then ferment into alcohol. Mashing is the act of creating and extracting fermentable and non-fermentable sugars and flavor co ...

which consists primarily of

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

. The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

government only allows a product to be labeled "wheat whiskey" when the mash is composed of at least 51% wheat. Like other American styles, a wheat whiskey may be labelled as a "

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * ...

" if it is aged for at least two years in new, charred

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

barrels. As of 2022, only a handful of straight wheat whiskey are mass marketed, including Bernheim Original, Middle West, Old Elk, and Dry Fly. Some microdistilleries are in production of wheat whiskeys, but are made on a small scale. There are many examples of wheat whiskeys in the German whisky industry. While not true wheat whiskeys, some bourbon whiskeys are "wheated"; that is they use a certain percentage of wheat in their mashbills instead of (or complimentary to) the more common rye. Such brands include Cabin Still, Maker's Mark, Old Fitzgerald, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, Rebel Yell, and W. L. Weller.

References

{{whisky-stub Whisky

See also

References