Review #323 - 18th Street Distillery Straight Wheated Bourbon Private Barrel

18th Street Distillery was the first distillery started in Hammond, Indiana after prohibition times - in fact, it's still the only on in the city. It actually started as a brewery, before the owners decided to transition to the distilling business. In addition to bourbon, they also make rye, gin, and flavored spirits.

This specific wheated bourbon is a private selection, though there aren't any details of that selection specified on the bottle - no store name, no date, no age statement. We do get a strength of 55% ABV (110 proof), though, which is a solid starting point.

18th Street Distillery Straight Wheated Bourbon Private Barrel

USA - Bourbon

Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2024, equivalent product)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 55% ABV

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 2 years; bottles at 90%, 80%, 70% (blind tasting), and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Brown sugar is the dominant note at first - it's followed by sweetness from caramel, burnt sugar, maple syrup, and a bit of nutmeg. Oak becomes stronger, bringing hints of dusty and leathery character; it is a bit spirity, with a hint of youthful sharpness from time to time.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; oak is much more drying now and somewhat strong, though it's still balanced by sweeter brown sugar and salted caramel. White pepper, dry vanilla pods, more salt, and cinnamon buttered toast add more baking notes. Little hints of cherry could be found from time to time.

Finish: Medium length, quite warm, quite oaky. Tannins, burnt sugar, and salt combine for a dry side, while sweetness comes from cinnamon, butterscotch, and a bit of syrup. This finish is leaning more dry overall, though; the heat from the palate sticks around for a while.

Final Note: The flavor profile is pleasant but relatively simple, but the mouthfeel is where this whisky shines. Great viscosity comes from that 55% bottling strength, though it does bring the warmth with it, as well. There were little hints of leather at times, but for the most part, not too much age showed in this bourbon.

Value is okay here - it isn't an especially expensive bottle, but the whisky might need a bit more time to age to develop more complexity and cohesion. We would love to try this with a few years tacked on before bottling.

Our Average Rating: 6.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 5.89

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.