Unreined Wheated Bourbon Review
Age: 7 Years
Proof: 104.2
Price: $62
Mashbill: A blend of two wheated bourbon mashbills:
70% Corn, 21% Wheat, 9% Malted Barley
74% Corn, 14% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Availability: At the time of this review, available exclusively at the Unreined tasting room at WildHorse Ranch.
The Story
Unreined is doing things a little differently.
While the distillery is located at WildHorse Ranch outside College Station, the whiskey currently carrying the Unreined name isn't being distilled there—at least not yet. The team has plans to eventually distill its own whiskey on the property, but for now, they're building the brand around carefully selected and blended barrels.
And yes, some of that whiskey was made right here in Texas.
Exactly where? They're not saying.
Take the tour, though, and you might be able to solve that mystery without hiring a private investigator.
This particular release is a seven-year-old wheated bourbon built from two different mashbills: one containing 21% wheat and the other 14%. It's bottled at 104.2 proof and, at the time of this review, is only available from the tasting room at WildHorse Ranch.
I first tasted it during my visit to Unreined, where I had the chance to work my way through essentially the entire lineup. Their Full Proof Bourbon ultimately came out on top for me, but this one wasn't far behind.
My wife, however, disagreed.
She picked the Wheated Bourbon as her favorite.
So, naturally, we bought a bottle. Marriage is all about compromise.
Nose
The first thing I get is vanilla icing, followed almost immediately by something that reminds me of German chocolate cake.
There's coconut, pecan and a little dusty corn underneath it all, with enough oak showing up to remind you that this whiskey has spent seven years sitting in a barrel.
Despite all the dessert-like notes, it doesn't come across as overwhelmingly sweet. There's a slightly dusty, mature character underneath that keeps everything grounded.
Taste
Vanilla and pecan carry over from the nose, joined by a little cola.
Again, that sounds considerably sweeter than the whiskey actually tastes. Think of those flavors with the volume turned down a couple of clicks. They're all there, but nothing is screaming for attention.
At 104.2 proof, it drinks pretty much exactly where you'd expect it to. There's a nice kick when it hits the mouth, but it's not trying to knock you out of your chair.
The finish gets a little more tannic than I personally prefer. Oak begins to take over, but there's a hint of cherry hanging around that keeps things interesting and gives me something to chase back into the next sip.
Which is a conveniently effective way for a whiskey to convince you to pour another one.
Conclusion
At this point, I've tasted the entire Unreined lineup, and this one lands near the top for me.
Personally, I still give the edge to the Unreined Full Proof Bourbon, with the Wheated Bourbon coming in right behind it. My wife went the other direction and picked the Wheated as her favorite.
Either way, I'm glad this bottle came home with us.
At $62, seven years old and 104.2 proof, there's plenty here to justify having one on the shelf. The vanilla, pecan, cola and cherry notes also make me think this could produce some absolutely killer whiskey cocktails.
But I'm probably not going to find out anytime soon.
I think I prefer this one neat.
Keep Exploring Unreined
Want to dig a little deeper into Unreined? I've tasted the rest of the core lineup and spent some time exploring WildHorse Ranch.
Unreined Full Proof Bourbon Review
This was my personal favorite of the Unreined lineup. See why the higher-proof version came out on top.
Unreined Bourbon Review
See how the standard 95-proof bourbon compares and where it fits into the lineup.
Unreined Bourbon at WildHorse Ranch Distillery Guide
Thinking about making the trip? Check out my complete guide to visiting Unreined at WildHorse Ranch, including what to expect from the whiskey, tours, food and the overall experience.
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