Blue Note Wheated Bourbon 101

Blue Note Wheated Bourbon shines neat or with a single large ice cube to let those honeyed wheat notes and pastry sweetness fully unfold, though it also brings excellent backbone to whiskey sours and old fashioneds when you're looking for something with character. Its creamy toffee and peach profile makes it a natural companion to warmer evenings year-round, pairing beautifully with grilled pork chops, pecan pie, or sharp aged cheddar that can stand up to its 101-proof presence.

Nose: Ripe peach and apricot lead, backed by dark caramel and brown sugar. There's a distinct pastry quality—think pie crust or sweet dough—with cinnamon dusting the edges. As it opens, honeysuckle appears alongside vanilla custard and a hint of toasted grain that keeps things grounded.

Palate: The wheat shows its soft, rounded character immediately. Sticky toffee and graham cracker sweetness come first, followed by hazelnut and more of that pastry note from the nose. There's a pleasant grittiness that adds texture without being harsh. Sweet oak brings vanilla and caramel forward, while baking spices—cinnamon and nutmeg—build steadily. The 101 proof gives it weight and warmth without overwhelming the sweeter elements.

Finish: Medium-long with honey taking center stage. The floral honeysuckle note returns, mixing with residual toffee sweetness and a touch of oak tannin. Gentle heat lingers alongside cinnamon and a faint nuttiness. The wheat's creamy character persists through the fade, leaving a soft, slightly sweet impression rather than a dry, woody one.

Blue Note Wheated Bourbon 101 is distilled in Kentucky using a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted barley, then shipped to Memphis where it's aged just north of downtown at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers. The dramatic seasonal swings—scorching Memphis summers followed by cooler evenings—drive the whiskey deep into the oak and back out again, creating an unusually expressive flavor profile for a wheated bourbon while the spirit remains unfiltered at 101 proof to preserve every bit of that character.

• Blue Note ages its wheated bourbon where the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers collide just north of downtown Memphis, leveraging the city's infamous heat swings—scorching summer days force the whiskey deep into the oak while cooler evenings pull it back out, creating a seasonal rhythm that mirrors the push-and-pull of Memphis blues itself.
• The 21% wheat content in this bourbon's mashbill is unusually high for a non-traditional wheated expression, putting it in rare company alongside cult favorites like Pappy Van Winkle and Maker's Mark—but Blue Note bottles theirs at a bolder 101 proof and leaves it unfiltered, letting the wheat's natural creamy character stand up to the heat rather than hiding behind smoothness.
• While most distilleries chase decades-old age statements, Blue Note's wheated blend proves that Memphis terroir and thoughtful barrel selection can coax out sticky toffee, ripe stone fruit, and honeyed complexity without waiting for the calendar—this is bourbon that prioritizes place and blend craftsmanship over simply watching the clock tick.