Castle & Key Small Batch Wheated Bourbon Cask Strength

Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon is a bold, full-bodied Kentucky Straight Bourbon that combines the softer character of wheat with the concentration of an uncut, high-proof whiskey. Aged for 7 years and bottled at 108.2 proof (54.1% ABV), the current release uses Castle & Key’s distinctive wheated mash bill of 73% white corn, 10% wheat, and 17% malted barley. Rich notes of oatmeal raisin cookie, vanilla frosting, baked peach, candied pear, almond pastry, butterscotch, baking chocolate, and roasted walnut create a deeply layered bourbon with impressive texture and a long, warming finish.

Process & Profile

Castle & Key produces this bourbon entirely at its historic distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, where the former Old Taylor Distillery has been restored as the home of the modern Castle & Key operation. The whiskey is distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky, giving the distillery full control over the process from grain through maturation.

The mash bill consists of 73% white corn, 10% wheat, and 17% malted barley. Replacing rye with wheat gives the bourbon a rounder, softer spice profile, while the unusually high proportion of malted barley adds toasted grain, pastry, cereal, and nutty complexity. The same wheated recipe is also used for Castle & Key’s standard Small Batch Wheated Bourbon.

The bourbon spends seven years in new charred American oak barrels, considerably longer than Castle & Key’s standard five-year Small Batch Wheated Bourbon. The additional maturation brings greater concentration of caramelized sugar, dried fruit, nuts, leather, baking spice, and mature oak while preserving the naturally supple character of the wheated recipe.

Unlike the standard release, this expression is bottled at cask strength. The current bottling is 108.2 proof / 54.1% ABV, preserving greater body, richness, and intensity. Because cask-strength releases can vary from batch to batch, earlier versions have appeared at different proofs, including a documented first batch at approximately 105.8 proof.

On the nose, Castle & Key highlights oatmeal raisin cookie, vanilla frosting, baked peach, and candied pear, followed by orange peel, lilac, and soft cinnamon. The combination of fruit, pastry, and floral notes gives the bourbon an unusually expressive aromatic profile for a cask-strength whiskey.

The palate is rich and layered, developing flavors of almond pastry, butterscotch, macaroon, baking chocolate, dried cranberry, and clove. Subtle floral notes remain underneath, while the wheat softens the whiskey’s natural strength and the high malted-barley component contributes additional toasted and confectionary character.

The finish is long and warming, beginning with raw brown sugar and roasted walnut before moving into deeper notes of leather and French toast. Its cask-strength presentation gives the finish considerable persistence without losing the rounded character associated with wheated bourbon.

What makes Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon particularly compelling is the combination of seven years of Kentucky aging, a high-malt wheated mash bill, natural cask-strength bottling, and estate distillation at Castle & Key. Compared with the distillery’s standard wheated bourbon, the extended aging and higher proof amplify the pastry, fruit, chocolate, nut, and mature-oak characteristics while maintaining an approachable wheated texture.

Enjoy it neat after allowing several minutes to open in the glass. Castle & Key also recommends a small splash of water, which can reveal additional fruit, pastry, vanilla, and baking-spice notes while softening the 108.2-proof intensity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon?
It is a 7-year-old Kentucky wheated bourbon distilled, aged, and bottled by Castle & Key Distillery and released at natural cask strength. The current bottling is 108.2 proof / 54.1% ABV.

What are the key specs of Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon?
The current release is aged 7 years, bottled at 108.2 proof / 54.1% ABV, and uses a mash bill of 73% white corn, 10% wheat, and 17% malted barley. It is offered in a 750ml bottle.

What flavors characterize Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon?
Expect oatmeal raisin cookie, vanilla frosting, baked peach, candied pear, orange peel, almond pastry, butterscotch, macaroon, baking chocolate, dried cranberry, clove, brown sugar, roasted walnut, leather, and French toast.

How should you enjoy Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon?
Enjoy it neat to appreciate its full concentration, or add a small amount of water to reveal additional fruit, pastry, vanilla, and spice. A large cube can also gradually soften the whiskey while preserving its rich texture.

What makes Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon special?
Its distinction comes from the combination of seven years of maturation, a wheated 73/10/17 mash bill with an unusually high proportion of malted barley, and full cask-strength bottling. The result is a rich but balanced Kentucky bourbon that combines wheated softness with concentrated fruit, pastry, chocolate, nut, spice, and mature oak character.