Castle & Key Wheated Cask Strength is a 7-year-old, unfiltered Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at barrel proof, and the distillery's oldest age-stated bourbon to date. This batch is 105.8 proof (52.9% ABV).
Castle & Key operates in the restored Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, a landmark built by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. in 1887 and one of the most architecturally stunning distillery sites in America, with castle-like stone buildings and formal gardens. Its wheated bourbon uses an unconventional mash bill of 73% white corn, 10% white winter wheat and 17% malted barley, made with a sweet mash process.
Swapping traditional red wheat for white winter wheat and keeping a high share of malted barley highlights a deep, bakery-like pastry sweetness and yeast character rather than aggressive oak or candy notes. Expect caramel, vanilla and warm oak on the nose, a full-bodied palate where wheated sweetness and caramel meet warming oak spice, and a long, warming finish. It earned Double Platinum at the 2025 ASCOT Awards.
A milestone release from a beautiful distillery, it makes a fine gift for wheated bourbon fans.
Bourbon must be made in the United States from a mash of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak containers, and straight bourbon must be aged at least two years. Those rules give bourbon its characteristic sweetness, with caramel and vanilla drawn from the charred barrels.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Caramel, vanilla and warm oak.
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Palate: Pastry-like wheated sweetness, caramel and oak spice.
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Finish: Long and warming.
Specifications
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Producer: Castle & Key Distillery
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Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon, wheated, cask strength, unfiltered
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Mash Bill: 73% white corn, 10% white winter wheat, 17% malted barley
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Age: 7 years
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Proof / ABV: 105.8 proof (52.9% ABV)
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Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, United States
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Sip it neat, then add a few drops of water. It pairs with pecan pie, croissant bread pudding or a cigar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mash bill?
73% white corn, 10% white winter wheat and 17% malted barley.
How old is it?
Seven years, the distillery's oldest age-stated bourbon to date.
Where is it made?
At the restored Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Explore more in our Bourbon collection.
