Distillery: Black Frost Distilling—New Ulm, MN
Proof: 92.0 (46.0% ABV)
Age: Undisclosed
Mashbill: 63% Corn, 25% Wheat Malt, 7% Barley Malt, 5% Rye Malt
MSRP: $43
A Bourbon Crafted Grain by Grain
While most bourbon producers blend grains at the mash tun, Black Frost Distilling flips the script. Their Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey is constructed one grain at a time—corn, wheat, rye, and barley are each mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and barreled separately, then blended after maturation to create the final product. It’s a rare method in American whiskey and gives new meaning to the term “blended.”
For Black Frost, this approach is about control and precision. Located in New Ulm, Minnesota, Black Frost aim is a bourbon that’s layered and intentional.
While the whiskey is a wheated bourbon, no doubt the flavors are drawn from the broad grain base. The use of Minnesota-grown oak barrels—known for their tight grain and vanilla-forward extraction—further refines the whiskey.
Black Frost Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 4.5/5
The Nose opens with cracked corn, vanilla cream, and light caramel. There’s a fresh quality—light honey and toasted pecan. Herbal undertones of dried hay, citrus zest and a clean, green edge lift the Nose without feeling sharp. The wheat and oak show up early, keeping the sweetness in the forefront.
Palate – 4.75/5
The Palate opens with wheat toast and buttery cornbread sweetness, quickly followed by vanilla bean and a hint of light cocoa. Soft, smooth, and creamy with just enough gentle spice to give a lift mid-Palate. There is a ton of flavor for the Palate packed into this expression.
Finish – 4/5
The Finish is medium length with toasted oak, subtle baking spice, and a lingering note of black licorice. It wraps up with a light tannic dryness that invites another sip without creating Palate fatigue.
Value – 4.75/5
At $45, this is a strong value. There’s clear craftsmanship here, and the price reflects neither marketing hype nor inflated scarcity. Instead, it reflects the work of a distillery focused on flavor and process over chasing trends.
For enthusiasts who want something different—not in marketing, but in how the whiskey is truly made—this is a rewarding pour.
Black Frost Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey is a quiet disruptor. They don’t seem to chase gimmicks. Instead, it invites the drinker to consider just how much intentionality in grain and process shapes the finished product.
Black Frost Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey Review: The Verdict
Black Frost Wheated Blended Bourbon Whiskey is a quiet disruptor. They don’t seem to chase gimmicks. Instead, it invites the drinker to consider just how much intentionality in grain and process shapes the finished product.
Black Frost’s use of post-aging blending from single-grain distillates is uncommon in bourbon, and the results speak for themselves: balanced, nuanced, and a Palate packed full of flavor.
For enthusiasts who want something different—not in marketing, but in how the whiskey is truly made—this is a rewarding pour.
Verdict – 4.5/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Mike Long is a staff writer at Bourbon Inspector and has an Executive Bourbon Steward designation from the Stave and Thief Society. He’s a former “wine guy” who discovered his love for bourbon years back at a spur-of-the-moment bourbon tasting he attended. He also loves traveling throughout America with his wife of over 37 years, Debby.
