Updated March 2026.
“Wheated bourbon” is not a TTB class. The bottle is still bourbon under mash at least 51% corn, new charred oak, bottled at ≥80 proof. Wheat replaces rye as the flavoring grain. Maker’s Mark flagship is 90 proof / 45%. Weller Special Reserve is 90 / 45% on the Buffalo Trace page. Heaven Hill’s Larceny page prints 92 proof. A 1.5-ounce 45% pour is 1.13 drinks. This is not a 2023 top-15 tasting.
Percentages are usually unpublished. Allocation is not a quality score. Related: Weller vs Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, who makes Weller.
What “wheated” actually means
| Reading tool | What it is | Typical US proof |
|---|---|---|
| TTB class | Bourbon / straight bourbon | ≥80 |
| Wheated | Wheat as flavoring grain — not a legal type | Label |
| Maker’s Mark | Wheated; 90 proof on-brand | 90 / 45% |
| Weller Special Reserve | Wheated mash on BT page | 90 / 45% |
| Larceny | Heaven Hill wheat recipe | 92 / 46% |
A 750 mL 45% bottle is about 19 drinks. Four 90-proof pours are about 4.5 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. No invented mash-bill percentages or 2026 MSRP. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 (bourbon). Wheat is a recipe choice, not a standard of identity.
- Weller Special Reserve 90 / 45% wheated mash; Larceny 92 Proof (Heaven Hill page fetched). Maker’s Mark 90 prior brand page.
- NIAAA December 2025. No ranking, poll, or MSRP.