Wheatley
Frankfort, Kentucky
From Buffalo Trace. Two separate grain recipes are each distilled seven times, merged and distilled three more times, then triple filtered. Bottled at 41%, one point above the usual 40%.
- Filtration
- Triple filtration
- Distillations
- 10×
- Grains
- red winter wheat
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 100
- Sugar
- 0g
14.4g ethanol at 41% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓Ten distillations and triple filtration
- ✓No added sugar or additives
What to watch
- !Wheat base
- !41% adds about 2.5% more ethanol per pour than a 40% vodka
Factor by factor
Congeners Very Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Very Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Wheatley is Buffalo Trace’s vodka, a red winter wheat spirit distilled ten times in total. Buffalo Trace publishes the process in full.
At 41% it carries a fraction more ethanol than 40% vodkas, but the congener load is at the floor like every other plain vodka.
Wheatley questions
How many calories are in a shot of Wheatley? ▾
About 100 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 41% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Wheatley have sugar? ▾
No. Wheatley has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Wheatley gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Wheatley is distilled from wheat, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Wheatley made from? ▾
Wheatley is made from red winter wheat, distilled 10 times with triple filtration.
What proof is Wheatley? ▾
Wheatley is 82 proof, which is 41% alcohol by volume.
Does Wheatley give you a bad hangover? ▾
Wheatley scores 2/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 2/10 for vodka overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Wheatley vegan? ▾
Yes. Wheatley is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.