Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whiskey from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.
Heaven Hill Distillery is one of the more preeminent American whiskey makers, starting in 1935 and growing today to the point where over 2 million barrels of the brown stuff are aging in more than 60 warehouses spread across two Kentucky counties. They are the parent company to some of the most well-loved American whiskey labels, including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald.
Alongside this large raft of whiskeys sit some other specialized brands that one doesn’t always hear about as much. One of these is the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection. A once-a-year offering that comes out each spring, it is always a highly limited release that focuses on some of the distillery’s oldest inventory of aging whiskey.
“The Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is our opportunity to showcase some of the oldest stock in Heaven Hill’s incredible inventory of aging whiskey,” said Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll recently of this line-up. “We pride ourselves on having the necessary patience to age, taste, re-taste, and select our whiskey at the moment we feel it is perfectly matured.”
It is always challenging to pick an older American whiskey to bring to market without concern that it will be over-oaked. A black mark on an otherwise impressive track record can result if such an expression is released, and it is always something distillery teams who care about quality keep in mind as barrels are sifted through.
What’s in the bottle
With that in mind, the latest release for the Collection is an 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. This 2024 edition features Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Whiskey mash bill, comprised of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye, and is bottled at 120 proof. It comprises 133 barrels produced in December 2005 pulled from the third floor of Rickhouse 1I.
“This 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey epitomizes what consumers have come to expect from the highest quality of Heaven Hill’s releases,” noted O’Driscoll at the time of its release.
With the debut of this bourbon, Heaven Hill emphasized its pride in a generally solid track record of maturing stock management, saying that “along with its innovation-focused counterpart, the Parker’s Heritage Collection, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a testament to Heaven Hill’s patience and ultra-aging techniques. Releases from both collections offer a glimpse into the long-term plan across Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey stock and commitment to quality, craft, and innovation.”
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When it became available in March, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon was priced at $299.99. That dollar amount is a far cry from what it is popping up for in retail and on the secondary market, so good luck finding a bottle at MSRP.
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