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.
With its legacy dating back to 1935, Heaven Hill, founded by the Shapira family, has long been at the forefront of all things Kentucky whiskey. The large-scale distillery maintains over two million barrels of whiskey aging in more than 70 warehouses in two Kentucky counties, supplying all the needed brown spirit for its multitude of flagship and more niche expressions.
More recently, Heaven Hill has taken what one might describe as a more “craft” view of one new lineup of whiskeys. Now known as Heaven Hill Grain To Glass, the focus here is “the seed,” an idea Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira began thinking about over eight years ago. The result was a partnership with the seed company Beck’s Hybrids – a fellow family-owned and led operation based in Indiana since 1937.
Each year, Heaven Hill’s master distiller Conor O’Driscoll works with Beck’s to select “a unique corn seed varietal that has specific attributes desirable for Heaven Hill Grain to Glass, one of which is choosing seed which is best suited for growth in Central Kentucky.” This seed is then grown by Peterson Farms on one of two sites in Nelson County, one of which is directly across the street from Heaven Hill’s Bardstown facility, and from there, it is cultivated into what goes into the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass mashbills.
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“Over the course of the nearly 90 years, since the founding of Heaven Hill by my Dad and his brothers, we have always been cognizant of viewing our business from the long term, developing products that fit into this broad vision,” said Max Shapira when Grain To Glass was unveiled earlier this year. “Heaven Hill Grain to Glass incorporates everything our long history and heritage brings to our producing what we believe is the most unique, transparent offering that we have brought to market in our entire history. And that is saying a lot.”
The initial launch features three new mash bills, including a bourbon whiskey, wheated bourbon whiskey, and rye whiskey. It was noted that, in general, the bourbons feature mash bills with higher secondary grain content than Heaven Hill’s traditional mash bills. The rye also features a higher rye content than Heaven Hill’s traditional rye whiskey mash bill.
All are bottled in special 700 ml offerings, with the label on each bottle featuring details of the specific corn seed varietal utilized from Beck’s Hybrids, the unique mash bill, and the distillation and release years. Illustrations on the bottles include a blueprint of Bernheim Distillery and custom farming designs.
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What’s in the bottle
The whiskey being reviewed here, Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, has been aged over six years and has a mash bill of 63% rye, 24% corn (Beck’s 6158 being the chosen corn seed variety), and 13% malted barley. It matured in Heaven Hill rick house W3 on the third, fourth, and fifth floors before being bottled without chill filtration at a barrel strength 123.2 proof.
It is priced at $99.99 MSRP and available in limited quantities at select locations across the U.S.
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