Heaven Hill Distillery has launched Heaven Hill Phoenix, a limited-edition, one-time 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The release commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 1996 fire at the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky.
On November 7, 1996, lightning is believed to have sparked a fire at the brand’s original Bardstown distillery. The blaze destroyed the 1935 distillery and seven rickhouses, consuming nearly 100,000 barrels of aging bourbon. The loss was later valued at $30 million (£23.5 million), ranking it among the most catastrophic events in American whiskey history.
Despite the scale of the destruction, no lives were lost, and no employees lost their jobs. Heaven Hill’s proprietary yeast strain also survived intact, preserving continuity in the company’s whiskey-making tradition.
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READ THE STORY“The fire brought tremendous loss, but it also showed the resolve of the people who chose to move forward together,” said Max L. Shapira, executive chairman and second-generation family owner of Heaven Hill Distillery. “That same spirit of adaptability and shared purpose continues to guide Heaven Hill today. Phoenix honors the employees, community members and industry partners who refused to let a single night define generations of craftmanship.”
Bottled at 107 proof, the whiskey begins with 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon produced in March 2008 and fully matured in heavy-char barrels.
Within the blend, 30-year-old whiskey distilled at the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is mingled with the heavy-char bourbon. This gives each bottle a connection to the original distillery.
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“Heaven Hill Phoenix balances the mature oak and length of its 30-year-old component with the structure of 18-year-old Bourbon aged in heavy-char oak,” said Conor O’Driscoll, master distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery.
He continued: “The determination that carried us through the fire lives on in Phoenix, bridging that pivotal moment in our past with our ongoing commitment to producing exceptional, ultra-aged whiskeys.”
According to the official notes from the brand, the bourbon opens with polished oak, cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel.
The palate offers butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon and baked apples, balanced by subtle oak tannins. Its finish is warm and long, with notes of sweet apple pie and a peppery spice.
Each bottle is presented in a special-edition 750ml gift carton featuring a phoenix rising from the ashes, bearing the words “Remember. Rebuild. Rise.”
Heaven Hill Phoenix will begin shipping across select markets in October 2026 for a suggested retail price of $325 (£254) per 750ml bottle.
The product will also be available at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, Kentucky.
