Bourbon

Bourbon Review: Heaven Hill Five Brothers Bourbon

Heaven Hill’s Five Brothers is a tribute to the five Shapira brothers—David, Ed, Gary, George, and Mose—who founded the distillery in 1935.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

This Small Batch Bourbon from Heaven Hill is a tribute to the distillery’s roots, honoring the five Shapira brothers who founded the company. Made with Heaven Hill’s traditional bourbon mashbill, it is aged between five and nine years—each year representing one of the brothers—and bottled at 90 proof. The packaging features a vintage-inspired design, with a black and white photo of the Shapira brothers in their youth on the front label, along with period-style paper labels and a navy and gold tax strip.
Appearance:
Deep maple
Nose:
Lemon sherbet, maple pecan pie, chocolate tart, fresh pine.
Palate:
Maple pancakes, oatmeal, lemon meringue pie, medium bodied with almond brittle taking over the mid palate. Spirit texture is a little bit thin and feels somewhat lacking.
Finish:
Medium in length, dries out and evolves into crushed walnuts and snickers. The herbal character kicks back in at the very tail end and is quite unwanted.
Comments:
Enjoyable and fun for a 90 proof 5-9yo bourbon. The variety of flavours on offer are unique but it just lacks the extra oomph. The spirit weight is verging on thin which leaves me pondering how great this blend would have been at a higher strength.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Owain Phillips

Owain Phillips is a spirits and data specialist for BAXUS and a dedicated vintage spirits enthusiast with a passion for dusty bottles. He spent three years running Australia’s largest whisky auction house, where he honed his expertise. Today, he produces informative articles that help the community understand what they are drinking and why vintage spirits taste the way they do. His primary specialisms are bourbon, rum, and single malt whisky history, with a particular focus on closed distilleries and the ways in which production changes have shaped modern spirits.
Afterwards, he spent three years as a spirits specialist at Australia’s largest whisky auction house. In late 2024, BAXUS approached him for his expertise in vintage spirits. His passion lies in 20th-century bottles, with a strong focus on blended Scotch, American whiskeys, and rum.

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