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Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Bourbon Review

What happens when bourbon meets rare Chinquapin Oak instead of traditional white oak? Heaven Hill's bold experiment delivers cinnamon toast crunch in a glass.

OVERALL RATING

9
$130
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Heaven Hill Distillery announced the inaugural release of its Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series, an extension of its existing Grain to Glass line. The new series will debut in November 2025 with three 7-year-old Kentucky whiskeys fully aged in Chinquapin Oak barrels.

The collection includes three whiskies aged for at least 7 years. A Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, and a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. The barrels were hand-selected by Heaven Hill’s distilling team in partnership with Independent Stave Company.

This release continues the brand’s focus on agricultural transparency, using a specific corn varietal, Beck’s 6225, grown by Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Kentucky. “Since the founding of Heaven Hill, our family has remained committed to looking at the long term, building products and partnerships meant to endure,” said Max Shapira, Heaven Hill executive chairman. “The Specialty Barrel Series reflects both innovation and transparency, extending our Grain to Glass vision while honoring the legacy that defines our distillery.”

Unlike the core Grain to Glass whiskeys, which are aged in #3 char white oak, this series explores maturation in Chinquapin Oak. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® highlights the distillery’s commitment to family and quality by partnering with two family-owned businesses, and taking quality and transparency one step further – starting with the seed.

Vital Stats:
Distillation Year – 2018
Release – October 2025
Bottling Proof – 105
Barrel Entry Proof – 107
Corn Seed – Beck’s 6225
Rickhouse Site – Cox’s Creek
Rickhouse – W5
Floor – 3 & 5
Appearance:
Mahogany with quick thin legs.
Nose:
This nose is just warm and inviting! Lovely oak, with caramel sugars, soft corn grain, muffins. To put the notes all together it is almost reminiscent of cinnamon toast crunch. Just a nice happy smell in a glass.
Palate:
This opens up quickly with a pop of char and well aged oak before evolving into browned sugars, vanilla, and custard. There is a chocolate mousse note intermingled that really wants you to sink your teeth. The later half of the palate gives rise to light cigar wrapper and almond extract. It is sweet with just enough depth of flavor to keep it interesting.
Finish:
Light mouthfeel with a medium to short hold, which surprised me. Very clean finish highlighted by custard and white sugar, and lingering barrel char. Similar to burnt creme brulee topping. There is a nice warmth in the mid throat after a nice “chew”.
Comments:
Sharp start with the drink, but a beautiful mellowing action as it evolves and opens up on the tongue. Just a great dram of whiskey. To me, this is what bourbon is all about; it is sweet where it needs to be and complex where it matters. There are moments of this being a bit free and unrestrained with other moments during the sip of exemplifying complex taste and refinement. My only critique is that I want it to be a bit more mature than ~7 years. If it could hit closer to that Goldilocks zone of around 12 years, I think the notes would really sing.

I’d pull this one back and hold onto it for people who enjoy a good glass of bourbon. Those who want something that really shows off the varietal, but also might not be impossible to find in a liquor store. Raise a glass, you won’t regret it.

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.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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