Nach den ersten beiden Ausgaben der Grain to Glass Linie von Heaven Hill (wir berichteten jeweils hier und hier) legt die Destillerie aus Kentucky nun mit der Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series nach, in der man sich neben den Aspekten der Regionalität und Nachhaltigkeit (so verwendet man zum Beispiel eine der wenigen nicht genmodifizierten Maissorten in den USA) nun auch der Bedeutung der Fassauswahl und Fassreifungen widmet – hier sind es Vollreifungen in Chinkapin-Eiche.
Drei Abfüllungen werden ab November in den USA erhältlich sein: Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon und Rye. Die detaillierten Mash Bills finden Sie untenstehend, ebenso wie eine genauere Erklärung der Idee hinter dieser Zusatzserie, die wohl nicht nach der ersten Ausgabe enden wird.
Die Presseaussendung ist sich übrigens bei den Angaben der Alkoholstärke nicht ganz einig (in der Auflistung spricht man von 52,5% und 53,5% vol. Alkoholstärke, im Lauftext dann von generell 53,5%):
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
Heaven Hill Distillery Announces First Release of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series
Three unique expressions aged in Chinquapin Oak barrels highlight craft, heritage, and innovation
BARDSTOWN, Ky., Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the inaugural release of the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series, an extension of its acclaimed Grain to Glass line. This new series builds on the tradition of quality, sustainability, and craft that has defined the family-owned distillery since 1935, while showcasing the artistry of barrel selection and maturation.
The 2025 Specialty Barrel Series features three Kentucky Whiskeys—Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, and Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey—each fully aged for six years in Chinquapin Oak barrels hand selected by Heaven Hill’s distilling team in collaboration with Independent Stave Company. These unique barrels impart distinctive characteristics, delivering a rich and innovative dimension to the beloved Grain to Glass mashbills.
Honoring Legacy, Innovation, and Partnership
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass begins with a single seed. Each year, Heaven Hill partners with Beck’s Hybrids, a family-owned seed company in Indiana, to identify a corn varietal ideally suited for Central Kentucky soils. For the 2025 release, Beck’s 6225 was chosen and grown by multi-generational, family-run Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Ky.—just across the road from Heaven Hill’s Bardstown campus.
„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.“
The Influence of Chinquapin Oak
Unlike the Traditional Grain to Glass releases, which are aged in #3 char white oak barrels, the Specialty Barrel Series explores new dimensions of maturation. For this inaugural release, the whiskeys were fully aged in Chinquapin Oak, a distinct species of American white oak native to Central and Eastern North America. Known for its higher vanillin content, Chinquapin Oak imparts butterscotch, crème brûlée, toasted nut, chocolate, and coffee notes, creating a bold mouthfeel and layered finish.
„Selecting Chinquapin Oak for the first Specialty Barrel Series was an exciting opportunity to deepen our exploration of wood and whiskey,“ said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill Master Distiller. „These barrels highlight the interplay between grain and oak in a way that elevates the mashbills, allowing each whiskey’s character to shine at barrel proof.“
Expressions in the 2025 Specialty Barrel Series
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 105 proof
Mashbill: 52% Corn, 35% Rye, 13% Malt - Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey – 105 proof
Mashbill: 52% Corn, 35% Wheat, 13% Malt - Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – 107 proof
Mashbill: 63% Rye, 24% Corn, 13% Malt
Each expression was barreled at 107 proof, honoring the historic entry proof used by Heaven Hill’s founders, and bottled non-chill filtered at selected proofs to preserve the bold, distinctive flavors imparted by the Chinquapin Oak.
The 2025 Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series is an allocated release available nationally beginning in November 2025 in limited quantities at an MSRP of $129.99. Each is offered in a 700ml bespoke bottle proudly embossed with „Family Owned Since 1935.“ The bottle features jewel-toned labels unique to each mashbill, a gold-coin cork insert, and a tax strip calling out the Chinquapin Oak barrels. In keeping with the brand’s focus on transparency, each label also details the corn varietal, mashbill, and distillation and release years, complemented by custom illustrations that nod to Bernheim Distillery and Kentucky’s farming traditions.
