Introducing our newest line of Whiskeys—starting with the seed

At Heaven Hill Distillery, we’ve been crafting quality Whiskeys for almost 90 years; the care and craft we put into every bottle we produce is in our DNA. In 2017, our then President Max Shapira had the idea to take this dedication to quality one step further—starting with the seed. We’re excited to introduce the result with our newest line of Whiskeys: Heaven Hill Grain to Glass.

Our first annual release contains three Whiskeys: a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey and a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Each of these expressions features a unique mashbill different from Heaven Hill Distillery’s traditional mashbills.

HIGH QUALITY. FULL TRANSPARENCY.

We’ve always been committed to transparency. With this new line, we’re pulling back the curtain to give fans an even more in-depth look at where their Whiskey comes from—and we’re putting all of that information right on the label for a never-before-seen level of transparency. Each bottle of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass bears a label that shares in-depth information about the liquid inside, right down to the corn seed varietal used.

IT STARTS WITH THE SEED.

In order to craft these Whiskeys, we had to go back to the beginning: the seed. We knew we wanted a resilient, strong corn seed that would thrive in our Kentucky soil, so we turned to the expertise of Beck’s Hybrids, a family-owned company based out of Atlanta, Indiana. Their team, along with our master distiller, carefully evaluated different corn seed varietals, or hybrids, choosing ones with the most desirable qualities. They crossed these plants over the course of several years, ultimately creating a special corn seed varietal designed to give us the highest quality Whiskey.

“My grandfather and dad started the hybrid seed corn business. And now, as we continue to breed for better hybrids, we also learn what kinds of hybrids work best for making Whiskey. The most important thing is a healthy seed. A good healthy corn makes good Bourbon,” says the CEO of Beck’s Hybrids, Sonny Beck.

For our first release of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass, we chose the Beck’s 6158 corn seed varietal, which was selected for characteristics such as its high starch content and high productivity in the soils of Central Kentucky. The specific seed will change annually with every new release, and the chosen varietal will always be displayed on the label of every bottle.

GROWING THE GRAIN.

Once we had selected the corn seed varietal with our partners at Beck’s Hybrids, we knew we needed to find the right farming partner to bring the grain to life. Peterson Farms in Loretto, Kentucky is another family-owned business that’s well-known in the Whiskey industry for producing high-quality grains and pioneering sustainable farming practices. Exceptional grains come from passionate farmers, so we knew they were the perfect partner to bring our corn seed varietal to life—right in our own backyard.

The corn for these expressions was grown on a field directly across the street from our rickhouses in Bardstown. Using locally-grown crops and keeping the soil healthy are crucial to both our sustainability initiatives and those of Peterson Farms. “Our goal is to get better, environmentally, as we go forward,” says Bernard Peterson, partner at Peterson Farms. “Better in production, more efficient. And as a family-owned business, we want to provide an opportunity for generations. If we don’t preserve the land, there is no future for the generations to come.”

CRAFTING THE WHISKEY.

After the grain was harvested and distilled, it aged in a traditional, level three char barrel in one of our rickhouses for just over six years. Our master distiller then determined the proof for each mashbill that best highlighted the flavor of the grain, resulting in truly premium Whiskeys.

For the 2024 first annual release, the Whiskeys were distilled in 2017 and aged on the third, fourth and fifth levels of rickhouse W3 at our Cox’s Creek site. Both the distillation year and the release year are proudly shown on every label.

BUILT ON HANDSHAKES, NOT CONTRACTS.

For Heaven Hill Grain to Glass, we partnered with two like-minded companies that share our commitment to quality and a passion that’s been passed down for generations.

“It’s part of our core culture,” Max Shapira says. “We believe in working together to win. If these companies hadn’t had that same mindset, this Whiskey wouldn’t have come to fruition. So we’ve sourced the corn from Beck’s, the growing from Peterson Farms. Both family owned, family led, passionate, extraordinarily focused. High on quality, along with ourselves, the third partner. That’s the magic that makes the Whiskey.”

“It speaks to the sense of community in the Bourbon industry,” Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll says of the partnership between these businesses. “We make our products to be enjoyed with friends. And who better than the guy growing the grain for you? Or sourcing the seed?”

INTRODUCING THE FIRST ANNUAL RELEASE.

Each Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Whiskey is non-chill filtered and features a unique mashbill as follows.

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 35% rye, 52% corn and 13% malt.
• Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey: 35% wheat, 52% corn and 13% malt.
• Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey: 24% corn, 63% rye and 13% malt.

QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED.

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass will be available in 700ml bottles for $99.99 MSRP. These Whiskeys will be available in limited quantities at select locations across the U.S.