Heaven Hill ages whiskeys in Chinquapin barrels
Family-owned Heaven Hill Distillery has launched its first whiskey trio in the Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series, matured in Chinquapin oak barrels.
Specialty Barrel Series, which highlights barrel selection and maturation, is an extension of Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass line.
Each year, the distillery 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 inaugural 2025 release, the distillery used Beck’s 6225 corn from Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Kentucky.
Max Shapira, Heaven Hill executive chairman, said: “Since the founding of Heaven Hill, our family has remained committed to looking at the long term, building products and partnerships meant to endure. The Specialty Barrel Series reflects both innovation and transparency, extending our Grain to Glass vision while honouring the legacy that defines our distillery.”
In contrast to the traditional Grain to Glass releases, which are aged in #3 char white oak barrels, the Specialty Barrel Series aims to explore new dimensions of maturation.
The inaugural trio features Bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskies, each aged for six years in Chinquapin oak barrels specially selected by Heaven Hill’s distilling team in partnership with Independent Stave Company.
The distinct species of American white oak is native to Central and Eastern North America. Known for its higher vanillin content, Chinquapin oak is said to impart butterscotch, crème brûlée, toasted nut, chocolate, and coffee notes.
Master distiller Conor O’Driscoll explained: “Selecting Chinquapin Oak for the first Specialty Barrel Series was an exciting opportunity to deepen our exploration of wood and whiskey. 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.”
The first expression, Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is made with a mashbill of 52% corn, 35% rye, and 13% malt.
In contrast, the wheat whiskey’s recipe follows the same ratio but replaces rye with wheat. Both the Bourbon and wheat expressions are bottled at 50.25% ABV.
Lastly, the Kentucky straight rye is made with 63% rye, 24% corn, and 13% malt mashbill. It sits at 50.34% ABV.
The 2025 series is an allocated release, available in the US in limited quantities starting in November 2025 at an RRP of US$129.99.
Heaven Hill Brands opened its new US$200 million Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, last month.
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