Heaven Hill Unveils New Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series
Heaven Hill Distillery recently announced the launch of the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series, an extension of its acclaimed Grain to Glass line. This new series upholds the family-owned distillery's tradition of quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship established in 1935, while exploring the art of barrel selection and maturation.
The 2025 Specialty Barrel Series features three Kentucky whiskeys aged in Chinquapin Oak barrels—Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, and Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Each whiskey has been aged for six years, with barrels meticulously selected by Heaven Hill's distilling team in collaboration with Independent Stave Company. The distinct Chinquapin Oak barrels impart unique flavors, adding a rich and innovative dimension to the classic Grain to Glass recipes.
The core philosophy of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass begins with a single seed, embodying a tribute to tradition, innovation, and partnership. The distillery collaborates annually with Beck’s Hybrids to select corn varieties best suited for Kentucky soil. For the 2025 releases, the chosen corn is Beck’s 6225, grown by Peterson Farms.
Unlike the standard Grain to Glass series, which uses #3 charred White Oak barrels, the Specialty Barrel Series delves deeper into barrel maturation potential. Chinquapin Oak, an American white oak species native to the central and eastern United States, offers high levels of vanillin, contributing notes of crème brûlée, toasted nuts, chocolate, and coffee, creating a full-bodied mouthfeel and a layered finish.
Each expression is distilled at 107 proof, a nod to the historical entry proof used by Heaven Hill's founders, and bottled at proof without chill filtration to preserve the unique flavors derived from the Chinquapin Oak. The series is scheduled to be released starting November 2025.
The Grain to Glass series has recently garnered significant accolades, including Double Gold at the SIP Awards, a Best of Class finalist at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Gold and Best American Rye at the World Whiskies Awards, underscoring Heaven Hill's commitment to exceptional quality, transparency, and family values from seed to sip.
2025-10-31
Source: https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2025/10/heaven-hill-distillery-announces-first-release-of-heaven-hill-grain-to-glass-specialty-barrel-series-american-whiskey-news/