Earlier this year, Heaven Hill dropped three unique expressions that take a step away from the distillery\u2019s existing product line \u2014 with new mashbills and an approach that focuses foremost on the underlying grains. The launch of the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass series includes three Kentucky whiskeys (at least to start), including a straight (rye-heavy) bourbon, wheated bourbon, and rye \u2014 all over 6 years old. (All three of these samples were distilled in 2017, so they may be up to 7 years old.)<\/p>\n Let\u2019s allow Heaven Hill to give us the deets:<\/p>\n The craft nature of this unique line of Whiskeys starts at the very beginning \u2013 the seed. The idea for the line began over 8 years ago as the brainchild of Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira. Max\u2019s passion for quality and transparency in whiskey-making lead to a partnership with seed company Beck\u2019s Hybrids \u2013 a fellow family-owned and lead operation based in Indiana since 1937. Each year, our Master Distiller works with Beck\u2019s Hybrids to hand select a unique corn seed varietal that has specific attributes desirable for Heaven Hill Grain to Glass, one of which is choosing seed which is best suited for growth in Central Kentucky. The chosen corn seed varietal is then grown by Peterson Farms on one of two sites in Nelson County, one of which is directly across the street from Heaven Hill\u2019s Bardstown facility. Peterson Farms, a multi-generational family farming company, has been entrusted to take the corn seed varietal and cultivate it into healthy grain that goes into the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass mashbills. Since its founding in 1935, Heaven Hill has prided itself on crafting the highest quality Kentucky Whiskeys. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass honors this legacy and the cherished partnerships which were built on handshakes, not contracts.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the course of the nearly 90 years, since the founding of Heaven Hill by my Dad and his brothers, we have always been cognizant of viewing our business from the long term, developing products that fit into this broad vision,\u201d said Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira. \u201cHeaven Hill Grain to Glass incorporates everything our long history and heritage brings to our producing what we believe is the most unique, transparent offering that we have brought to market in our entire history. And that is saying a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bourbon and Wheated Bourbon Whiskeys feature mashbills with higher secondary grain content than Heaven Hill\u2019s traditional Bourbon mashbill and Wheated Bourbon mashbill. Bottled at 107 proof, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey expression is comprised of 52% corn, 35% rye and 13% malted barley. Bottled at 121 proof, the Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey expression is made with 52% corn, 35% wheat and 13% malted barley. The Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey expression is bottled at 123.2, the only barrel proof expression of the series. It also features a higher rye content than Heaven Hill\u2019s traditional Rye Whiskey mashbill consisting of 63% rye, 24% corn and 13% malted barley. The distillates have been aged over six years at Heaven Hill\u2019s Cox\u2019s Creek rickhouse site. Each product is non-chill filtered and bottled at the ideal proof to allow the characteristics of each unique mashbill to shine.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking with Beck\u2019s and Peterson Farms to create Grain to Glass has been an incredible experience,\u201d said Master Distiller Conor O\u2019Driscoll. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to have crafted an innovative product \u2013 taking it from seed to aged liquid \u2013 while still remaining true to the values and legacy of Heaven Hill Distillery.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Well, I\u2019m excited. Let\u2019s see how all that pans out.<\/p>\n This review was last updated in 2025 with the addition of the second edition of Grain to Glass Bourbon. (Wheated bourbon and rye were not reissued.)<\/p>\n 52% corn (Beck\u2019s 6158 varietal), 35% rye, 13% malted barley. Aged 6 years in rickhouse W3 on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors. Quite toasty and oaky, with aromatic overtones of roasted grains, mixed fresh herbs (particularly rosemary), and red apple skins. Some nutty walnut shell elements arise with time in glass, along with a substantial tobacco leaf quality. Quite hearty on the palate, with a substantial peanut quality mixing with apple and spice notes \u2014 almost like applesauce. The oak remains strong here, as does the rye influence, eventually giving the whiskey an intensely grassy quality and an herbal pop. There\u2019s plenty of lingering peanut butter pushing well into the finish, along with a healthy grind of black pepper and a reprise of clove-heavy baking spice. Very much a frontier-style whiskey that lets the grain do the talking. 107 proof. B \/ $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n Similar approach, with the same mash of 52% corn, 35% rye and 13% malt, but the corn seed is varietal Beck\u2019s 6225. Still 6 years old, aged at the Cox\u2019s Creek rickhouse. Note that proof is down 2 ticks to 105.\u00a0Quite corn-heavy and toasty on the nose, with ample barrel char evident, followed by notes of rosemary and mint. Time in glass really gets the green herbal notes going, and soon enough they overtake everything else. The palate is sweet and earnest \u2014 Corn Pops with honey, a touch of charry burnt marshmallow and a fruitiness that takes its time to build \u2014 cinnamon spiced apples, then cherry jam, with a solid caramel punch on the back end, ringed with milk chocolate. Ample char informs the finish, adding a bit of grit to what is otherwise a pretty rockin\u2019 whiskey \u2014 and one which, aside from a few similarities, doesn\u2019t really resemble the rocky 1st Edition much at all. Namely lacking is that big peanut punch in the 2024 version, and the bold cereal qualities in the first edition are decidedly tempered here. Is it the corn varietal? The rickhouse? The barrel picks? I got nothing, but I would suggest picking this up if you have the 1st Edition on hand (sadly, I don\u2019t) to do a side by side comparison. 105 proof.\u00a0A- \/ $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n 52% corn, 35% wheat, 13% malted barley. Quite a different animal, and immediately much more approachable and enticing. The nose features muted spices against an immersive backdrop of honey butter, fresh-cut grass, and cracked black pepper. Increasingly nutty as the whiskey develops in glass, but wholly lacking any overt oakiness. The palate is sweet and, again, loaded with peanut butter and honey notes, with any sense of wood all but hidden away. A light layer of baking spice lingers over a gentle top-note of toasted marshmallow, as a warming heat soothes the throat, evoking notes of hot cocoa. Just a touch of char on the finish. This isn\u2019t a particularly complex bourbon, but it\u2019s a delightful choice for cocktailing \u2014 or for deep-diving into what wheated bourbon is all about. I\u2019m not alone here, as this is the only whiskey in the collection that is seeing its price being driven up. 121 proof. A- \/ $150 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n 63% rye, 24% corn, 13% malted barley. Take the pungency of the straight bourbon above and double it, and you\u2019re in the realm of this rye. The nose is a pushy powerhouse, intensely herbal and peppery, like walking through a field of just-cut green grass \u2014 backed up by a lumberyard that\u2019s been lightly torched around the edges. No surprises on the palate: The impact of the rye is heavy and immediate, and all-encompassing. Many of the bourbon\u2019s same flavor elements appear here but in variations, most of them scorching on the tongue: Rosemary and thyme, burnt pie crust, heavily browned butter, and just a ton of cloves and black pepper to close things out. While the bourbon hints at fruit elements, the rye does not, tamping them down into near-oblivion. It\u2019s as aggressive a rye as you\u2019ll encounter around these parts \u2014 and if the idea was to let the grain do all the talking, that has succeeded admirably. 123.2 proof. B \/ $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Review:](\"https:\/\/www.drinkhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/heaven-hill-GTG_1360.jpg\")
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Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Straight Bourbon 1st Edition (2024) Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Straight Bourbon 2nd Edition (2025) Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n