Distillery

Heaven Hill whiskies

Heaven Hill is one of Kentucky’s great family distilleries, based in Bardstown, the bourbon capital. Since its founding after the end of Prohibition it has been in the hands of the same family, something rare in an industry dominated by big groups. Its stills produce very well-known brands such as Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Larceny and Rittenhouse Rye. It is famous for offering aged, high-strength bourbons at a good price.

Founded
1935
Owner
Origin
Kentucky, United States
In the catalogue
11 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world mapHeaven Hill official website

  • Heaven Hill distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: BourbonNerd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Heaven Hill distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Shadle · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Heaven Hill distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Unknown author Unknown author or not provided · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

11 whiskies

Guide to Heaven Hill

History

The Shapira brothers, Kentucky merchants, founded the company in the mid-1930s together with a master distiller from a family with a long tradition in the trade. Over time Heaven Hill became one of the largest whiskey producers in the United States, and the distilling family stayed linked to the house for generations. In 1996 a fire destroyed its Bardstown distillery and several maturation warehouses. Since then it has distilled at a large Louisville distillery bought at the end of the 1990s, while continuing to mature and bottle in Bardstown.

House style

Heaven Hill works with several recipes: a classic low-rye bourbon, one with wheat instead of rye, smoother and sweeter, and a rye. The general style is rich and sweet, with caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, walnut and spice. Its aged bourbons, such as Elijah Craig, stand out for their oak and body, and its rye for its spice. The house is also known for keeping age statements on some of its affordable brands.

Average flavour profile of its 11 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.3
Fresh fruit
1.5
Ripe and dried fruit
0.9
Floral and herbal
0.6
Cereal and malt
1.6
Vanilla and creamy
2.8
Oak
2.6
Spicy
2.5
Toasted
2.2
Smoky
0.1
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
3.0

Where to start

Evan Williams Black Label is the most affordable way in and a good bourbon for cocktails. Elijah Craig Small Batch adds age and oak, and is one of the most recommended bourbons for value. If you prefer a smooth profile, Larceny contains wheat. For spicier cocktails, Rittenhouse Rye is a classic.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

Explore more