Bourbon Lore x Heaven Hill Whiskeys
Since its earliest days in the years following Prohibition, Heaven Hill has built a reputation for making some of the best, most iconic whiskey in America – whiskey that today ranks among the rarest and most collectible. During the Bourbon Lore x Heaven Hill weekend, we’ll be opening a few of our favorites.
Among them will be one of our all-time favorites, the Rittenhouse 25-year-old rye. This is not only an amazing whiskey; it also has one of the best backstories: Distilled in 1984, it sat forgotten for decades in a rickhouse, until a Heaven Hill warehouse manager discovered it – and realized it was practically the perfect whiskey. The distillery then released it at progressively higher ages, with the 25-year-old as the pinnacle.
Another story about Heaven Hill is the terrible fire that destroyed much of its Bardstown distilling campus in 1996. Heaven Hill rebuilt itself, but so-called “pre-fire” whiskey – like the Evan Williams 23-year-old bourbon we’ll be pouring – has a unique character, and has assumed a legendary status among bourbon connoisseurs.
A sentimental favorite is “Promise of Hope,” a bourbon released as part of the Parker’s Heritage Collection created by Parker Beam, Heaven Hill’s late master distiller. Beam spent months tasting barrels to find one that fulfilled his idea of the perfect bourbon – and this single-barrel bottle is the result. It is also the first bottle released after Beam announced he had ALS, and a portion of its proceeds, and all subsequent PHC releases, has gone to ALS research.
Drawing from Heaven Hill’s oldest whiskey stocks, the Heritage Collection shines a spotlight on the distillery’s ability to age whiskey gracefully, revealing complex aromas and flavors that can only emerge after years of careful barrel tending. The 2024 release is a case in point: At 18 years old and 120 proof, it packs a punch, yet offers rich and nuanced notes that you won’t find in any other well-aged bourbon.
Finally, Old Fitzgerald is one of the oldest whiskey names in America, and today Heaven Hill makes it in very small batches, released twice a year at different ages. Occasionally, a batch will shine so brightly that Heaven Hill bottles it with a red label and sells it exclusively in its gift shops. We’ll be opening the latest, released in 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of Heaven Hill acquiring the brand. Officially, it’s 13 years old – but it was actually distilled in 1999, barrel aged until 2012, then set aside for a special occasion. And what better occasion than the Bourbon Lore x Heaven Hill weekend?
Clay Risen, Co-Founder + Editorial Director
