Fred Minnick reported on Wednesday that the whiskey icon behind major brands like Elijah Craig unveiled Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity. The limited release honors Heaven Hill’s new distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. The blend of bourbons features one component sourced from the last barrel distilled at the brand’s Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. A devastating fire burnt the property to the ground in 1991.
Just 4,000 bottles exist of this release, and it features a suggested price of $225. The bourbon’s origins stem from Heaven Hill’s traditional mashbill with 78%. corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye. It clocks in at 107 proof.
Yet perhaps the most interesting aspect regarding Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity involves the person behind the liquid. Parker Beam himself distilled the heart of this blend at the Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. The 34-year-old component is joined by a 13-year-old, 8-year-old and 6-year-old bourbon made at Bernheim Distillery by Beam and Master Distiller Denny Potter. Heaven Hill’s current Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll also had a hand in the blend.
“This release represents both a tribute to our past and a toast to our future,” O’Driscoll said in a statement. “By uniting the last available barrel from Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery with carefully chosen selections produced at Bernheim Distillery, we are weaving together generations of dedication, artistry and vision. It is a rare opportunity to share a Bourbon that tells the story of where we’ve been, while also celebrating where we are going. Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity is not just a bottle — it’s a living legacy, a bridge between our past and present created to mark one of the most important milestones in Heaven Hill’s journey and in the broader Bourbon industry.”
Journalists for The Courier Journal managed to snag a peek at Heaven Hill’s distillery in Bardstown on Sept. 4 during its grand opening, which timed out with Bourbon Heritage Month.
“Bardstown is the heart of Heaven Hill, and today that heartbeat is beating faster and stronger than ever,” said Director of Kentucky Experiences at Heaven Hill Distillery Jeff Crowe during the grand opening.
The facilities cost $200 million to complete, and the first barrel was filled in April. The outlet reports that Heaven Hill invested more money than any other company in Bardstown.
“The bourbon industry has had an amazing renaissance over the past two decades, and there is so much love for this industry and this category,” Heaven Hill Co-President Kate Latts said in a statement. “We are well-positioned. Heaven Hill is a 90-year-old company, and we’re investing here for the next 90 years.”
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