Heaven Hill Distillery | Making America's Whiskey

Making America's Whiskey

Heaven Hill has been perfecting the craft of distilling, aging and selecting award-winning whiskeys for decades. See how it's done.

The Distillation Process

From grain to glass, discover what it takes to make American Whiskey.

Step 1: The Grain

We work with the same local farms we’ve had relationships with for decades to select our corn. The corn, malted barley, rye, and wheat are then milled and combined according to our recipe, also known as a "mashbill". These ingredients eventually become the whiskey you know and enjoy.

Step 2: The Sour Mash

The milled grains are cooked in small, 35 barrel batches with Kentucky limestone water, in a specified order and at exact temperatures, to create a sweet, porridge-like “mash”. A portion of the prior day's distillate is then added to both the mash cooker and the fermenter. This helps maintain continuity of flavor that’s unique to each of our whiskeys.
Explore the styles of American Whiskey »

Step 3: The Fermentation

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Our proprietary yeast strain, a family recipe that’s been passed down for seven generations and used since our founding in 1935, is added to the cooked mash, where the sugars naturally convert into alcohol. Over several days, the fermenting mash bubbles violently, creating a thick liquid called, "Distiller's Beer."

Step 4: The Distillation

In our 70-foot-tall column stills, the Distiller's Beer drips slowly down a series of perforated copper plates while steam blasts up from the bottom. The alcohol vapors rise to the tops, where they're captured and then condensed.

Step 5: The Aging Process

At 140 Proof the alcohol vapors rise up into the head of the still where they're drawn off into an arm and then to a coil. The coil is submerged in cool water, which liquefies the alcohol again. The result is the purified, raw whiskey, also known as "white dog" or "new make"

Step 6: The Whiskey

Next up is the waiting game. The whiskey is transferred to a barrel and sealed with a "bung." We source all of our barrels from family-owned cooperages we've worked with for generations. The newly filled barrels are then placed in open-rick warehouses to naturally age. It's during the aging process, when the barrels experience the hot summers and cold winters of Kentucky, that the whiskey acquires its distinctive color, aroma and taste, imparted by the charred oak barrel.

Step 7: Aging

The barrels are aged anywhere from 4 to 23+ years in our Kentucky rickhouses and then expertly combined to create the signature taste profiles of each and every brand. Each batch is created under the attention of our Distillers, who ensure quality and consistency.

Step 2: The Sour Mash

Step 4: The Distillation

Step 6: The Whiskey

A Complete Collection of America’s Whiskeys

Did you know that Heaven Hill Distillery is the only heritage distiller that features every major category of American Whiskey? From multiple mashbills to storied brands, from Small Batch specialties to limited-edition collections, our Distillers keep the American Whiskey-making tradition alive for all to enjoy.

A Complete Collection of America’s Whiskeys

Did you know that Heaven Hill Distillery is the only heritage distiller that features every major category of American Whiskey? From multiple mashbills to storied brands, from Small Batch specialties to limited-edition collections, our Master Distillers keep the American whiskey-making tradition alive for all to enjoy.

American Whiskey Styles

Heaven Hill Distillery offers a collection that features every major style of
American Whiskey, and is the only major American distiller that can claim that.

Corn

Whiskey

Rye

Whiskey

Wheat

Whiskey

Malt

Whiskey

Bourbon

Wheated
Bourbon

Corn Whiskey

The requirements for Corn whiskey, distilled from a mash of at least 80% corn, are unlike any other straight whiskey. While Corn whiskeys do not have an age requirement, if aged it must be done in one of two ways: either in a used, charred oak barrel (such as those previously used for our other whiskeys), or a new oak barrel that has never been charred. Heaven Hill Distillery is the sole remaining national producer of this unique whiskey.

80% Corn 12% Malted Barley 8% Rye

Rye Whiskey

The distillation process for Rye whiskey is similar to Bourbon, but the mash must be 51% rye. The sweet, spicy taste and distinctive character of this style of whiskey earn consistently high praise from critics and connoisseurs alike.

51% Rye 35% Corn 14% Malted Barley

Wheat Whiskey

Wheat whiskey is the first new style of American Whiskey since Prohibition, and was developed by Heaven Hill Distillery’s own Master Distillers. To qualify as Wheat whiskey, the product must be at least 51% wheat. Heaven Hill Distillery uses soft winter wheat, making for a smoother tasting whiskey and an enjoyable sipping experience.

51% Wheat 37% Corn 12% Malted Barley

Malt Whiskey

Malt whiskey is a whiskey made from a fermented mash, produced mostly from a malted grain, most often barley. The ABV for a Malt whiskey cannot exceed 80% and must be stored for aging in new charred oak barrels at less than 62.5% ABV.

65% Malted Barley 35% Corn

Bourbon

All straight Bourbon whiskey must be distilled from a mash that includes no less than 51% corn. It should be distilled at no more than 160 proof, barrelled at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at no less than 80 proof. Straight Bourbon whiskey must age for at least two years in charred white oak barrels, and unlike other spirits, distillers can’t add coloring, or blending agents to straight whiskey, making the process of creating great Bourbon a true craft.

78% Corn 12% Malted Barley 10% Rye

Wheated Bourbon

Most Bourbons are made with a minimum of 51% corn in the mashbill, plus malted barley and rye in lesser percentages. But in Wheated Bourbon whiskey, wheat is substituted for the traditional rye, creating a rounder, less spicy Bourbon.

68% Corn 20% Wheat 12% Malted Barley

American Whiskey Types

Heaven Hill Distillery is a proud distiller of American Whiskeys that range from
Bottled-in-Bond to Small Batch and Single Barrel. Discover your favorites.

Bottled-
in-Bond

Small
Batch

Vintage
Dated

Barrel
Proof

Single
Barrel

Bottled-in-Bond

To be labeled as Bottled-in-Bond, a whiskey must be the product of one distillery and distilled during just one distillation season, which can run from January-June or July-December. These whiskeys must be aged for at least four years, and bottled at exactly 100 Proof, for a strong, signature flavor. Additionally, the D.S.P., or Distilled Spirits Plant numbers of both the production and bottling facilities must be stated on the label.

Small Batch

Heaven Hill Distillery has been producing Small Batch Bourbons since before the term was even invented. Our Master Distillers select 200 barrels or less from specific locations in the rickhouse and mingle only limited quantities that have matured to their exact specifications.

Vintage Dated

Vintage Dated whiskey reflect the same year-to-year distinctions as a fine vintage wine. Only a limited number of whiskey barrels from the same year are selected by the Master Distillers. They are then bottled to preserve the unique flavors and aromas of that single moment in time.

Barrel Proof

Straight from the barrel to the bottle to your glass. While barrelled at 125 the proof this whiskey can sometimes rise to over 140 proof, due to the heat and evaporation throughout the aging process. This uncut Bourbon is usually about 62.5% ABV or higher, and preserves all the rich, natural flavors of the aging process, without compromise.

Single Barrel

To be selected for Single Barrel Bourbon, barrels must surpass the expectations of our Master Distillers’ refined palates. There’s no combining of whiskeys here. Each unique barrel selected is bottled individually for an exquisite taste experience.

Whiskey and Water:

Water’s Journey through
the Bourbon Making Process

For something that tastes so rich and complex, Bourbon is made of surprisingly
few ingredients. All of that bold, dynamic flavor comes simply from grain, yeast,
time spent in a charred oak barrel and...water. Kentucky’s famed limestone water plays a major role at every step of our
production process. It not only contributes to flavor, but
aids in fermentation and helps get the most of those humble ingredients. Learn all the ways that water contributes to creating the highest quality Bourbon:

Discover the Importance of Water

Discover our American Whiskey

Discover our entire American Whiskey portfolio that's been Lifting Spirits since 1935.

LEARN MORE

Show us some ID and we’ll show you some great whiskey.

The Distillation Process

Step 1: The Grain

Step 2: The Sour Mash

Step 3: The Fermentation

Step 4: The Distillation

Step 5: The Aging Process

Step 6: The Whiskey

Step 7: Aging

Step 2: The Sour Mash

Step 4: The Distillation

Step 6: The Whiskey

A Complete Collection of America’s Whiskeys

A Complete Collection of America’s Whiskeys

American Whiskey Styles

Corn

Whiskey

Rye

Whiskey

Wheat

Whiskey

Malt

Whiskey

Bourbon

Wheated Bourbon

Corn Whiskey

80% Corn 12% Malted Barley 8% Rye

Rye Whiskey

51% Rye 35% Corn 14% Malted Barley

Wheat Whiskey

51% Wheat 37% Corn 12% Malted Barley

Malt Whiskey

65% Malted Barley 35% Corn

Bourbon

78% Corn 12% Malted Barley 10% Rye

Wheated Bourbon

68% Corn 20% Wheat 12% Malted Barley

American Whiskey Types

Bottled-in-Bond

SmallBatch

VintageDated

BarrelProof

SingleBarrel

Bottled-in-Bond

Small Batch

Vintage Dated

Barrel Proof

Single Barrel

Whiskey and Water:

Water’s Journey through the Bourbon Making Process

Discover our American Whiskey

Join the Bourbon conversation

Wheated
Bourbon

Bottled-
in-Bond

Small
Batch

Vintage
Dated

Barrel
Proof

Single
Barrel

Water’s Journey through
the Bourbon Making Process