Sweet popcorn | White peach | Light grain | White peppercorn | Faint oak | Touch of ethanol

Rye spice | Hot cross buns | Mixed peppercorn spice | Tannic oak | Light brown sugar

Bold rye spice | Leather | Dry oak | Green peppercorn spice | Light grain | Lingering dry spice

Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira created the idea of Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass series in the mid-2010s. The concept revolves around the company working with Beck’s Hybrids in Indiana 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.” From there, Heaven Hill works with Peterson Farms to grow the corn on one of two sites in Nelson County, Kentucky. Of note, both Beck’s Hybrids and Peterson Farms are also family-owned and lead companies, much like Heaven Hill itself.

The first edition of the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass series is composed of three whiskeys. This includes the straight bourbon in review, along with a wheated bourbon and a rye expression. For the standard bourbon, the company states the whiskey was distilled in 2017, aged for just over 6 years, and released in 2024. Heaven Hill emphasizes transparency for this release and provides a lot of specific data for each whiskey. The corn seed varietal used for this edition was Beck’s 6158, which is prominently displayed on the front of the bottle. Additionally, the whiskey was aged at Cox’s Creek in rickhouse W3, floors 3, 4, and 5.

There’s no missing the incredibly high rye content in Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Bourbon, as its influence is great throughout the sip. An interesting and pleasing aroma kicks things off with scents of sweet popcorn, white peach, and light grain along with a whiff of ethanol. The midpoint ramps up the spice factor almost to an unbalanced effect, with rye spice and mixed peppercorn spice leading the pack, while other sweet flavors and a tannic oak flavor float up. Rye spice bursts forward in the finish, and is joined by dry notes of oak and leather, which turn into a lingering dry spice to wrap things up.

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Bourbon is an interesting whiskey. Its high rye content has a clear influence on the overall sip, and in the end, will be what most consumers remember most about this whiskey versus the corn varietal used. It’s a fun exploration of a grain-to-glass concept from a large distillery, similar to what many craft estate distilleries, such as Hillrock and Frey Ranch, have been doing from their start. The price is undoubtedly high, and this will be a bourbon that best serves as a comparison to future versions over the years. However, for whiskey fans who are fond of tracking experimental series like this, it serves as the perfect foundation.