Rich oak | Pecan pie | Berry compote | Thin vanilla | Toast

Leather | Tobacco leaf | Honey bun | Oak | Green peppercorn | Faint raspberry & blackberry mix | Candied pecan

Rich oak | White peppercorn spice | Honey candy | Peanut brittle | Short

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 operated companies, much like Heaven Hill itself.

Like the standard Heaven Hill Grain to Glass series, the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series is composed of three whiskeys. This includes the bourbon in review, a straight wheated bourbon, and a rye expression. Unlike the standard versions, the 2025 Specialty Barrel Series is entirely aged in Chinquapin Oak, a distinct species of American white oak native to Central and Eastern North America. These barrels were selected by Heaven Hill’s distilling team in collaboration with Independent Stave Company. Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll states, “these barrels highlight the interplay between grain and oak in a way that elevates the mashbills, allowing each whiskey’s character to shine at barrel proof.”

Heaven Hill emphasizes transparency with their Grain to Glass releases, providing a wealth of specific data for each whiskey. Like the standard 2025 Grain to Glass Bourbon, the corn seed varietal used for this Specialty Barrel Series edition was Beck’s 6225, which is prominently displayed on the front of the bottle. Additionally, the whiskey was aged at Cox’s Creek in rickhouse W5 on floors 3 and 5, which slightly varies from the rickhouses and floors used for the standard edition, which were rickhouses W5 and W6 on floors 3, 4, and 5.

Chinquapin Oak seems to be the hot new aging barrel this fall, as this series comes hot on the heels of Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Sweet Oak Bourbon, and I’m not complaining. Chinquapin Oak tends to add layers of depth, and that is true for this bourbon release. The nose pulls in pleasing scents, while the midpoint explodes with a delicious combination of rich, sweet flavors along with more grounding ones. The finish is on the shorter side, although it still exhibits a nice range of flavors. Overall, this is a strong showing from Heaven Hill and comes in as a more elevated pour versus this year’s standard Grain to Glass Bourbon release.