Bold rye spice | Vanilla | Herbal undertone | Grassy essence

Baking spices | Herbal | Oak tannins | Leather | Earthy undertone | Rich

Rye spice | Charred oak | Leather | Tapering earthiness | Vanilla custard on the backend

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 rye in review, a wheated bourbon, and a bourbon 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 Rye, 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 rickhouse W5 on floors 3 and 5.

Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Oak Rye Whiskey has a lot of the base characteristics found in the standard version, including rye spice, baking spices, vanilla, oak, and leather as some of the core flavors. Both are grain forward, however the Specialty Series materializes as more of an herbal earthiness that weaves its way throughout the sip compared to the baked bread and more forward rye spice in the standard version. There’s a nice richness to the whiskey that accents the bourbon’s earthiness, which some people will really enjoy and others won’t. The Chinquapin oak likely plays a role in the flavor differential and richness, but its impact is more subtle than overt. Ultimately, retaining the grain-driven flavors is the core feature of this line, and Heaven Hill does well to highlight that with Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Oak Rye Whiskey.