Oak dominates the palate with complimentary notes of vanilla and baking spices. Heaven hill distillery has announced the release of heaven hill 27yearold barrel proof small batch kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, a rare bottling produced at old heaven hill springs distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. Youll learn how heaven hill s modern bernheim distillery operates and discover how it is different from distilling in evans era. But had a fire happened now, when bourbon is booming beyond anyones expectations, the market impact would be staggering, and heaven hill s whiskey stocks wouldnt rebound for years. On november 7, 1996, heaven hills production plant registered plant dspky31 was. Heaven hill distillery unveils completed tasting rooms and expanded retail, announces phase two renovation details of multimilliondollar expansion read more. The old heaven hill springs distillery was destroyed by fire in 1996 and only 41 casks made in 19891990 were good enough to be included in this lush limited release. The fire could have been much worse, as a further 220,000 barrels of booze was stored in neighboring warehouses. Vitok engineers completed a series of sizeable process and automation expansions on a large beverage distillery in louisville, ky. Heaven hill brands kentucky bourbon whiskey and other. Even worse for kentuckys bourbon industry than the wild turkey fire was the infamous heaven hill inferno of november 1996, when an estimated 90,000 barrels of whiskey stored in seven warehouses were. The heaven hill distillery is relativity young for a big whiskey distillery. The vanillaforward potion is a time capsule that celebrates the legacy of topnotch spirits of heaven hill. This years release features two separate bottled in bond bib vintages, one distilled in the fall of 1990 and the other in the spring of 1991 at heaven hill s distillery in bardstown, kentucky d.
As the company developed, the five brothers of the shapira family bought out the other investors. This unique grapegrowing region has produced some of the highest quality wines in the midwest. The firefighters only choice was to go on the offense and pour torrents of. It was founded two years after the prohibition ended.
Heaven hill distillery announces release of 27yearold. The limited edition bottling made from only four pre fire barrels will be available on the anniversary of the fire, monday, nov. Currently, theyre the largest familyowned distillery in the united states and the second largest holder of kentucky bourbon in the world im still trying to work my way up the list. Heaven hill remembers 1996 distillery fire with select. Also in 1996, a disastrous fire levels seven warehouses and over 90,000 barrels of aging whiskey along with and the familys distillery in bardstown. Less than 3,000 bottles of pre fire bourbon available in this one timerelease. Chandler hill vineyards has invited you and 7 of your guests to a winetasting.
Heaven hill phased out their 6 year bottled in bond product that was a true. Elijah craig launches kentucky straight rye whiskey in limited markets read more. Tastes like heaven heaven hill is the latest bourbon brand to expand its architectural appeal. Our services helped this facility to achieve the rank of the largest single bourbon distillery in the world in 2017.
In 1996 a devastating fire ripped through one of the distillery s warehouses, where whiskies were ageing. Heaven hill 27yearold barrel proof small batch kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, a bottling produced at old heaven hill springs distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. Heaven hill distillery announces limited edition release. Heaven hill 27 year barrel proof small batch bourbon was produced at the old heaven hill springs distillery before it was destroyed by a fire in 1996. Just in time for bourbon heritage month, its bourbon night presents a limited series designed to let you know more about your favorite. When you see a bottle of elijah craig, evan williams, or even larceny many people do not realize they are all products of the heaven hill distillery this familyowned company was founded in 1935 under the name old heavenhill springs distillery.
Following the 1996 fire that destroyed heaven hill distillery and several of its warehouses in bardstown, the state of kentucky imposed construction standards on new maturation warehouses that require earthen containment berms to keep spilled whiskey from reaching other warehouses or. Louis, and is adjacent to americas first wine district, augusta, missouri. Ky31, which was destroyed in 1996 by fire along with seven. Buy heaven hill online uptown spirits fast delivery.
Though bardstowns fire department had arrived quickly, downs said putting out. While it starts off dry, a torrent of heavy, aged oak brings a mouthcoating viscosity along with it. Heaven hill distilleries evan williams bourbon experience. The heaven hill fire of 96 know your distillery youtube. The fire started in an aging warehouse and spread to other buildings and vehicles. This limitededition bourbon commemorates the 20th anniversary of the 1996 heaven hill distillery fire that destroyed the distillery and several warehouses. This is the 10th yearly edition of the parkers heritage collection phc. Heaven hill 27 year old 750ml the rare whiskey shop.
After the 1996 fire that destroyed most of heaven hill s distillery, the shapira family moved distilling to the modern bernheim distillery in louisville while keeping the rest of the companys operations in bardstown. Which is slightly interesting to me because its the opposite with jim beam whose entry level is the white label and upgraded version is the the black label. Rising from the ashes of prohibition and into the midst of the great depression in bardstown, ky, heaven hill distillery has grown to be the largest independent familyowned and operated producers of distilled spirits products in the us, and the secondlargest holder of bourbon whiskey inventory in the world. Drawing on a batch of 41 barrels that yielded fewer than 3,000 bottles, this barrel strength release clocks in at 94. Only 41 barrels produced in 1989 and 1990 passed taste testing for inclusion. The primary expression of the brand is 40% alcohol by volume abv, or 80 u. Here are 11 more things you should know about heaven hill distillery. In 1996, fire quickly spread to several warehouses at the heaven hill distillery in bardstown. After the 1996 fire that destroyed most of heaven hills distillery, the shapira family moved distilling to the modern bernheim distillery in louisville while keeping the.
Heaven hill distillery is part of a familyowned company that produces over 73 brands, labels and variations of north american whiskey including bourbon. In 1996, heaven hill lost its distillery to a tragic fire. The standard issue evan williams bourbon comes with a black label and the upgraded bottledinbond version comes with a white label. Just in time for bourbon heritage month, its bourbon night presents a limited series designed to let you know more about your favorite distilleries. Torrents of burning booze flowed down roads and 500pound barrels. The original heaven hill distillery succumbed to fire in 1996 and production moved. Investigation underway into bardstown whiskey rickhouse.
Since the tragedy occurred in 1996, when bourbon s rebound was just beginning, its likely few american whiskey fans outside of kentucky recall the disaster. Heaven hill launches 27yearold barrel proof small batch. After the tragic fire that destroyed the heaven hill distillery in bardstown, ky in 1996, the. Heaven hill 1996 cadenheads 20 year old whisky auctioneer. Heaven hill distillery was founded shortly after the repeal of prohibition in 1935 by several investors, including a prominent distiller, joseph l. Heaven hill 27 year old cask strength get free shipping. I recently came across the term pre fire talking about bourbon and i cant seem to figure out what it means. My memory of what heaven hill was before the november 1996 accident is kept alive by period photography, and i find going there today a haunting experience. The heaven hill distillery burns out of control in bardstown ky. It seems that certain brands of bourbon can be pre or post fire, and it changes the way theyre madethe flavor, but im curious what it actually means. The whiskey comes from four barrels bottled in march of 1996 and matured in a warehouse that was next to those destroyed in the.
Heaven hill is the latest bourbon brand to expand its. Barrels on display at the heaven hill bourbon heritage center in bardstown, kentucky. Heaven hill select stock 20th anniversary fire edition. Whiskey river scorches heaven hill, industrial fire world. But the worst of them all was at the silver trail distillery in 2015 when a. Either way, shapira wanted heaven hill to return to distilling its own goods. Heaven hill brands closes black velvet acquisition read more. Distilled in 1996, this will contain some of the final whiskey produced at old heaven hill distillery in bardstown, as it was ravaged by a fire that same year. Bardstown, ky heaven hill distillery announced today the release of heaven hill 27yearold barrel proof small batch kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, a rare bottling produced at old heaven hill springs distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. Only 41 barrels of prefire bourbon were included in this bottling, and when all barrels were mingled, the natural proof was an unusually low 94. Witnesses reported oak barrels exploding into the air.
Distilleries werent always the hotbeds of popularity they are now so quite often records werent kept in a way thats easy to access. As heaven hill s recovery continued, the shapiras weighed the benefits of building a new distillery or buying an existing plant. This bottling harkens back to the time before heaven hill distillery s massive warehouse fire in 1996. In 1996 heaven hill lost its entire distillery, seven warehouses, and 2% of the worlds bourbon to a distillery fire. A river of fire spread downhill towards other warehouses and the distillery. Founded in 2008 in defiance, missouri, chandler hill is only 30 minutes west of st. Heaven hill 1996 cadenheads 20 year old a cadenheads bottling of heaven hill bourbon. The life and legacy of heaven hills parker beam the. The distillery was founded in 1935 by the shapira family with master distiller joseph beam yes, his cousin is jim. Brown is a kentucky bourbon whiskey produced by the heaven hill distillery company.
Then, you will see a combination of the twoa stateoftheart, modern, operating distillery utilizing the same type of pot stills as the early bourbon making days. Heaven hill distillery was the site of one of the biggest disasters in modern bourbon history. Heaven quickly turned into hell in 1996 when an estimated 90,000 barrels of whiskey caught fire at bardstowns heaven hill distillery. It was a great risk to invest in such a business and hard times lay ahead for the heaven hill distillery. Heaven hill distillery story read more at greatdrams. Only 41 barrels produced in 1989 and 1990 were included in this limited release. Over the next few years, the other kentucky distilleries pitched in to help it distill, notably brown forman which made all of heaven hills rittenhouse rye through last year. Heaven hill distillery announced today the release of heaven hill 27yearold barrel proof small batch kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, a bottling produced at old heaven hill springs distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. When a tragic fire in 1996 destroyed heaven hill s bardstown distillery and some 90,000 barrels of bourbon in seven of its rickhouses, beam oversaw the transfer of production to its bernheim distillery in louisville, where it remains.
Tragic fire at heaven hill in 96 didnt stop nascent bourbon boom. In 1935 the old heavenhill springs was founded by a group of investors and the shapira brothers. Brush fire breaks out near heaven hill, makers mark. Smith farm 2 miles south of bardstown site of the heaven hill plantation and heaven hill springs which supplied the water, unfortunately this distillery burnt down in 1996 in a spectacular fire.
In 1996, seven warehouses and the distillery itself burned, igniting a tornado of fire. This onetime, barrelproof bottling is comprised of 27yearold kentucky straight bourbon produced between 1989 and 1990 at old heaven hills springs distillery before it was destroyed by fire in 1996. How visiting heaven hill left me haunted the whiskey. Downloadcharlie downs, artisanal distillery manager at evan williams bourbon experience a part of heaven hill brands talks about the operations, his mentorship with parker beam, and the recollection of events that took place at the heaven hill fire of 1996. The current owners of heaven hill distilleries built the old heaven hill springs distillery at the end of prohibition in 1935 on the w.
Fueled by 75 mph winds, the rapidly growing fire ravaged the warehouse, with flames reaching heights of 350 feet. Heaven hill distillery has announced the release of heaven hill select stock 20th anniversary fire edition, a 20yearold bottling produced at the original distillery in bardstown, kentucky that commemorates the perseverance of heaven hill after the 1996 fire. It was the day when fire ravaged the old heaven hill distillery in bardstown, kentucky. Barton 1792 bourbon warehouse collapse reveals dangers. Wherever you fall on the whisky spectrum, youll want to try the intensely smooth highballs being poured at bars all over dallas. Its a delicious introduction to whisky and a refreshing change for scotch aficionados. The distilling operation is in louisville, kentucky, and aging and bottling operations are in bardstown, kentucky. The definitive guide to dallass best glenlivet highballs. In 1999, united distillers, owner of the bernheim distillery, contacted heaven hill about a possible sale of their plant. Vintage aerial coverage of 1996 heaven hill distillery fire.
The release is comprised of 41 barrels that were produced in 1989 and 1990. Its current distillery facility, called the heaven hill bernheim distillery, is in louisville, kentucky. Ky31, which was destroyed in 1996 by fire along with seven rickhouses and over 90,000 aging barrels. Heaven hill began as a postprohibition proposition. Bourbon, elijah craig, evan williams and others, bottled before 1996. It was described as a river of fire that illuminated the night sky nd completely shattered the distillery.
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