Popular Kentucky Distilleries: Heaven Hill

Origin	Bardstown, Kentucky, United States
Manufacturer	Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
Established	Founded in 1935
Ownership	The Shapira Family

The distillery has also released unique and limited-edition offerings, such as the Parker’s Heritage 15th Edition Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey 11-Year, a heavily charred and aged wheat whiskey. Evan Williams Single Barrel 2011 is a vintage-dated, single barrel bourbon that showcases the distillery’s commitment to quality, and Rittenhouse Rye has become a classic, high-rye content rye whiskey that is a staple in many cocktail bars.

Over the decades, Heaven Hill has weathered significant events, including the repeal of Prohibition, the shutdown during World War II, and a devastating fire in 1996 that destroyed the distillery. Through it all, the company has remained family-owned and has continued to innovate, expand its portfolio, and solidify its reputation as a leading producer of exceptional bourbon and whiskey.

Popular Products

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Pikesville Rye 110 proof

Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled-in-Bond

Larceny Barrel Proof

Parker’s Heritage 15th Edition Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey 11-Year

Evan Williams Single Barrel 2011

Rittenhouse Rye

Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond

Evan Williams Green Label

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 17-Year Spring 2022

Timeline

• 1935: Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is founded in Bardstown, Kentucky by a group of Bardstown-area investors, including the five Shapira brothers – David, Ed, Gary, George, and Mose
• 1937: Heaven Hill releases its first whiskey, Bourbon Falls
• 1942: Heaven Hill is shut down by the U.S. Government and mandated to produce alcohol for the war effort
• 1946: Earl Beam, from the renowned Beam family, joins Heaven Hill as Master Distiller
• 1955: Heaven Hill fills its 500,000th barrel
• 1961: Heaven Hill fills its 1,000,000th barrel
• 1975: Parker Beam is named Master Distiller
• 1983: Craig Beam, Parker’s son, joins Heaven Hill
• 1988: Heaven Hill fills its 3,000,000th barrel
• 1996: A fire destroys the distillery and over 90,000 barrels of whiskey
• 2014: Heaven Hill unveils a new corporate name, Heaven Hill Brands, and a new logo
• 2023: Heaven Hill settles a legal dispute with Log Still Distillery over the “J.W. Dant” name

Famous Product Releases

• 1937: Bourbon Falls, Heaven Hill’s first whiskey release
• 1955: Evan Williams Bourbon is introduced and becomes one of the nation’s leading Bourbons and Heaven Hill’s flagship brand
• 1977: Heaven Hill acquires the Old 1889 brand
• 1989: Heaven Hill purchases multiple brands from Seagrams, including Harwood Canadian Whisky, Henry McKenna Bourbon, and Burnett’s Gin
• 1993: Heaven Hill acquires Cabin Still, J.W. Dant, and Philadelphia Blended Whiskey from United Distillers
• 2014: Heaven Hill introduces PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
• 2018: Heaven Hill releases the first edition of the revived Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey series

Important People

• Joseph L. Beam: The original Master Distiller at Heaven Hill, and Jim Beam’s first cousin
• Harry Beam: Joseph L. Beam’s son, who succeeded him as Master Distiller
• Earl Beam: The son of Jim Beam’s brother, Park, who joined Heaven Hill as Master Distiller in 1946
• Parker Beam: Earl Beam’s son, who was named Master Distiller in 1975
• Craig Beam: Parker Beam’s son, who joined Heaven Hill in 1983 and later became Master Distiller
• Max Shapira: The son of Edward Shapira, who joined the company in 1971 and later became President
• Kate Shapira Latts and Allan Latts: The current Co-Presidents of Heaven Hill Brands

Significant Historical Events

• Prohibition Repeal: Heaven Hill was founded shortly after the repeal of Prohibition in 1935, seizing the opportunity to produce and market bourbon and American whiskeys
• World War II: Heaven Hill was shut down by the U.S. Government during the war and mandated to produce alcohol for the war effort
• 1996 Fire: A devastating fire destroyed the distillery and over 90,000 barrels of whiskey, but the company persevered and rebuilt
• Acquisitions and Expansions: Over the decades, Heaven Hill has acquired numerous brands and distilleries, diversifying its portfolio and solidifying its position as a leading spirits supplier

Interviews

Unfortunately, I do not have access to any interviews with Heaven Hill personnel to include in this comprehensive history. The provided search results do not contain any interview content.

Products and Practices

Heaven Hill is known for its wide range of bourbon, whiskey, and other distilled spirits. Some of its core bourbon brands include Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Fighting Cock, and Larceny. The company is also the second-largest holder of aging bourbon whiskey in the world, with an inventory of over one million barrels.

Heaven Hill’s bourbon is made from a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. The barrels used for aging have a #3 char, and the whiskey is chill filtered through charcoal at 25°F before bottling.

The company is committed to its independent, family-owned status and has remained in the hands of the Shapira family since its founding. Heaven Hill is recognized as an innovator in the spirits industry, introducing new products and brands to meet evolving consumer demands.

Source

[1] https://www.diffordsguide.com/producers/587/heaven-hill-distilleries-inc/history
[2] https://heavenhill.com/history.php
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven_Hill
[4] https://thewhiskeyjug.com/distilleries/heaven-hill-distillery-history-mash-bills-and-more/
[5] https://heavenhilldistillery.com/oldfitzgerald-history.php?timeline=yes