Heaven Hill Distillery Announces First Release of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series

Three unique expressions aged in Chinquapin Oak barrels highlight craft, heritage, and innovation

 Bardstown, Ky. (October 14, 2025) – Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the inaugural release of the Heaven Hill Grain to Glass® Specialty Barrel Series, an extension of its acclaimed Grain to Glass line. This new series builds on the tradition of quality, sustainability, and craft that has defined the family-owned distillery since 1935, while showcasing the artistry of barrel selection and maturation.

 The 2025 Specialty Barrel Series features three Kentucky Whiskeys—Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, and Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, each fully aged for six years in Chinquapin Oak barrels hand selected by Heaven Hill’s distilling team in collaboration with Independent Stave Company. These unique barrels impart distinctive characteristics, delivering a rich and innovative dimension to the beloved Grain to Glass mashbills.

Honoring Legacy, Innovation, and Partnership

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass begins with a single seed. Each year, Heaven Hill partners with Beck’s Hybrids, a family-owned seed company in Indiana, to identify a corn varietal ideally suited for Central Kentucky soils. For the 2025 release, Beck’s 6225 was chosen and grown by multi-generational, family-run Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Ky. just across the road from Heaven Hill’s Bardstown campus.

“Since the founding of Heaven Hill, our family has remained committed to looking at the long term, building products and partnerships meant to endure,” said Max Shapira, Heaven Hill Executive Chairman. “The Specialty Barrel Series reflects both innovation and transparency, extending our Grain to Glass vision while honoring the legacy that defines our distillery.”

The Influence of Chinquapin Oak

Unlike the Traditional Grain to Glass releases, which are aged in #3 char white oak barrels, the Specialty Barrel Series explores new dimensions of maturation. For this inaugural release, the whiskeys were fully aged in Chinquapin Oak, a distinct species of American white oak native to Central and Eastern North America. Known for its higher vanillin content, Chinquapin Oak imparts butterscotch, crème brûlée, toasted nut, chocolate, and coffee notes, creating a bold mouthfeel and layered finish.

“Selecting Chinquapin Oak for the first Specialty Barrel Series was an exciting opportunity to deepen our exploration of wood and whiskey,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill Master Distiller. “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.”

Expressions in the 2025 Specialty Barrel Series

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 105 proof
  Mashbill: 52% Corn, 35% Rye, 13% Malt
• Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey – 105 proof
  Mashbill: 52% Corn, 35% Wheat, 13% Malt
• Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – 107 proof
  Mashbill: 63% Rye, 24% Corn, 13% Malt

Each expression was barreled at 107 proof, honoring the historic entry proof used by Heaven Hill’s founders, and bottled non-chill filtered at selected proofs to preserve the bold, distinctive flavors imparted by the Chinquapin Oak.

The 2025 Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series is an allocated release available nationally beginning in November 2025 in limited quantities at an MSRP of $129.99. Each is offered in a 700ml bespoke bottle proudly embossed with “Family Owned Since 1935.”  The bottle features jewel-toned labels unique to each mashbill, a gold-coin cork insert, and a tax strip calling out the Chinquapin Oak barrels. In keeping with the brand’s focus on transparency, each label also details the corn varietal, mashbill, and distillation and release years, complemented by custom illustrations that nod to Bernheim Distillery and Kentucky’s farming traditions.

Recent Awards & Accolades

The Grain to Glass line has garnered widespread recognition in the past year:

• Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon was a Double Gold winner at the 2024 SIP Awards and a Best of Class finalist at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• At the 2025 World Whiskies Awards, Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon earned Gold, while the Grain to Glass Rye Whiskey was named Best American Rye.
• Grain to Glass Bourbon was ranked #5 on Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 Whiskies of 2024, earning a score of 94.

These whiskeys reflect Heaven Hill’s dedication to transparency, family values, and whiskey-making excellence from seed to sip. For more information, visit: heavenhilldistillery.com/grain-to-glass

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in more than 70 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, Henry McKenna, Parker’s Heritage Collection along with its extensive and diverse collection of unique and innovative products. In the past five years alone, Heaven Hill Distillery has been named Distiller of the Year eight times, including 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. Other recent honors include 2024 and 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition’s Most Awarded Distillery and the 2023 Icons of Whisky World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely.  Drink Wisely.”

Douglas Laing & Co. Reveals The Gauldrons Eclipse: A Limited-Edition Orange Wine Cask Finish

Independent Scotch Whisky specialist Douglas Laing & Co. presents The Gauldrons Eclipse, the first-ever release of its kind within the Campbeltown-inspired range. This limited-edition bottling captures the enigmatic character of The Gauldrons, enhanced through a rare finishing period in Orange Wine casks.

The Gauldrons Eclipse represents a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts, sourced exclusively from Scotland’s smallest Whisky region, Campbeltown. For the first time, the Malt has been finished in Orange Wine casks, drawn from the historic cellars of Jerez de la Frontera, a city in Andalusia, Southern Spain. This distinctive influence is said to bring a daring new dimension to The Gauldrons, marrying heritage with the unexpected.

Bottled at a natural cask strength of 52.9% ABV, and offered without colouring or chill-filtration, Eclipse is a pure, uncompromising expression of craft, cask, and the enduring enigma of Campbeltown. Presented as a bottle-only release, it is accompanied by a premium neck tag hosting a QR code, which offers access to a dedicated tasting video hosted by Dougal Barr, Douglas Laing’s Global Ambassador.

This is a global release of just 3,000 bottles, underscoring its rarity and collectable nature.

On the nose, Eclipse is said to reveal “Malt, dried apricots, orange peel and toasted almonds.” The palate follows with “walnuts, honey, ginger and stone fruits,” before leading to “a lingering finish of spice, tangy orange and nutty depths that bring an almost otherworldly edge.”

Chloe Wood, Brand Manager, comments:

“The Gauldrons has always embodied a sense of mystery, rooted in Campbeltown’s rich Whisky heritage. With Eclipse, we have taken that story further, embracing the rare and the unexpected through Orange Wine cask finishing. Distinctive and enigmatic, crafted for those drawn to the unexpected.”

The Gauldrons Eclipse is available from select retailers, Whisky specialists, and online at a suggested RRP of £70.00 / €80.00.

ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO. 

www.douglaslaing.com

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards are a testament to this ethos.

Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).

Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old, Xtra Old Particular, and XOP Black, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.

Isle of Harris Distillery X Sunspel Collaboration

The Isle of Harris Distillery has collaborated with British Luxury clothing brand Sunspel to launch The Hearach x Sunspel Single Cask Whisky, a celebration of shared values in quality, authenticity and British craftsmanship.

The partnership grew organically through Sunspel’s Executive Chairman Nicholas Brooke’s long-standing admiration for the distillery and its connection to Harris Tweed. Alongside Design Director David Telfer, Brooke travelled to the Isle of Harris to experience its culture of making.

From handwoven tweed traditions to whiskies shaped by the island’s rugged landscape, what began as a journey of discovery evolved into a creative collaboration. Brooke and Distillery Blender Shona Macleod worked together to select a single cask and design the final product.

With just 243 bottles produced, this is a 7-year-old whisky, matured in a first fill ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon cask for a dram that is fruity, spiced and vanilla-led, with rich layers that unfold slowly.

This rare expression will be available exclusively through select Sunspel UK stores from 29 October 2025 priced at £95.

VISIT THE SUNSPEL WEBSITE

Hatozaki Omakase Collection Small Batch 15-Year-Old Whisky

Crafted by Master Distiller and Blender Kimio Yonezawa of Kaikyo Distillery, Small Batch 15-Year-Old is the fourth edition from the Omakase Collection. This limited release features a majority blend of the finest, hand-selected malt whisky, aged first in new charred oak barrels, then finished in traditional Mizunara casks in Japan. Rich flavors of sandalwood, vanilla bean, caramelized fruit, spice, and subtle smokiness, balanced with a smooth, long finish. Best served neat or on the rocks. 46% ABV | SRP: $149.99 |

(Photo Credit: Hatozaki Whisky)

INTRODUCING THE NEW
THE MACALLAN GLASSWARE COLLECTION

Explore our elegant new Glassware Collection. Each exquisite piece features a wave-shaped rim that echoes the gentle flow of the River Spey and the undulating roofline of The Macallan distillery. Our monogram can be found on the base of each handcrafted piece.

From our home to yours, the Glassware Collection offers a refined way to enjoy The Macallan.

DISCOVER MORE

The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum. Episode 612

THE VIDEO

Welcome to the Halloween episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at some spooky spirits released by Indie bottler Brave New Spirits in their Whiskies of Voodoo and Whisky Heroes ranges. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum. Episode 612 – Hubble bubble toil and trouble, serpents burn and cauldron’s bubble! Filmed in The Study Nottingham.

Featuring

Brave New Spirits Whisky of Voodoo ‘Coven of the Red Veil’ Blended Lowland Grain 14 year old 58.3%
Brave New Spirits Whisky of Voodoo ‘Call of Crows’ Speyside Single Malt 13 year old 51.7%
Brave New Spirits Whisky Heroes Jack-O-Barrel: Creeper of the Casks 10 year old 54.1%
Brave New Spirits Whisky of Voodoo ‘Serpent’s Ember’ Highland Single Malt 11 year old 53.2%
Brave New Spirits Whisky of Voodoo ‘The Smoking Curse’ Highland Single Malt 8 year old 52.8%

www.bravenewspirits.com

HOUSE OF HAZELWOOD AND HUNTSMAN OF SAVILE ROW WHISKY SET NEW RECORD WITH BESPOKE TAILORING EXPERIENCE AT DISTILLERS ONE OF ONE AUCTION

LOT 21 – House of Hazelwood and Huntsman of Savile Row’s lot on display at the Distillers One of One Auction display at Sotheby’s (Photo credit: Efe Onikinci)

In a world-first collaboration, two icons of British craftmanship – House of Hazelwood and Huntsman of Savile Row came together to offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity experience at this year’s Distillers One of One auction. Their joint lot – the opportunity to create both a bespoke whisky blend and a custom cashmere tweed jacket, went under the hammer securing a top bid of £46,250/$61,761.09, exceeding its pre-sale low estimate by three times. 

The Lot offers the successful bidder the chance to spend a day immersed in heritage and craftsmanship, choosing between two exceptional settings: the secluded elegance of Hazelwood House in Speyside – the private home of the Gordon family – or the refined intimacy of Huntsman’s Clubroom on Savile Row.

Guided by Campbell Carey, Huntsman’s Head Cutter and Creative Director, the winning bidder will design a bespoke jacket cut from cashmere tweed, developed exclusively for this occasion to mark Huntsman’s 175-year legacy – a landmark moment for the legendary tailor. 

Side-by-side with the House of Hazelwood’s blending team, the guest will delve into the Gordon family’s private whisky stocks – featuring a collection of rare malt and grain whiskies, aged up to 60 years old and including spirits from closed distilleries – to create a signature whisky blend. Additional bottles of the unique blend will be available for private order by negotiation.

The final blend will be presented in a custom-built one-of-a-kind display cabinet, hand-crafted by Paul Hodgkiss (as pictured above and below). Crafted from wind-felled elm from the gardens at Hazelwood House and featuring a rare piece of burr elm from Hodgkiss’s personal collection, the cabinet beautifully fuses nature, artistry, and heritage. Every element has been meticulously considered — from liquid form copper detailing that accentuates the wood’s natural grain to handmade gold handles, miniature replicas of the House of Hazelwood bottle topper. The tambour doors glide open to reveal bespoke whisky bottles, each nestled into a leather-lined circular base each embossed with the House of Hazelwood mark.

With over 40 years of experience in bespoke design and furniture craftsmanship, Paul Hodgkiss brings his passion for blending traditional techniques with modern innovation to every detail of this creation. “It’s been a true privilege to envisage this design and work with our head craftsman, Anthony Blacker and the team to create this one-of-a-kind piece, said Paul Hodgkiss. Bringing together design, craftsmanship and purpose for such an inspiring cause has been an honour.”

Caption: Close up image of the bespoke whisky blend and cabinet hand-crafted by Paul Hodgkiss Designs. (photo credit: Efe Onikinci)

While this is a one-of-a-kind piece for the Distillers charitable auction, House of Hazelwood’s whisky concierge service (hello@houseofhazelwood.com) is available to offer other bespoke commissions of this kind.

“This truly is a celebration of craftmanship, creativity and collaboration in every sense.,” said Jonathan Gibson, Director at House of Hazelwood. “To create a whisky as unique as the individual enjoying it – using some of the most precious stocks in our archive – and to pair with the artistry of Huntsman’s tailoring and the craftmanship of Paul Hodgkiss Designs is a rare privilege. We’re proud to have played our part in the third biennial Distillers One of One auction.”

“At Huntsman, we’ve always championed innovation within tradition,” added Campbell Carey, Head Cutter and Creative Director at Huntsman. “The creation of this one-of-a-kind cashmere jacket for this special occasion, embodies the spirit of excellence and individuality we share with House of Hazelwood. We look forward to meeting the winning bidder and bringing their vision to life.”

The Distillers One of One auction is a biennial charitable event that raises vital funds to support disadvantaged young people across Scotland. To date, the auction has raised an impressive £6.6 million. At the previous auction, House of Hazelwood’s one-of-a-kind whisky advent calendar raised £47,500 for the cause.

About House of Hazelwood

For almost one hundred years, generations of the Gordon family have carefully laid down stocks of whisky for special occasions and personal consumption. This rare collection has become known as House of Hazelwood, after the family’s Dufftown home – Hazelwood House.

Today, the House of Hazelwood collection has grown to become one of the greatest inventories of aged Scotch whisky held anywhere in the world. Spanning seven decades and every corner of Scotland, the diverse whiskies held in cask tell stories of remarkable places, lost ways of working, first casks, last casks, the ambitions and achievements of several lifetimes – none of which will be repeated.

The House of Hazelwood inventory is held in several carefully selected warehouses across Scotland, with fresh stocks laid down each year. Prior to bottling, a small proportion of the stocks are held in traditional dunnage warehousing near Dufftown in Speyside, from where they are carefully monitored and sampled ahead of release.

Website: www.houseofhazelwood.com

Facebook & Instagram: @HouseofHazelwoodScotch

About Huntsman

Huntsman, Savile Row has been outfitting the Kings and Queens of Europe, Hollywood’s leading lights, artists, designers, and the most sartorially discerning ladies and gentlemen for 174 years. They have a reputation for making the world’s finest handcrafted clothes. As the standard-bearer for Savile Row, their purpose is to champion the world’s finest bespoke tailoring and to introduce bespoke tailoring to individuals who appreciate the very finest things.

Founded in 1849, the house stands for the best of British bespoke, occupying a unique place in Savile Row tailoring. Both as custodians of tradition and vanguard for future generations of bespoke tailors, Huntsman has been proudly contemporary since 1849. Their focus is to stay true to the elevated quality of our bespoke clothing. An emphasis on cloth, cut and construction has created a legacy of sartorial excellence around the world. Today, their extraordinary story serves as a reminder of the integrity and attention to quality that has defined the Huntsman standard for generations; standards which they continue to uphold in our tailoring today.

www.huntsmansavilerow.com

Facebook & Instagram: @huntsmansavilerow

About The Distillers One of One® Auction and The Distillers’ Charity 

The Distillers One of One Auction is a biennial series of ultra-rare whisky auctions, which launched in 2021. To date, the Auctions have raised £6.6 million, principally awarded to the Youth Action Fund with the aim of supporting young people in Scotland, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to reach their potential and make a positive contribution to their communities. The Youth Action Fund’s portfolio charities are Aberdeen Foyer, Action for Children, Enable Works, Fare, Street League and The Talk About Trust (formerly Alcohol Education Trust). They are collectively managed by Inspiring Scotland.

More than 3,780 young people have been engaged through the Youth Action Fund since its inception in early 2022, benefiting from the work the fund’s dedicated charity partners have undertaken, and dramatically increasing their opportunities to enter the workforce. These young people have significantly improved their long-term prospects, either securing employment (33%), progressing to further/higher education (28%), pursuing other vocational training and apprenticeships (19%), or re-engaging with school (15%). The cumulative employability outcome (to September 2025) currently stands at 2,619

A total of 120 unique lots have been donated across the 2021 2023 and 2025 auctions, 67 of which broke world sales records for the distilleries who created and donated them. The Distillers One of One has earned its reputation as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for collectors: no two bottles are ever the same, and no lot will ever be recreated. Each lot is imbued with the spirit of craftsmanship and exclusivity, representing the pinnacle of Scotch whisky.

The Distillers One of One® is a trading name of The Distillers’ Ventures Limited, a company registered in England & Wales under company number 13264121 and registered office at 9 Bonhill Street, London EC2A 4PE.

The Distillers’ Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales (no1193683) and Scotland (SC052075)

One of One® and Distillers One of One® are registered trademarks of The Distillers’ Charity

www.distillersoneofone.com/

@distillers_one_of_one 

The latest Evans Family Reserve release has just arrived at the distillery — and it’s now available in our online store. This Oloroso Cask Finish is the perfect fall whisky: rich and fruity, with a wonderfully long finish. A warm, inviting dram to enjoy as the weather turns colder.

Buy the Oloroso Cask Finish

Big Peat Wants You On His Next Bottling

A CHANCE TO WIN A BIG PEAT BUNDLE

Big Peat’s plotting something massive for 2026 – and it could feature YOU! He’s creating a special edition label starring real fans from around the world.

All you need to do is send a portrait-format photo of yourself enjoying a dram of our smoky Islay Malt (like the examples shown above) to chloe.wood@douglaslaing.com.

Everyone who enters will be added to a prize draw for a bottle of Big Peat and some extra smoky goodies.

This is a once-in-a-dram opportunity to join Big Peat himself on an official bottling – how iconic would that be?

Deadline: 4th November 2025

ENTER NOW

LONDON WHISKY SHOW 2025 RECAP

This October marked our first appearance at the London Whisky Show; one of the largest and most renowned whisky festivals in the world. It was a privilege to introduce the Aberargie name to whisky enthusiasts and offer a first taste of what’s to come when we officially launch in March 2026.

Across the weekend, visitors experienced the patience and craftsmanship that define Aberargie. A whisky quietly confident in its quality, distilled and matured on our family farm in Perthshire. We were also delighted to run our first Aberargie competition, where new subscribers had the chance to win one of the very first bottles of Aberargie Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

A warm congratulations to Will Roberts, our lucky winner, who will receive his bottle when we launch in March.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared a dram, and took the time to learn our story. For future updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and details on our upcoming release, keep an eye on our social channels and our newsletter.

Aberargie — patiently curated for special moments.