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 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

Introducing an exclusive from Murray McDavid 

Bottled specially for our 15th year Anniversary!

Murray McDavid

King of Casks 35 Years Old Shop Exclusive

ABV: 49.5% 70 cL

Killowen Distillery is proud to present the third chapter in the Sagaland journey – Killowen Barántúil: The Fate of the Fir Bolg.

While whiskey-making is our craft, Sagaland allows us to tell stories that reach beyond the cask – blending Ireland’s mythological, culinary, and artistic heritage into one immersive experience.

For those following since Part 1, this release continues our collaboration with The Irish Mythology Podcast and FabCow / Fran Leavey, uniting story, sound, and visual art to bring Ireland’s ancient legends to life.

The Whiskey

Our first ever 6-year-old Single Pot Still, this Barántúil release had to be worthy of Sagaland. It spent five years in ex-bourbon casks before a long finish in a Killahora Orchards Pom’O cask – an apple aperitif crafted from rare apple varieties grown in Killahora’s 200-year-old orchards on the south-facing slopes of County Cork.

A small cask leak means fewer bottles than expected, making this release even more limited and special.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Vanilla and toffee apple – a perfect autumn pairing.

Palate: Pot still spices and rich custard texture, complemented by jammy fermented apple from the Pom’O cask.

Finish: The unmistakable Killowen DNA – a clean, distillate-led dryness reminiscent of red apple skin.

The Story

The Fate of the Fir Bolg

Each Sagaland release includes an insert card revealing the next chapter in the myth. Part 3 continues the saga with The Fate of the Fir Bolg, written by The Irish Mythology Podcast.

Scan the barcode on your insert to listen to the story and experience it as it was meant to be told.

The accompanying artwork by FabCow / Fran Leavey captures the energy, darkness, and beauty of Ireland’s oldest tales with remarkable depth.

For anyone who missed earlier chapters, a few of the leather books and previous insert cards are still available on our website, though in very limited numbers.

Release Details

Release Date: Wednesday 29th October @4pm (GMT – Killowen Time)
Price: £120

Purchase Here

N.B. Link will not be live until 4pm on Wednesday 29th OctoberA heartfelt thank you to the Irish Mythology Podcast and FabCow for their creative partnership throughout the Sagaland series – and to all of you who continue to share this journey with us.

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

Fettercairn: Vanguard

1st Release · 70cl · 46.3% ABV

Fettercairn Vanguard is a series of three limited edition single malts. The first release was initially matured in a combination of first-fill ex-bourbon casks and specially crafted Scottish hybrid casks. It was then transferred into hybrid casks made from American Oak staves and heavily toasted Scottish Oak heads. The result is a whisky of remarkable balance, where vibrant tropical fruit notes are complemented by the subtle warmth of wood spice imparted by the hybrid cask maturation.

£99.95

ADD TO BASKET

(Fetter- Cairn) Fettercairn distillery lies just outside the village of Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire. The village of Laurencekirk is famous for it’s ostentatious red sandstone arch, which was erected to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the village in 1861,

Glen Scotia unveils third release in Icons of Campbeltown series inspired by Scottish folktales of the Wulver

Glen Scotia has revealed the third expression in its Icons of Campbeltown collection, a five-part annual series which pays tribute to the Victorian whisky capital of the world’s rich history steeped in Scottish folklore.

A limited edition unpeated Tawny Port Cask Finish 12-year-old single malt whisky, Icons of Campbeltown Release No.3 depicts the Wulver, taking inspiration from another of the saints and beasts carved into Campbeltown’s medieval market cross, a poignant meeting place for storytelling in the heart of the town.

The 14th-century cross is richly adorned with intricate stone carvings, crafted by anonymous hands for hundreds of years. Figures of saints, mythical creatures, warriors and enemies are etched into its surface, each believed to reflect different eras from Campbeltown’s long history. The details echo the enduring spirit of the community in Scotland’s fifth and smallest whisky producing region.

Symbols of a wolf among the mythical markings spark the imagination and invoke old folktales of the Scottish Wulver. Said to be a formidable creature with a gentle soul, tales of the Wulver tell of a wolf’s head with a man’s body and a thick coat of brown hair but are not typical stories of witchcraft and terror. Instead, depictions of the Wulver mirror the generosity of spirit in Campbeltown’s DNA which has run through Glen Scotia for almost two centuries.

Legends have it that the Wulver dwelled in a cave dug into the side of a wooded hill, a place where no one dared to tread. Despite his daunting appearance, the tales recount the Wulver’s quiet days spent fishing in solitude, and his generosity and charitable nature for sharing his catch with his poor neighbours, leaving fish on their windowsills in the dead of night. This spirit is rooted in the heart of Campbeltown’s distilling community, known for its resilience and generous nature without the expectation of reward.

Glen Scotia pays homage to the Wulver’s enduring spirit, and the historical markings of this mythical creature etched on the town’s market cross in Icons of Campbeltown Release No.3.

The limited-edition, unpeated 12-year-old single malt whisky has been expertly crafted by master blender, Ashley Smith with a Tawny Port Cask Finish.

Following careful maturation in hand-selected bourbon barrels, the whisky was transferred to ex-Tawny Port casks to finish for nine months, a process which has resulted in bursting flavours of red fruits, forest berries and dark chocolate. The finish is long and enduring, much like the legend of the Wulver itself, with the unmistakable maritime character of Glen Scotia.

To bring the Wulver to life, Glen Scotia has continued to partner with celebrated artist, John Holtzman for the Icons of Campbeltown series, whose portfolio includes work for Disney, Marvel and Macmillian.

Ashley Smith, Master Blender for Glen Scotia said: “The ancient market cross that inspired the Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown series gives us an exciting starting point to experiment with the single malts to match the mythical icons. For the third release in the series, I wanted to create a unique 12-year-old expression using the finest Tawny Port casks to finish the whisky, which have imparted rich fruity flavours paired with the subtle maritime notes that are a well-loved distinction of Glen Scotia.”

Iain McAlister, Distillery Manager and Master Distiller at Glen Scotia, added: “Our distilling community knows a thing or two about supporting each other in times of need, just like the Wulver did, as the tales are told. That same bold Campbeltown spirit is still very much alive in the town today and it is this character and quiet generosity which Glen Scotia is honouring in this latest instalment in our Icons of Campbeltown series.”

Icons of Campbeltown Release No.3 was bottled at 51.7% ABV and retails for £80. The expression is now available from Glen Scotia’s website, at the distillery’s visitor centre in Campbeltown, and exclusively at Fortnum & Mason. It follows in the footsteps of the first two releases in the Icons of Campbeltown series which were inspired by the Mermaid and the Dragon featured on the market cross.

For more information on Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown Release No.3 visit: www.glenscotia.com

Tasting notes

Nose: Juicy forest fruits, candied nuts and crisp red apple, all wrapped in indulgent caramel sweetness.

Palate: Layers of dried fig and orange peel unfold alongside smooth praline, offering both richness and balance.

Finish: Dark cocoa and dried fruits linger beautifully, complemented by gentle vanilla and warming oak spice.

About Glen Scotia

Distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832 and is one of three surviving distilleries in the town.

Producing peated and non-peated whiskies, the distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the stillroom and the dunnage warehouse dating from the 1830s. To this day, the distillery team follow in the footsteps of their founders, using traditional methods, carefully creating the subtly maritime Campbeltown style the brand has become world-famous for.

Recognition of Glen Scotia’s style and craftsmanship continues to be acknowledged globally.

• In 2021, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old single malt was awarded ‘Best In Show Whisky’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Over 3,800 entries across thirty-one categories were judged with Glen Scotia being awarded the overall winner across all countries and styles. Only seven months later, Glen Scotia was also named Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards 2021.
• In 2022, Glen Scotia’s Victoriana won ‘Best In Class’ in the Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• In 2023, Glen Scotia won ‘Best Single Cask Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards for a single cask bottling distilled in 2009 and aged for 13 years exclusively in a first-fill bourbon barrel.
• Later that same year, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old won a coveted Platinum award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, which is awarded to the very few entries that receive a Double Gold medal for three consecutive years at the prestigious global event.
• In 2024, Glen Scotia received a number of prestigious awards across its range of single malt whiskies, including Platinum titles at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024 for both Glen Scotia Victoriana and Glen Scotia 25 Year Old.