Tag: Heaven Hill Distilleries

Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. is a private, American family-owned and operated distillery founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky, that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits.

The Heaven Hill brands include:
Elijah Craig Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Heaven Hill Bourbon, Pikesville Bourbon, Rittenhouse Rye whiskey.

Heaven Hill Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/29/2016

In Bourbon whiskey

With the fall of the South African Rand against most currencies, my little hobby is becoming expensive. So image my surprise when I walked past a liquor shop that had some “bargain bourbon”. It was the Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey.

At about R150 and in a glass bottle, this looked interesting. I was, however, sceptical about the quality. I first went to visit Google; just to see if I am buying a real bargain or a cheap knock off.

Some reviewers think that this no age statement, screw-top Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey is not too bad. According to my research, it will not win international prizes for complexity, but it is, according to some people, drinkable and affordable.

So, I bought it, and we are going to give it a try. Heaven Hill was founded in Bardstown, Kentucky shortly after Prohibition ended in the US. The Shapira family wanted to produce and market bourbon and premium American whiskeys. During the 1990s the Heaven Hill company diversified their portfolio.

They acquired more brands and obtaining import rights for gin, malt whiskey vodka and various other liqueurs and spirits brands. Today, Heaven Hill is the seventh-largest distributor of bourbon in the US. Other brands in their portfolio include Evan Williams and Elijah Craig bourbon whiskey and Rittenhouse Straight Rye whiskey.

In 2014, the name changed to Heaven Hill Brands. The Heaven Hill company remain independently owned. The Heaven Hill bourbon whiskey is aged for about 4 years.

Related Article: Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon

Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Not as dark as some of my other bourbons. It has a pale golden mahogany colour.

NOSE: Not quite as rich as its peers. There are notes of condensed milk, caramel and fruit mixed with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. There is a bit of alcohol bite on the nose. Not a very complex nose.

PALATE: Slightly more complex, but still not equal to some of our other bourbons. There are notes of spice, caramel sweetness. A bit of bitter orange in the background. Water softens the alcohol bite and makes it marginally smoother. The Heaven Hill bourbon is medium-bodied.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of inoffensive spice.

RATING: GOOD

I suspect that this Heaven Hill bourbon whiskey might work great in marinades for meat. For some or other reason, this bourbon reminds me of the old spaghetti westerns.

The scene: A bar in a small town in the middle of a God forgotten, desert area. The good guy (Clint Eastwood) riding into town on his horse, to track down the bad guy. The bad guy is sitting in the bar, drinking a bourbon neat, the bottle next to him: this bottle of Heaven Hill Old Style bourbon.

And when Clint Eastwood enters the bar, the Heaven Hill is the first thing he shoots at. The glass bottle next to the bad guy explodes as Clint’s bullet eliminates it. And then the fighting starts. Can you picture it?

Also Read: Evan Williams Bourbon

Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/17/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Today I review an age statement bourbon, the Elijah Craig 12 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon whisky. In around 1789, Reverend Craig founded a distillery in Virginia. Not long after establishing the distillery, the Baptist minister and distiller suffered a fire, which damaged many of his barrels.

The story goes that the Reverend, being too stingy to replace them, filled the burnt barrels with whiskey regardless. Later he noticed that the whiskey from the burnt barrels tasted better than whisky from uncharred barrels. He has ever since, rightly or wrongly, been credited as the “Father of bourbon whiskey”.

Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc was founded in Bardstown, Kentucky in 1934, not long after Prohibition was abolished. Named for William HeavenHill, the company was established by a group of investors.

Related Article: Eagle Rare bourbon

Heaven Hill is the seventh-largest distributor of bourbon in the US, and their massive storage facilities hold 750,000 barrels of maturing whiskey. They not only deal in bourbon whiskey but also gin, vodka and Canadian whisky among others. The company remain independently owned.

In 1986, Heaven Hill launched a 12 year old small batch bourbon, named Elijah Craig in honour of the so-called ‘Father of bourbon’. Elijah Craig whiskey is produced in both 12 year old Small Batch and 18 year old Single Barrel bottlings.

Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon Review and Tasting Notes

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Dark red polished copper

NOSE: Quite spicy with bold notes of toasted oak spice, pepper, toffee, Christmas pudding and cinnamon baked apples. After adding a bit of water, the nose has more floral notes, hints of jasmin flowers and fewer spices.

PALATE: On the palate, this Elijah Craig is a bit different from the other bourbons we have tried this year. It is spicier with touches of pepper and nutmeg. There are notes of citrus peel, candy apple and warm oak. It is a medium-bodied bourbon. Water softens the spicy notes and smooths the citrus. The Elijah Craig 12 year old becomes sweeter with a few drops of water added.

FINISH: Without water, the finish is smooth and lingering and end in spice and bits of lemon. With water, the finish is sweeter and bring hints of flowers mixed with the spice.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I was expecting quite a lot from this 12 year old bourbon. It certainly is different, with the spicy notes, to some of the other bourbons I tried this year. Does it offer a challenge to the younger Knob Creek bourbon or Woodford Reserve at the top of my favourites list? Not quite. Not a bad bourbon whiskey for my collection, but it will not become one of my favourites. Have you tried this Elijah Craig bourbon?

I paired this bourbon with some KFC to see how it would work. See which bourbon paired best with the fried chicken. I have also done a side by side comparison between this 12 year old and the Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon. It is incredible how different they are, coming from the same company.

Also Read: Four Roses bourbon