Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: 18 years
Proof: 120 (60% ABV)
Region: Bardstown, Kentucky
Every year, Heaven Hill delves deep into its rickhouses in search of its best barrels of whiskey. The goal? Creating their limited-edition, annual Heritage Collection bottling. This year’s edition is an 18-year-old, 120-proof bourbon with a mash bill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. The 2024 batch is blended from 113 barrels, all distilled in 2005 and aged on the third floor of rickhouse 1L. Heaven Hill has been on a roll recently with stellar barrel-proof offerings of their Elijah Craig, Bernheim, and Larceny whiskeys. Let’s see if the 2024 Heritage Collection continues the distillery’s winning streak.
Tasting notes
The nose of this bourbon displays notes of caramel, hazelnut, roasted almond, and a background of raisin bread and dry fruit. The influence of 18 years of oak is immediately apparent, but balanced and nuanced — there’s more going on here than barrel char and tannins. The whiskey sips a bit drier than expected and the oak influence is far more pronounced. The notes of roasted oak are tempered by sweet hazelnut and a dark fruity sweetness — think blackberry, fig, and dates. On the back palate, the whiskey pops with a burst of black pepper, cinnamon, and burnt sugar that finishes with a comfortable mixture of vanilla, creme brulee, and a dusting of baking spice.
Final thoughts
This is an outstanding bourbon. Heaven Hill managed to create a bottle that captures the best aspects of a heavily aged whiskey. They deftly avoid veering into the over-oaked, tannic mess that some whiskeys that are old enough to serve their country find themselves mired in. There are all of the classic signs of age, but it’s still complex, nuanced, rich, and deep. Fans of Heaven Hill’s recent Heritage Collection releases will want to be on the hunt for the 2024 release. It’s delicious.
