Heaven Hill Is Dropping a New Grain to Glass Rye Whiskey This Summer
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Kentucky’s Heaven Hill Distillery is known for producing many different bourbons and rye whiskeys under names like Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Old Fitzgerald, and Pikesville. The distillery also has a Grain to Glass series of whiskeys in its lineup that it launched last year—both bourbon and rye—and the details of the new edition of the latter style were announced today.
This limited-edition series debuted in early summer of 2024, and this new whiskey follows the release of the second Grain to Glass Bourbon a few months ago. The gist is that Heaven Hill, like all the big whiskey distilleries, gets its grain from mass producers that supply corn, rye, and barley on a large scale. For the Grain to Glass whiskeys, Heaven Hill sources seeds to grow specific grain varietals from Beck’s Hybrids, an Indiana company that specializes in this field. This 2025 version was made from a mashbill that has more rye than other rye whiskeys produced at the distillery: 63 percent rye, 20 percent corn, and 13 percent malted barley. The corn was grown from Beck’s Hybrids 6225 seeds, cultivated at Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Ky. The whiskey was barreled at an entry entry proof of 107, aged for more than six years at the distillery’s Cox’s Creek rickhouse, and bottled without chill filtration at barrel strength of 105.2 proof.
“With this second edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, we’re proud to showcase not only the art of rye whiskey making but the full story behind every drop—from seed to barrel to bottle,” said master distiller Conor O’Driscoll in a statement. “The unique mashbill and higher rye content bring a bold complexity, while the transparency we provide—from the corn varietal to the barrel entry proof—gives whiskey lovers an authentic connection to the process.”
That information, along with the mashbill and years of distillation and release, is all included on the bottle’s label. We did not get to sample this rye whiskey yet, but official tasting notes describe a spicy spirit with toasted oak and almond aromas on the nose; orange marmalade, chocolate, nutmeg, white pepper, and honey on the palate; and a long finish with notes of crème brûlée, charred oak, and orange oil.
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye Whiskey (SRP $100) is available now at specialty liquor stores around the country, and you can find previous editions (and presumably this new whiskey very soon) at websites like Total Wine now.
