The 2023 Heritage Collection release is a 20-year-old Kentucky straight corn whiskey—not something you see every day. It’s a rare move in the American whiskey world and shows off just how well Heaven Hill can age corn whiskey.
They used a mashbill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye—the same recipe as Mellow Corn, but with way more time in the barrel. The extra years totally transform the usual corn whiskey flavors.
Production Details:
- Distilled October 2002
- Aged 20 years in used barrels
- Bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV)
- Non-chill filtered
- 110 barrels, all from Rickhouse 1K
Everything matured on the third floor of their brick warehouse, which definitely played a role in how this whiskey turned out.
By law, corn whiskey needs at least 80% corn in the mash and has to be aged in used barrels if it’s aged at all—totally different than bourbon, which gets new charred oak.
Letting it sit for two decades brings out layers of spice, fruit, and even herbal notes you’d never expect from corn whiskey. It’s honestly kind of wild.
This release is a good example of how the Heritage Collection gives whiskey fans a shot at rare barrels that usually wouldn’t see the light of day.
