Review: Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity

During our visit to the grand opening of Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky last month, one of the highlights was a taste of a new, limited-edition bourbon bottled to celebrate the occasion: Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity, a blend of four bourbons, each with a story involving three of Heaven Hill’s former distillers and its current one, Conor O’Driscoll.

The details are easy to grip, and it starts with a single barrel of 34 year old whiskey made by Parker Beam:

At the heart of Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity lies the last remaining barrel that was distilled at the historic Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in 1991 by the legendary Parker Beam and aged for 34 years. This singular whiskey barrel is mingled with 14-year-old, 8-year-old, and 6-year-old Bourbon crafted at Bernheim Distillery by former Master Distillers Parker Beam and Denny Potter, as well as current Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll—uniting generations of craftsmanship in one extraordinary bottle. [Apologies, presumably, to Craig Beam, who did not have a hand in the project. -Ed.]

Born from just 27 barrels, the release marks a full-circle moment as Heaven Hill returns to Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, with its new state-of-the-art Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. Only approximately 4,000 bottles will be available, each bottled at 107 proof to commemorate the original barrel entry proof used at Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery and priced at $225. The Bourbon is crafted from Heaven Hill’s traditional mashbill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye.

“This release represents both a tribute to our past and a toast to our future,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill Master Distiller. “By uniting the last available barrel from the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery with carefully chosen selections produced at Bernheim Distillery, we are weaving together generations of dedication, artistry, and vision. It is a rare opportunity to share a Bourbon that tells the story of where we’ve been, while also celebrating where we are going. Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity is not just a bottle—it is a living legacy, a bridge between our past and present created to mark one of the most important milestones in Heaven Hill’s journey and in the broader Bourbon industry.”

I tasted the whiskey at the event and received an additional sample for more introspective review after. Let’s get to it.

Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity Review

While the whiskey is only 2 or 3 percent made up of that 34 year old barrel, it still packs quite a punch. The nose of this bourbon is heavy on the wood and the char, leathery as all get-out and ringed with savory spices — cloves, some cardamom. Beefy with jerky-like notes, the savory aromas cling to the nostrils for ages until the glass gets some air in it. Time is your friend with this whiskey, and after a half hour or so of resting it reveals some fruit to mix with the spice box, creating a mixed fruit pie quality that is heavy on apples and touched with cherry.

The palate shifts things nicely, layering in more fruit while keeping the more aggressive, savory DNA in the picture. Here notes of cherry and raspberry mingle with a little milk chocolate and cinnamon, all laid out in a smear across wide planks of cedar and oak. Vanilla quickly stands out along with a healthy punch of bitterness — first driven by some menthol, then showcasing a surprising hoppy character. That’s the flavor of rye creeping into focus, adding a greener, lightly peppery quality to the dessert-like quality that otherwise informs the finish. As the whiskey winds things up, darker chocolate tones dominate with more of that cinnamon clinging to the conclusion.

The finished product is a bit scattered, though never unenjoyable, and in truth, Unity is ultimately more novelty than must-have bourbon thanks to its otherwise unheard-of 34-year-old component. But then again, what a novelty it is…

107 proof.

A- / $225 

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