Review: Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Oak, Complete Lineup
Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass Series is barely two years old, but the annual whiskey trio produced from locally grown corn is already getting a line extension with the recent release of the new Specialty Barrel Series. For the inaugural releases in that series, Heaven Hill used the same corn varietal that featured in the latest Grain to Glass releases, Beck’s 6225, which was grown just across the road from Heaven Hill’s Bardstown campus. The mashbills and ages are the same, as well. The changeup appears to all be in the barrel. While the standard releases went into traditional #3 char white oak barrels, this new crop of whiskeys aged entirely in Chinquapin oak, a distinct species of American white oak that Heaven Hill notes is known for its higher vanillin content. The price is also a bit higher at $130 per bottle. Let’s check them out.
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Oak Straight Bourbon Review
This is less corn-heavy and minty on the nose than the standard Grain to Glass offering. There are more burly oak notes initially but also quite a bit of wood sugar which helps to offset some of the tannin. As it opens, dark caramel and a little burnt sugar take over and become more well-cooked butterscotch in time. Eventually, things bloom into something considerably richer than the white oak version with undertones of spearmint and baking spice.
The palate is big and bold with dark vanilla bean and barrel char right out of the gate and a healthy lacing of black pepper. The spice tempers quickly and gives way to a sweet caramel apple note accompanied by plenty of baking spice, but that apple pie quality doesn’t quite take hold on the midpalate before a wave of baking chocolate and cocoa returns things to a slightly drier profile. The finish simmers with chocolate mints, blackberry, and turbinado sugar. 105 proof. B+ [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Wheated Bourbon Review
Like the most recent standard-lineup Grain to Glass wheated bourbon expression, there’s quite a bit of fruit on display. The nose is rich and candied, showcasing top notes of Maraschino cherry and peeled tangerine. Those high tone fruits temper only slightly as it opens with the addition of silky, sweet notes of brown butter frosting, burnt almond torte, and dark brown sugar. It’s an enchanting, dessert-inspired aroma and a highlight of the whiskey.
On the palate, vanilla bean and butterscotch, the classic foundation of the standard expression, has clearly been amplified by the Chinquapin and the body retains the same noticeable creaminess. Caramel corn and a bit of cocoa powder add nuance to the midpalate, but the barrel notes never quite unwind, leaving a bit of tannin on the finish along with warming accents of red pepper, baking spice, and black cherry. It’s a fun and enjoyable whiskey but not quite as balanced as the standard expression. 105 proof. B+ [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel Series Chinquapin Rye Review
The Chinquapin aging has done the most to alter, for the better, the Grain to Glass rye recipe. The aroma is still herbal and fresh with dill and cut grass notes, like the standard offering, but the accompanying split vanilla bean and chocolate mint notes add a welcome richness and complexity. As it opens, things sweeten and soften further with a layer of raw honey and mint tea.
The palate is still somewhat light but considerably rounder and more expressive than the standard release. As with the aroma, the dill and herb garden notes are present but folded nicely into other barrel-driven accents of chewy caramel, clove syrup, and chocolate-covered cherry. The midpalate sees a bright flourish of green apple and wintergreen before a slow, warming fadeout of oolong tea and Andes mints. The clear winner of this limited-edition trio. 107 proof. A-
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