Heaven Hill Dropped a New Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon

Heaven Hill is one of several distilleries that makes wheated bourbon, meaning bourbon that uses wheat instead of rye as the secondary flavoring grain in the mashbill—others include Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace (Pappy and Weller), and various smaller distilleries like Garrison Brothers in Texas. The main wheated bourbon brands produced at Heaven Hill are Larceny and Old Fitzgerald, but the distillery has also made this style a part of its Grain to Glass series, and the 2025 edition really stands out.

The mashbill that Heaven Hill uses for its core wheated bourbon brands is 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley. For the Grain to Glass version, the percentage of wheat is increased dramatically—35 percent wheat, 52 percent corn, and 13 percent malted barley. The limited-edition Grain to Glass series launched last year with a trio of whiskeys, each aged for between six and seven years—straight bourbon, rye, and wheated bourbon. The first two returned earlier this year for the second edition of the series, but the new wheated bourbon was just announced this week. The whiskey was made from the wheat-heavy mashbill mentioned above, but it includes a special corn varietal called Beck’s 6225 (as do all the other expressions in the series) that was grown at Peterson Farm, along with the wheat. The whiskey was aged for over six years at Heaven Hill’s Cox’s Creek rickhouse site, and bottled non-chill filtered and at barrel proof of 106.6 (53.3 percent ABV).

“With this edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon, we celebrate not only the time-honored tradition of wheated bourbon, but also the transparency that defines this series,” said master distiller Conor O’Driscoll in a statement. “From selecting the Beck’s 6225 corn seed varietal to bottling at barrel proof, every choice reflects our mission to share the full story of how great whiskey is made. This bourbon offers both whiskey enthusiasts and collectors an authentic connection to our grain-to-glass philosophy.”

Despite the similarities to past releases as far as mashbill and maturation, this year’s wheated bourbon is just better for some reason. The palate is more complex and well rounded than previous expressions, a classic bourbon with notes of chocolate, caramel, buttered popcorn, molasses, toasted nuts, and roasted espresso beans. There’s a touch of spice despite the lack of rye grain, and the high wheat percentage has given it a pleasant sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. And at nearly 107 proof, there’s a bit of heat but it’s not overpowering. If you haven’t tried the Grain to Glass series yet, start with this whiskey.

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass 2025 Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is available at retailers around the country now for a suggested price of $100, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the charity Farm Rescue. You can find a bottle available to order at websites like Total Wine now, but check to make sure which year’s release you are purchasing.