Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Bourbon (2024 Release)

Appearance: A pleasant, medium amber hue. Nose: The aroma is a bit muted. I detect some "grain" notes and a touch of alcohol, though this might be influenced by my current health condition (more on this later)... Taste: (Consumed with an ice cube and with a diminished sense of smell and taste due to a recent cold). The texture is somewhat syrupy, which was unexpected... there's a very "distinctive" quality to this spirit. I'm picking up a lot of "rye" in the initial sips (from the 35% rye in the mash bill)... it's quite zesty and slightly sweet. Indeed, the rye is the prominent element here, at least to my cold-affected senses. If tasted without knowing what it was, I would have mistaken it for a rye whiskey. Amusingly, I made a similar observation about another recent review (Baker's High Rye). So, the key impressions from this bottle's first tasting are "Rye" and "Spicy". Finish: The finish is rather brief, leaving a tingling sensation on the tongue. However, I do notice some "black licorice" on the latter part of the palate (a nice touch!), along with a persistent rye presence. Overall impression: This is a solid offering. The distillery is among my favorites, and their 7 Year BiB is a personal all-time favorite. Consequently, I immediately purchased this bottle when I saw it displayed in my grocery store's locked cabinet. My sole reservation is the cost. While I don't fully grasp pricing strategies, I believe this bottle should have been priced approximately $20-$30 lower than what I paid. As mentioned earlier, it presents a somewhat unusual profile compared to what I typically anticipate from bourbon. Perhaps that's a positive attribute. In summary, I'm pleased with the purchase, but would I buy it again? Likely not, especially considering the 7 Year BiB is readily available in my area for half the price. Considering all factors, it earns a 4.0-star rating. Added on 2/16/25: Having nearly finished the bottle, I wish to add to my palate notes: this spirit is undeniably "grainy". I'm experiencing a wide range of "grain" characteristics tonight, reminiscent of a cracker made with sesame, caraway, and other seeds. As I initially noted... this is a very singular pour. I remain undecided about it.

The initial 2024 Grain to Glass release I sampled was their Wheated bourbon, and I was thoroughly impressed. While I won't be seeking out the Rye (I'm not typically a rye drinker, and any rye I buy is usually for cocktails, which would be sacrilegious for ANY Grain to Glass offering), I did immediately look for a bottle of their Straight Bourbon to try. Fortunately, I found it easily at one of my preferred liquor stores and at a very fair price. The first thing I detect is some rather potent ethanol underlying the aroma, but if you approach it gently and smell past the alcohol, there's a very sweet and tart fruity character. Caramel apple leads the way, with some tannic yet fresh oak in the middle of the scent, and some deep, darker stone fruits like stewed plum, along with just a hint of baking spice. What a flavor! It has a bright, tart, and incredibly sweet candied apple quality. The taste bursts forth like a flare and then you notice how completely it coats the tongue. It's truly delicious. Towards the middle and back of the palate, cinnamon appears, which was surprisingly subtle on the nose. That spice introduces the finish, which quickly becomes dry with tannic oak dominating, effectively reducing the vibrancy of the taste. At the back of your tongue, that bright apple flavor from the taste fades to a spiced apple cider. Your tongue is left with a slight tingle as the spice subsides. The finish is medium in length but not very viscous. Wow... I'm unsure which I prefer more, the Wheated or this one. Both are EXCEPTIONAL bourbons and, as they are currently quite accessible, I strongly recommend you go and purchase both. Is $110 per bottle inexpensive? No, but damn it, it's worth every hard-earned dollar.

The aroma is both sweet and spicy with cinnamon bear candy, vanilla, caramel, cedar, ginger, nutmeg, green apple, freshly baked bread, and clove. The ethanol is very high for a 107 proof product, which I found to be distracting. The taste starts with toasted marshmallow, rye spice, nougat, caramel, and applesauce, followed by the usual suspects spice explosion of cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. Decent richness and complexity. The medium-length finish brings some nicely aged oak, cinnamon, black peppercorn, root beer, chili pepper, tobacco, barrel char, mint, and walnut. The mouthfeel is weighty to the point of being downright chewy, but also a bit of youthful graininess as well. A pretty darn good high rye bourbon but with some minor flaws, and I can’t help but wonder what 2-4 more years in the barrel might have done here. As it stands, I paid a wild $104.99 for this, and while I do like it; I just don’t like it for the price. Not a repeat purchase.

I didn't anticipate this tasting like anything else from Heaven Hill, and I was correct. The aroma does present some sweet caramel, but mostly features rye spice notes, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, and mint. Overall, it's very mild. The palate begins with new oak, followed by spices. There's a lot of pepper. The finish is mixed. It drinks younger than I expected. I wonder if a few more years in the barrel would soften the tannins and add more flavor depth. In general, a good concept and an interesting bottle, but I feel no desire to buy another.

Vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, tobacco, and a hint of apricot in the aroma. Mild alcohol heat on a deep inhale but not an overwhelming burn. Lively on the palate with some tingling spice mixed with some alcohol burn. Brown sugar is dominant with some vanilla and apricot, not really getting much tobacco. Pretty smooth, maybe mildly astringent or tanic. Fairly long finish with the vanilla and apricot lingering the longest.

Smell: light oak, grain/bread, sweet rye, creme brulee or a sweetened sugar note, caramel, and toffee. Taste: Rye spice, black pepper, vanilla. Overall: I enjoyed the aroma significantly more than the taste and finish. The rye overpowers the taste, in my view. It drinks stronger than 107 proof. I do genuinely appreciate this whiskey, but I wouldn't consider it a $100 bottle.