There’s a lot to be said about the legacies of specific distilleries — and what’s lost when a physical space that’s been home to decades’ worth of barrel aging takes on a different function. That’s something the distillers at Heaven Hill are reckoning with today, regarding a series of rickhouses located in Deatsville, Kentucky.
The rickhouses in question originated as the home of T.W. Samuels Distillery and are capable of holding 167,000 barrels of whiskey. Soon, though, they’ll take on a new function for the distillery, moving from a facility designed for aging to a space where barrels will be regauged. But before that transition is accomplished, Heaven Hill has plans to mark the rickhouses’ importance to the company (Parker Beam was especially fond of the site) by releasing a new bourbon.
Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey is the result of 17 barrels that were aged in one of the Deatsville rickhouses. The release is relatively unique in Heaven Hill’s portfolio because all the whiskey contained within matured in a single location.
Heaven Hill’s announcement also pointed out that bourbon aged in the Deatsville complex played an important role in the distillery’s 7th Edition Promise of Hope and its 11th Edition Single Barrel. Regarding the latter, a review at Bourbon Obsessed observed, “This is just a delicious bourbon.”
The Latest Addition to Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection Is a 19-Year-Old Wheat Whiskey
It’s set to head to retailers in March“This release pays tribute to the brands, barrels and people who brought those rickhouses to life,” said Susan Wahl, Heaven Hill’s vice president for American whiskey, in a statement. Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey has a suggested retail price of $199.99, and bourbon enthusiasts who embark on the distillery’s Deatsville Tour & Tasting will have early access. Heaven Hill’s announcement of the bourbon also mentions that it won’t be the last release to pay homage to the Deatsville facility, with more slated between now and 2027.
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