Heaven Hill 19-Year Wheat Whiskey Review: Aged to Perfection

Steve Coomes -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Heaven Hill Distillery
  • MASH BILL: 51% Wheat | 37% Corn | 12% Malted Barley
  • AGE: 19 years
  • YEAR: 2025
  • PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
  • MSRP: $299.99
  • BUY ONLINE: Not yet available.

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Every whiskey fan who wants to #DrinkCurious and learn more about the tiny American wheat whiskey category.

WORTH THE PRICE: Depends. If $300 is in your budget, it's worth it. Why? This is not only the oldest whiskey ever in its category, knowing the deep stocks of this resting at Heaven Hill, no other American wheat whiskey maker will ever come close to that age or the ages to come.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Given the bottle price, bar is recommended. But if you're blown away by it and see the value of a vessel full of liquid history, then "bottle."

OVERALL: Even as a reviewer, I don't taste much whiskey this old. I've had the good fortune to taste Michter's 25 and 20 and Pappy Van Winkle's 23 and 20 many times, but those occasions were festive settings not conducive to whiskey reviewing. But when in my office and able to focus without distraction on this just for its own virtues, it's a different matter.

I have reviewed the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 27-year-old and the 18-year old (I preferred the 18's youth and fruit to the 27's dryness), but this 19-year-old wheat expression, especially given its mash bill, doesn't taste as if it's from the same flavor family; it's a distant cousin at closest.

If you're wondering whether it tastes at all like the 7-year-old Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey–the same stock, of course–the barrel-proof version definitely demonstrates kinship, but the 90-proof does not. It's too lean, even for a 7-year-old whiskey for comparing to something so complex. I believe most drinkers would be hard-pressed to connect any dots to the latter in a blind tasting.

It doesn't matter which Heaven Hill wheat whiskey iteration you know, the nose on the 19-year-old offers up its own bouquet of aromas. Dried flowers and well-made fruit cake come to mind, as do confectioner's sugar, toasted wheat bread and jam and almond extract. The nose goes on forever with toasted almonds, clover honey, corn flakes and vanilla taffy.

Then you sip it and think, "What is this? It's golden everything ... honey, raisins, orange marmalade, butterscotch and roasted wheat grain. It's light and lively, not at all ponderous or weighty as its age may imply. Since the barrel character in this spirit is bereft of tannins that signal heat stress, I'd assume it was aged on lower floors on Heaven Hill's original campus. But as you'll see in the brand notes below, these barrels came from floors five and six of a seven-floor rickhouse.

There's loads of fruit up front with a lean and spicy finish of white pepper, honey and ginger beer, attributes that make me think, "This might make the finest and most decadent gold rush cocktail ever."

If you're hunting for uniqueness and not turned off by the price, this could be your bottle. It's truly one-of-a-kind.

BRAND NOTES

Each release in the ultra-premium collection features one of the six traditional American Whiskey mash bills produced by Heaven Hill, one of the only heritage distilleries to produce this range. This 2025 edition features Heaven Hill’s Wheat Whiskey mash bill, comprised of 51% Wheat, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley and is bottled at 100 proof. With an age statement of 19 years, this release is made up of 277 barrels produced in August and September of 2005, that were aged on the 5th and 6th floors of rickhouse Y. To date, it is the oldest Wheat Whiskey released by Heaven Hill.

“This 19-year-old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey is especially unique, as a product with this mashbill at this age offers an exceptional depth and complexity that is rarely seen,” says Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “It truly represents the high standard that Heaven Hill is known for and is a great example of how craftsmanship and patience can pay off when you’re willing to wait for the highest-quality product to come from the Whiskey-making process.”

As with previous releases, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 750ml bottle will be accompanied by a premium box in signature Heaven Hill blue. The Heaven Hill Distillery seal is prominently positioned on the box, strip stamp and label, and will mirror that of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and the recently launched Heaven Hill Grain to Glass line. A signature of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, specific attributes such as warehouse site location, production date, mashbill percentages, and other designations are noted prominently on the packaging.  Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey will launch nationally and internationally on a limited basis with a MSRP of $299.99 and will begin shipping in early March 2025.

NOSE: A subtle nose of seasoned oak and honey sweetness followed by elements of clove and nutmeg–all the hallmarks of a classic Wheat Whiskey enhanced by the extended time spent in the rickhouse.

PALATE: A testament to its age, the initial notes on the palate include aged oak and baking spices and, particularly, cloves. These elements are followed by rich and sweet notes of cinnamon graham crackers.

FINISH: Warm, but medium in length dominated by maple syrup and caramel sweetness along with tannic elements adding a peppery tingle.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.