Heaven Hill Phoenix To Mark 30 Year Milestone Since Iconic Distillery's Rebuilding
Marking the 30th anniversary of its historic 1996 distillery blaze, Heaven Hill has unveiled the Heaven Hill Phoenix, an exclusive 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The commemorative, limited-allocation bottling celebrates thirty years of rebuilding and underscores the distillery's enduring heritage.
Disaster struck on Nov 7, 1996, when a lightning strike triggered a massive fire at Heaven Hill's Bardstown campus. Driven by gale-force winds, the fire destroyed the historic 1935 distillery and seven aging warehouses, incinerating roughly 100,000 barrels of inventory.
With damages reaching $30 million, the event marked a pivotal turning point in modern whiskey distilling. Not all was lost, however. The tragedy claimed no lives, and Heaven Hill kept its entire workforce employed. The brand’s future was further secured when its proprietary yeast strain survived unharmed—preserving an unbroken line of liquid heritage.
The expression is said to have nose notes of polished oak, cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel. The palate has butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon, baked apples, and subtle oak tannins. Its finish is warm and long, with notes of sweet apple pie and peppery spice.
First distilled in March 2008 and matured in heavy-char barrels, the 18-year-old expression is married with rare 30-year-old bourbon produced at the original Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.
The 750ml release comes housed in a commemorative gift carton adorned with a phoenix, symbolizing the distillery's rebirth, and also highlighting the release's core ethos: “Remember. Rebuild. Rise.”
Bottled at 107 proof, the expression will begin shipping across select markets in October 2026 with an MSRP of $325. It will also be available at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Kanpai
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
