Heaven Hill Distillery in Louisville and Bardstown, Kentucky continues to extend its prominence in the bourbon world with continued production, growth and investment. Heaven Hill claims the title of the world’s second-largest holder of aging Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and recently celebrated the filling of its nine millionth Bourbon barrel.
“In a year defined by teamwork and perseverance, today we celebrate another historic Heaven Hill milestone as we fill the nine millionth barrel of Bourbon,” said Max L. Shapira, President, Heaven Hill.
“This nine millionth barrel, a rare achievement in the industry, is a testament to Heaven Hill’s commitment to quality and consistency since 1935.”
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Heaven Hill Aging 1.8 Million Barrels in 63 Rickhouses
The nine millionth barrel was filled and bunged on December 30, 2020 and now sits for aging in Rickhouse Y. This is the same warehouse where Heaven Hills other milestone barrels are quietly maturing. Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery in downtown Louisville produces 1,300 barrels per day as the largest single-site Bourbon distillery in American Whiskey. All combined the distillery maintains over 1.8 million barrels aging in 63 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties.
The milestone wraps up a banner year for Heaven Hill’s continued investment in the future of whiskey. The new Bourbon Heritage Center tasting rooms and retail store were completed in 2020 and a grand opening of the entire new center is on track for early summer 2021.
2021 spirit launches included Larceny Barrel Proof, Elijah Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel and Parker’s Heritage Collection 10-Year-Old Heavy Char featuring diverse portfolio of award-winning mashbills.
Founded right after the end of Prohibition by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers.
Related Story
Master Distiller Denny Potter Hammers Home Bung in Heaven Hill’s 8 Millionth Bourbon Barrel [Video]
Heaven Hill Barrel Filling Timeline from 1935 to 2020
Let’s take a look at the the timeline of each of Heaven Hill’s barrel filling milestones over the last 84 years.
| Barrel No. | Date | Years, Months, Days | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 13, 1935 | Day 1 | |||||||
| 250,000 | December 22, 1949 | 14 Years, 0 Months, 21 Days | |||||||
| 500,000 | September 30, 1955 | 5 Years, 9 Months, 29 Days | |||||||
| 1,000,000 | July 21, 1961 | 5 Years, 9 Months, 20 Days | |||||||
| 1,500,000 | December 5, 1968 | 7 Years, 4 Months, 4 Days | |||||||
| 1,750,000 | November 8, 1971 | 2 Years, 11 Months, 7 Days | |||||||
| 2,000,000 | March 26, 1976 | 4 Years, 4 Months, 25 Days | |||||||
| 2,500,000 | June 18, 1982 | 6 Years, 2 Months, 17 Days | |||||||
| 3,000,000 | February 18, 1988 | 5 Years, 8 Months, 17 Days | |||||||
| 3,500,000 | September 7, 1993 | 5 Years, 6 Months, 6 Days | |||||||
| 4,000,000 | January 13, 1998 | 4 Years, 4 Months, 12 Days | |||||||
| 4,500,000 | December 4, 2002 | 4 Years, 10 Months, 3 Days | |||||||
| 5,000,000 | January 31, 2006 | 3 Years, 1 Month, 30 Days | |||||||
| 5,500,000 | November 18, 2008 | 2 Years, 9 Months, 17 Days | |||||||
| 6,000,000 | December 13, 2010 | 2 Years, 0 Months, 12 Days | |||||||
| 6,500,000 | March 26, 2013 | 2 Years, 3 Months, 25 Days | |||||||
| 7,000,000 | February 10, 2015 | 1 Year, 10 Months, 9 Days | |||||||
| 7,500,000 | September 27, 2016 | 1 Year, 7 Months, 18 Days | |||||||
| 8,000,000 | April 9, 2018 | 1 Year, 6 Months, 14 Days | |||||||
| 9,000,000 | December 30, 2020 | 2 years, 8 Months, 22 Days | |||||||
| 10,000,000 | August 2, 2023 | 2 Years, 7 Months, 3 Days | |||||||
| 11,000,000 | *November 1, 2024 | *1 Year, 3 Months (*Estimate) |
Learn more about Heaven Hill Distillery.
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