Heaven HIll Select Stock 14 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Aged In Tapered Stave Barrels

The 2022 release is an experiment with bourbon aged in tapered stave barrels. Just as they sound; the staves are tapered on both ends so that the barrel takes on a diamond-like shape. The experiment was to see how this unique barrel affected the bourbon’s taste.

The bourbon was distilled using Heaven Hill Distillery’s standard bourbon mash bill: 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. The barrels were aged in Rickhouse Y, which was said to be Parker Beam’s favorite warehouse. Furthermore, these barrels were aged 14 years and just 26 barrels were chosen to create the small batch.

Nose: Lightly burnt caramel, rich brown sugar & vanilla; a hint of Fruit Loops; oak & leather; moderate alcohol
Taste: The flavors continue and are dominated by caramel with molasses & brown sugar sweetness and dry oak. There’s a little bit of a tang to it, and some leather, too
Finish: Spice and char become more apparent; dryness increases, but the other flavors, including some sweetness, linger. There’s a growing burn and a warm Kentucky Hug.