Heaven Hill vs. Bernheim

[chasking]

I initially got into the whiskey enthusiast hobby about 13 years ago. After an initial period of investigation and trying various things, I came to the conclusion that I didn't really care for Heaven Hill's rye-recipe bourbons. While I've had the occasional bottle of EWSB that I've enjoyed, regular production versions of Evan Williams and Elijah Craig just didn't do it for me. I haven't bought them since.

However, it occurs to me that, back then, those bottles contained whiskey from Heaven Hill's old distillery. At this point, EWB and EC12 are now from the new (former Bernhiem) distillery.

Could anyone who recalls that transition comment on how (if at all) the whiskey changed?

[squire]

We've done side by side comparisons and some days thought there were subtle differences and some days not. I wouldn't bet money I could routinely tell one from the other in a blind tasting. To their credit Heaven Hill has kept their products very consistent over the years and I suspect part of the reason is they've used the same warehouses.

So I guess if you didn't care for 'em then you probably won't favor 'em now.

[smokinjoe]

The primary difference that I have noticed from the transition is a lessening of the "mintiness" characteristic that bloomed from the older HH offerings. For me, that was always a screaming signature of their rye bourbons. Frankly, I enjoyed it. I occasionally glean it from the newer iterations, but nowhere to the extent that it was.

[fricky]

There must have been taste variability in Heaven Hill bourbon prior to the distillery fire in 1992 compared to after the fire. After the fire, Heaven Hill obtained bourbon from at least Brown-Forman and Jim Beam. Then in 1999 they purchased the Bernheim Distillery.

[amg]

There must have been taste variability in Heaven Hill bourbon prior to the distillery fire in 1992 compared to after the fire. After the fire, Heaven Hill obtained bourbon from at least Brown-Forman and Jim Beam. Then in 1999 they purchased the Bernheim Distillery.

[El Vino]

Yeast?

[fricky]

The fire wasn't until 1996, so there wasn't too big of a gap. Makes you wonder where the new EC18 coming back this year was distilled, though.