Behind the Scenes at the New $135M Heaven Hill Distillery

Is this the futuristic reality of bourbon making? Welcome back to Bourbon Trail Tales and Taste! In Episode 62, Wayne and Rebecca take you on a Traveling Tuesday adventure to Bardstown, Kentucky, to visit our 71st unique US distillery stop: the brand-new, state-of-the-art Heaven Hill Springs Distillery! Opened to the public in late 2025, this highly anticipated, ultra-modern facility represents a massive milestone—marking the first time since the devastating 1996 fire that Heaven Hill has a working distillery operating in Bardstown. We share our honest, unfiltered review of this highly automated, "antiseptic" tour experience. From riding the private transit bus and eating raw barley straight from the quality lab, to witnessing a facility run by a whopping five-person staff, we break down why this is a marvel of modern distilling engineering (and why it shouldn't be your very first bourbon tour). After the tour, we unpack our premium crystal souvenir glasses to crack open and taste the standard Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond 7-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey! This specific bottle is the highly collectible Series 1 Limited Edition "Kentucky Collector's Edition" Artist Series, featuring stunning watercolor labels by Louisville artist Bri Bowers. Is this 100-proof, 78% corn pour still the "King of Bottled-in-Bond"? We deep dive into the creamy vanilla pudding nose, cinnamon palate, and unexpected black pepper finish. Drop a comment below: Have you visited the new Heaven Hill Springs facility yet? Don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button for more authentic distillery tours and whiskey reviews! Drink responsibly. Connect With Us & Support The Journey! 🥃 Become a Patron & Get Exclusive Content: https://www.patreon.com/cw/YourBourbonJourney 🌐 Visit Our Website: https://yourbourbonjourney.com/ 🔔 SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBourbonJourney?sub_confirmation=1 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbourbonjourney/ 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourBourbonJourney 🎓 Want to earn a FREE Whiskey Certificate? Start your bourbon education journey with Whiskey University today! Take your first steps here: https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/first-steps ❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌ Heaven Hill Bottled-IN-Bond Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Company: Heaven Hill Brands Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery (Distilled at Bernheim in Louisville, KY - DSP-KY-1; Aged and Bottled in Bardstown, KY - DSP-KY-31) Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley Age: 7 Years Old Proof: 100 Proof (50% ABV) MSRP: $49.99 Released: September 2025 (Series 1 Collection) Other: Limited Edition "Kentucky Collector's Edition" Artist Series Collection featuring five unique watercolor labels by Louisville artist Bri Bowers. This specific label features the newly opened Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown. Purchased: 03/28/26 for $64.99 at Heaven Hill Springs Distillery ❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌ 🎥VIDEO CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Traveling Tuesday: Heaven Hill Springs Distillery 0:20 - Welcome to Episode 62 & Distillery 71 for Us! 0:52 - Arriving at Heaven Hill & The Brand New "Stay Bonded" Sign 1:24 - Riding the Bus to the Exclusive New Distillery Campus 1:45 - First Impressions: Cocktails, Vistas & Historic Memorabilia 2:56 - Advanced Grain Dispensing Technology 3:48 - Tasting Raw Barley & Mash 4:33 - The Antiseptic Tour: Looking at Automated Yeast Tanks Through Glass 6:02 - Historic Evan Williams Wall Sign Discovery 7:02 - What’s Missing? Viewing the Spirit Safe and Still 8:10 - Getting "Chastised" at Fermenter Number Five! 9:23 - The Brain Cells: A Full Distillery Controlled by 5 People? 10:46 - Our Honest Review of the Modern Tour Experience 11:20 - First Class Tasting Experience 11:53- Unboxing Expensive Lead Crystal Souvenir Glasses 13:04- Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond 7-Year (Artist Series) Details & Specs 14:34 - Nosing: Vanilla & Caramel with hints of Orange 15:34 - Palate & Finish: Creamy Pudding, Cinnamon, and Black Pepper 17:36- Why Older Age Statements Make Better Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon 18:25 - Final Verdict: Should YOU Do THIS Distillery Tour? 19:44 - Cheers to Heaven Hill! 🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨 ❓Questions❓ YourBourbonJourney@gmail.com NOTE: The spirit in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly. #HeavenHill #BottledInBond #BourbonTrail #WhiskeyTasting #DistilleryTour #HeavenHillSprings #KentuckyBourbon #BourbonReview #BardstownKY #WhiskeyReview #AmericanWhiskey #BourbonJourney #BTTT #ArtistSeries #DrinkResponsibly