Phoenix blends 18-year-old bourbon with 30-year-old whiskey distilled before the fire that destroyed the original distillery in Bardstown
Heaven Hill, the family-owned Kentucky distillery in the United States, this week announced Heaven Hill Phoenix, a one-time bourbon release marking 30 years since the fire that destroyed its original distillery in Bardstown on November 7, 1996. The 750 ml bottle carries a suggested price of $325, and shipping began in October to select markets, with no list disclosed, as well as to the brand's shop in Bardstown.
According to the distillery, Phoenix is an 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It blends bourbon distilled in March 2008 and aged in heavy-char barrels with 30-year-old whiskey distilled at the old Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, before the fire. It is bottled at 107 proof, or 53.5% alcohol. The box shows a phoenix rising from the ashes and the words Remember. Rebuild. Rise.
The tasting notes released by Heaven Hill itself list oak, cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel on the nose; caramel, cinnamon and baked apple on the palate; and a long finish with apple pie and pepper.
The 1996 fire, believed to have been caused by lightning, was spread by the wind and destroyed the 1935 distillery and seven aging warehouses. Nearly 100,000 barrels of bourbon were lost, with damage estimated at $30 million. No one died, no employee lost their job, and the company's proprietary yeast survived, according to Heaven Hill. Afterward, production moved to the Bernheim distillery in Louisville in 1999, and a new distillery in Bardstown was completed in 2025, according to The Spirits Business.
The fire brought tremendous loss, but it also showed the resolve of the people who chose to move forward togetherMax L. Shapira, executive chairman of Heaven Hill, in the announcement
Heaven Hill owns Evan Williams Black Label, a bourbon in Bebidário's catalog.
Sources: Heaven Hill (October 28, 2026), The Spirits Business (October 28, 2026).
