New Heaven Hill Distillery Begins Production in Bardstown

(Photo: Heaven Hill)

Heaven Hill Distillery filled its first barrel at the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery on Monday, bringing bourbon production back to Bardstown, Kentucky, nearly 30 years after a fire destroyed the original plant.

The $200 million facility marks a major step for the company, which says it now holds the title of the world’s largest independent bourbon producer. The new distillery will start with an annual capacity of 150,000 barrels, or about 10 million proof gallons — roughly one-third the output of Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. The site has room to expand up to 450,000 barrels a year.

For the first time since 1996, Heaven Hill will propagate live yeast in-house, giving it more control over flavor and consistency across batches.

The new site employs 20 technicians and runs a four-crew operation to maintain steady production. It joins Bernheim — which remains the largest single-site bourbon distillery in the U.S. — in supporting the company’s lineup of American whiskeys, including Elijah Craig, Larceny and Old Fitzgerald.

The Bardstown facility also reflects the company’s focus on sustainability. It includes smart meters to track water usage, 3,000 high-efficiency LED lights and systems for stormwater management and energy recovery. Heaven Hill has planted 600 white oak trees on-site for a demonstration forest and restored 32 acres of native prairie grasses and wildflowers.

To mark the milestone, longtime Heaven Hill distiller Charlie Downs returned as honorary master distiller. Downs began his career at the original Bardstown site in the 1970s and is the only employee in the company’s history to work at all four of its distilling locations.

“Filling this first barrel brings full circle a journey nearly 90 years in the making,” Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll said in a news release. “Having Charlie here to mark this moment connects our heritage to our future in the most meaningful way. It reflects the craftsmanship and commitment of the Springs team, whose work brought this facility to life and set the tone for the next chapter of Heaven Hill whiskey.”

The distillery is set to be fully completed in September, ahead of Heaven Hill’s 90th anniversary on Dec. 13.

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