Whiskey Review: Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon
Note: This review of Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon reflects the personal opinions of Editor Kyle Swartz. This bottle was sent to him as a media sample.
Bottled from just 17 barrels aged on the third floor of Rickhouse AA, this release represents one of the final few opportunities to experience bourbon fully matured the historic Deatsville campus in Bardstown before the site transitions out of active aging. This is made from a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. 109 proof. The suggested retail price is $199 per 750-ml. bottle.
Nose
Very rich. Tons of stone fruits, cocktail cherries, chocolate cake, sweet old oak, vanilla and caramel. Notes of sawdust and baking spices. A fresh and inviting nose that leaps out of the glass.
Palate
The richness continues with loads of sweet bourbon flavors, vanilla and caramel, blended with stone fruits, baking spices and lovely oak. A wonderful spice blooms in the mid-palate, tying everything together. This drinks above 109 proof, but without being too hot.
Finish
Dry cherry, dark chocolate, charred barrel. Rich and lingering, a finish you can happily chew on.
Upshot
Heaven Hill rarely misses with bottles above 10 years in age and this is another big winner. Deatsville has all the trademark Heaven Hill chocolate sweetness and rich fruit flavors. I could have identified this whiskey as Heaven Hill blindfolded. What I like most about this exceptional whiskey is the big spice in the middle that balances perfectly with all those rich flavors. This is a bourbon-drinker’s bourbon, all the classic flavors and elements dialed in perfectly. Bravo! It’s a no-brainer buy at or around SRP, and one of my favorite whiskeys I’ve tasted all year.
Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgacceleration.com. Read his recent piece, Whiskey Review: New Riff 2026 Single Malt Whiskey.
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